The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
The CAUSE OF WOMAN,
AZ ,RGI uE\T or THE ANTI
S,TrRtGISTS DEMOLISHED.
The Reason. WI, More Women DO Not
Hold once IN EGual.SufIraEe states
Their Record rs once Holders
Methodist Bishops as SufIra gists.

methodist Bishops as SufTra gists.
Th, opponents Of equal suffrage fire.
,uep,y Use a. an argument the small num-
w. or women Who hold Office in the States
.ho-, ,L,y haze the franchise and ask
..h, # il. possession is such an advantage,
,h.v do not secure more of these valuable
nl,cc.. This argument might be used to
~, both WAYS A stock objection to grant,
inc ,hi. privilege to women is that they
,.aud ioln in the general scramble for
o~ca 10 the neglect OF the truly feminine
driss and with all sorts of demoralizing
o,,s,.,u.nccs. When this does not occur
Than they are tainted because they are not
ofice-seekers The Washington PoT asks
xhy some state where equal suffrage OBJ
,,ins does not add interest to the move
men, bv e'ecting woman to Congress.
There is no Constitutional provision against
olec,ing women as Congressional Repre-
sen,ative4 in States where they cannot vote.
hi, they would have considerable difficulty
in securing the nomination. In the equal
suffrage States as in all the others, there are
ALWAYS a far greater number Of men anxious
N make this sacrifice for their country
than there is room for on it's political altar.
The women IN the four States where they
vote never have divided on sex lines politi-
cally. and there never has been the smallest
instance Of the women as a body arrayed
against the men rs a body. although this is
scare prediction Of the "antis." They
have simply affiliated themselves with the
existing parties, just as men have done,
with this dfTerencc-that they are far
hap 10 ipc hai
partv's candidates and measures when
these are unworthy. Utah, Idaho and
Wyoming have only one Representative
in Congress each and Colorado only two.
and there ore, Of course. men whose long
continued public service justly entities
them 10 these rare and honorable places.
The same il doubly true of the Sena-
torial positions. These are almost in
varably filled by men who have served
an apprenticeship in various important
minor offices. To select either a man or
woman without this preliminary service
would be apt to provoke the resentment
Of the people. Undoubtedly, women some
times will sit in the United States Senate.
hu, this is probably long distance in the
future 1t is not at all unlikely that during
the present generation women will be sent
10 the lower house of Congress. There
are numbers of them now, not only in the
four suffrage States, but in various others,
who would discharge the duties Of the
position with far more credit to themselves
and their constituents than many of the
men who are now filling it.
The influence of the women in the equal
suffrage States has been used far less to
secure offices for themselves than it has
to determine the character Of the male in
cumbents of these offices. Possibly the
greatest benefit which is received from the
Acknowledgement of women IL in the power
they exercise over the primary or nomi-
mating conventions. In selecting the cam
didates the slate makers are compelled
10 consider carefully whether they can
get the votes of the women on election day.
The assertion that this fact has resulted in
cleaner candidates and better political
conditions is supported by an array of
evidence which cannot be impeached or
Although the women have made no
especial demands they have received con-
siderable official recognition In Wyoming
Miss Reel was for four years State Superin-
,endent Of Public Instruction and is now
National Superintendent of Indian Schools.
Almost every county regularly elects a
woman superintendent, who conducts the
institutes, examines the teachers and has
general supervision of the schools. Women
are found everywhere on the school boards.
A woman has been librarian of the State
University and secretary of its board of
trustees for ten years The clerk Of the
State Land Board is woman. and women
have served frequently as clerks in the
legislature and the courts. The law re-
quires equal pay for men and women in
all employment pertaining to the State. and
this includes the public schools.
In hn aDfrancllSpd
in 1894 the office Of State Superintend-
ent of Public Instruction has been filled
by woman three have been elected
to the Legislature. three made deputy
sherifTs. number elected county treasur..
ers, many county superintendents and
several placed on the State Board of Uni.
versty Regents. They are members of
the State central committees.
In Utah, whose women were enfran-
chised in 1895, four have served in the Leg
stature, one in the Senate, one as clerk
of the Senate, several as County Treasurers,
Auditors and Recorders, one as State Super
intendent of Public Instruction. a con
siderable number have been elected to city
offices, and in many of these and the county
Offices more women than men are found
as deputies and clerks. They are on the
boards of regents of the State University
and the State Agricultural College and
most of the State boards. They have
served as vice-chairman and as secretary
Of the State central committees and several
have been sent as delegates to national
Presidential conventions.
In Colorado no man has even been q
candidate for State Superintendent OF
Public instruction since the suffrage was
given to women in 1898. During the past nine
years eleven women have been elected to
the Legislature. Women have served at
various times as County Treasurers, Asses
sors, Clerks and Coroners. and as clerks
OF the County and District courts At
present over half the County Superintend-
ents are women. In 1900, sos we're school
directors and there are more now. For
several wears a woman has been president
OF the State Board of Charities and Correc-
tons, and another secretary OF the state
Board of Horticulture, while women are
found on the State Board of Pardons and
practically all of the State boards. At
the recent spring elections a considerable
number were chosen as City Clerks re-
corders and Treasurers. woman mas
just been appointed State Dairy COM
missioner by Gov. Peabody. They serve
on the State central committees OF all
political parties.
The above Ia by no means complete
List of the women In office. In all OF these
States they attend the city, county and
State political conventions az delegates
and take an active interest in the cam
paigns Naturally however. as the vast
ma jority are wives and mothers they would
not in great numbers desert their house,
holds to run for Office or devote large
No.. lOtStN flnia