The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23


Mary II. Krout, in Denver Times.
The arrest OF the one woman repeater on
election day will be eagerly caught at by
the Eastern press that is rabidly opposed
to equal suffrage. The papers that will
make the most of it, using it as an Illus
tration of the debasing effects of politics on
women, publish every day accounts of the
arrest of women, their conviction and pun
ishment for various crimes and INSIDE
meanors. This causes no surprise. 1t is
urged that after all the silly nonsense writ
ten by male sentimentalists they are hui
man beings. subject to the weaknesses and
limitations of fallible human nature. 1t is
only where their wrongdoing is in the line
of opportunities which their opponents wish
withheld, and usually for purely selfish
reasons, that their moral lapses become
shocking and horrifying. II should be
borne In mind that women of all classes
and conditions-which is perfectly right and
1ust-went to the polls and voted on cleo
ton day, and that but one woman out of
so great a number was arrested for fraud,
where there were several men arrested Tor
the same offense. This. it must be admit
ted, is satisfying proof that six years OF
the franchise in Colorado has not corrupted
the women voters in any marked degree.
But, as has been said, this incident will be
seized magnifed ad infinitum. The splen-
did enthusiasm, the way in which they
rallied to the cause on both sides Will be
carefully suppressed. There Will be fresh
tales of the impending repeal of the equal
suffrage law in Colorado, which every citi-
zen, male and female, knows perfectly well
never can be repealed. The law will. stand,
and it is only the rash and short-sighted
who attempt to war against 1T who VIII
come to grief.
A tour of the various precincts through
out the day, especially late in the evening,
was full of satisfying food for reflection.
fashionable nQiQhhOrhOOd
all the judges were women. Voters came
and went. among them many prominent So
and brought friends with them. 1t was as
orderly all through the day as well-man-
aged Sunday school. 1t is stated that there
was not a woman physically able to cast
her vote in that precinct who stayed at
home. All had registered and all voted.
In the poorer quarters, among the saloons
and dives, bad as may have been the dis
trict, even here women were not molested
in any way. A stranger who wished to see
the workings of an equal suffrage election
was given every facility to do SO. She was
permitted to enter the polling places when
she stated her business; all her questions
were answered readily and politely. AS the
women voters came in the doors were
opened for them and closed behind them.
At one place the door slipped from the
grasp of the gallant judge and struck a
woman voter on the arm. ''Oh, hope,
madame, that did not hurt your he ex-
claimed, with compunction-for he was still
amiable although he had been at his post
since before o'clock in the morning, and it
was then half-past 5. The woman voter was
also amidbe, and not to be outdone in po-
likeness, smiled and said: "Oh, no, not at
alI" although she received a pretty hard
blow. In several places there was one
woman judge with several men. The wom-
an was invariably elderly; she sat engrossed
in her work on her side of the table and
her companions on theirs. In no case did
they seem TO resent her presence, although
many of them were men of rough appear
ance. Nearly all were smoking; but this
did not disturb the women judges in the
least. They were probably used to their
fathers. Husbands and brothers smoking
all over the house al home, and had be-
come Injured to it, They were doing their
duty, as women in war or peace have done
and will continue to do
In one black. ill-paved, badlylighted
purlieu the seeker after knowledge lost her
way. 1t was nearly time for the polls to
close and the belated were hurrying that
| they might be in time. A big, burly fellow
| came along, whose face in the uncertain
| light might be described as sinister A
| red, seamy scar furrowed one cheek; he
was beetle-browed and stumbling.
Can you tell me where the nearest vot-
| ing place is?" she asked, hating. He halt
| ed too, looked down into her face, gave a
| short laugh and said: Just around the
| corner, little woman" and went his way,
| still smiling. The route was through the
very heart of a bad neighborhood. Women
| OF the lower demimonde, painted and ar
rayed in their shabby finery-poOr, ignorant,
| suffering creatures-sat at their windows,
Il
| tawdy trumpery, brilliantly lighted. Now
and then man on his way to or from the
| polling place stopped to speak to one OF
| them. But even here there was not word
| uttered that could offend the ear of decent
| folk, not an indecorous act, nothing be-
| yond the self-evident presence of squalid
| vice. Here, too, the women had voted, as
| they had a perfect right ito do, just as
| their male companions had done, but hav-
| ing cast their ballots-a small minority
compared to the good women of Denver
| who had also voted-they had gone quietly
| back TO their rooms. At this precinct num-
bers of men were collected on the side
| walk, discussing the election, watching the
| When the lone stranger halted to see, also
| the policeman stepped up and said curtly-
| the first of this kind that had been en-
| countered
You can't do that, lady"
| 81 am only looking onto see what ii i:
| like she said.
We'll, looking don't go here; this is bust
! ness
These men are lettering here; you dom
! object to them,' she said.
! "Oh-the men-well that's different" hi
| replied.
But she had seen what she wished to see
an election where women took part no
only as voters, but as clerks and judges
| She went home elated and happy.
| Nowhere, even in the lowest Sums Xix,
that described, did she witness anything
| approaching the brutality shown women il
| the New York elevated trains and stree
cars. The Colorado man, in his lowest eS
| tate, is incapable of that. To him the vot
| ing woman Is a woman to be protected il
the exercise of her just rights, not only s,
| long as she respects herself. but even WheI
she has ceased to respect herself. This il
chlvalry and manliness. indeed and i
places Colorado far in advance of State
| that mistakenly boast of an older an,
broader civilization.