The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-07
TIE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
WOMEN VOTERS WAKE AN INTER.
ESTING POLITICAL SITUATION.
10 In Colorado. where Women Have the
Sunrage-POpuiists First. They Have
Now Made the state Republican
Women Ct,ti Servants and Marriage
A Way Around the New Order.

Now Made the state Republican
women Civil Servants and Marriage
"A Way Around the New Order.
The political situation in Colorado is
interesting. the more so because women
are part Of the electorate. Ever since
they first began voting-in ls9t--there has
been such shifting and fusing Of parties
that they themselves scarcely know where
they stood politically. They were en-
lranchised when Populism was at high tide.
and unquestionably by Populist votes.
The bill which submitted the question re-
eeived in the two houses of the Legislature
81 ayes, of which "a were given by Popu-
lists, and 81 noes. of which only were
Populists. and il was signed by the Popuist
Governor, Waite Az the election. Nov.
7, 1899, il was in the counties having Popu-
Us pluraities that the favorable ma ioritv
Of nearly 700 votes was given. while those
that went Republican and Democratic gave
. majority against In 1904 the Populist
STATE ticket was defeated. bu, there il not
the slightest proof that it was by he votes
Of women. In 1895 free silver carried the
State, Bryan receiving 1871 900 votes. McKin-
ley 5000. In ls3s politics was SO badly
mixed that fifteen tickets were filed in
DtDNtI. nIt' W omen were tltiClfl 10 me
Legislature, a Populis', Democrat and
Silver Republican In 1900 the silver eX-
citement having died out, tho BRYAN vote
wns reduced 10 1922 700 and the Mckinley
raised TO 30 900. but the Republicans carried
lever counties than they had done for
tears. This year the Republicans seem to
lave swept the State. and il has returned
j. the fold which it never had left until 1892
b absolutely nothing by HIGH the political
complexion of the woman's vote can be
accurately determined. This much seems
10 be certain, that a. the New York Times
expresses il, They are a puzzle TO practical
politicians. inderendent and not afraid
10 scratch their ballots" or a. the Chicago
Tribune puts il: They scratch tickets and
worry the politicians. Neither of these
papers is friendly 10 woman suffrage. but
the Denver correspondent of the Times saws:
THE experience of the party chairmen,
this year more than ever. has been that il
. candidate is Objectionable 10 the women
particularly upon moral grounGs-they
will not hold their noses and vote the party
ticket straight The highest tribute is
paid 10 the work Of their club:
Ciuhwonan have shown therl.o'veS keen'v
alive 10 the invest 9atioN the >o>1l p-oh'Arls
that have their solution directly or indi-
rrctly through poi'ics and ne tho work Of
the club, il Broadening. tho independent
movement among women voters - extending
irto now channels. That Co'oraio has voted
This year unon seven amendments 10 its
state Constitution has called for invest iGa-
tion not usually mad" ~ the ave-a GO voter
and women have been foremost in 'ookiny into
'hes' questions. NOT from partisan. but
f,o, .i,iy
The prominence of the Younger women
3 mentioned. and the article concludes:
1T is a mistake TO say the more refined
women take no part or interest in politics.
The women vho say they do not believe
In suffrage for their sex and have no desire
10 vote are for the most part the ultra
fashionable or the denselv ignorant"
The Tribune saws: The tendency Of
women 10 vote upon judgement instead of
rom impulse i raril y developing in all
communities The JUDGES and
clerks Of the election are unanimous in
declaring that thew scratched their tickets
with unlimited freedom and great amount
of discrimination" and it continues:
The way Two women go- on after oNiec-
tio7qb'a c1uii 11tHs was tho 4 rso,i- % tho
machine 20 i-icians, who thought II thn party
could stand Cor Thorn tn" women con'd After
particularly intcresting club nlea'inr or
two. when women spoaEors had had their
say 70 the qualifications OF tho obiAc-
tionable ore-. the mon simply gave M all
hope OF carrying any votes bv sorH ling the
party s'ocon. II was not loui enough nor
Logical enough for tho women who had wrichsi
the subject from entirely different standards
Is this what IL wanted by those who
would like TO see reform in politics? II
at III. hap u. tNra in, hos
States. Hoses and machine politicians
In Colorado are bitterly opposed TO it. there
Il no doubt whatever of his fact and they
would abolish II if they could, but they can
not. There has been just enough doubt
on this point to make the women very un-
easy. IL was not precisely an amendment
to the State Constitution which was passed
upon by the voters in 1898. but n sort Of
referendum which the Legislature had
power to submit and there has always been
fear among the women that some way
would be found by the opposing elements
10 trick them out Of their franchise An
amendment was regularly adopted az the
recent election however, which has 81 their
fears AZ resi-. II Is Known as tho Rarela
amendment and was framed for the pur-
pose Of requiring that foreign-born electors
should be fully naturalized with a years
residence. instead Of voting a. heretofore
on their first papers and six months resi-
dance. II was 30 phras ID that il abolished
the word male from the Constitution and
firmly placed equal suffrage therein. A
singular fact about this was that its author,
Senator Barela. a Mexican. has been the
most hostile and unrelenting opponent of
woman suffrage. In 1899 the Legislature
passed a Joint resolution commencing il
In the highest terms and recommending
every State 10 adopt il. There was Just
one vote against this-that Of Senator Barela.
Whether he intended his amendment as an
atonement, or whether he did not realize
it's scope, the women do not know, but they
kept perfectly quiet on the subject and all
voted for IT, Now they never can bc de-
prived Of the ballot except through their
own voliton.
II viii lie rotced that 10 criticisms TO
complaints, 10 SCI satioi al tales regarCliI &
the exercise of the suffrage ly women come
from the other three States whore they
POSSESS il. They have lcon voting in
Wyonir ii, O. 1869 - q H. Idaho Al Il Utah
since 1896. az d there ever has cen q sea ndal
or threat to take away the fra cEise
This is also true Of all parts OF Colorado ex-
cept Der yer. Tie t'a-oI rtlis j. OF hard
70 fId. Denver is POLITICALLY o. . If the
most corrtlrt cities In tlp II tied