The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-26

II HE M creating evcitement." Political power i had intoxicated her; she reveled in it. | not as Q means to an end, but as an exhilarating indulgence, as one conversa- tion in particular which I. had with her | revealed. ?, The shops in Denver observe much the | same rules relating to employees as the shops in New York, Boston and Chicago; hours, vacations and other kindred mat ters were very similarly regulated. Mer- chants in New York, Boston and Chi cago. as most of us know, have not only | agreed without ill-feeling or resistance to ordinances bettering the circumstances | of their employees, but have in many cases been foremost in suggesting and assisting these and other reforms. Why might not this have happened in Denver? That 1t had not the woman who exuited i in her possession of the ballot evidenced. | Have you been into any of our shops, she asked one day, and when I replied that I had, she continued: Don't you think our shop girls are we'll treated?" l Grateful to her because she had intro | duced a topic of such especial interest to me. I agreed with much warmth. How did you bring it about?' I then ques- | tioned.
 | By the ballot" she began in an ora- | torical tone of voice. We women said to the shopkeepers. You must ameliorate the state of your employees and they didn't dare to refuse. If they had re- fused we could have made them smart. because we have the bailot!''
 l But why were you so strenuous?" l asked, in genuine amusement. We said to the merchants in the East, Why don't you improve the condition of your enl- ployesH Merchants are not necessarily inhuman and unprincipied. In the course | of time many in the East did what they could. Our saleswomen are very well | treated"
 you haven't the ballot" she inter- rupted.
 "No." adr.itted, but we have shops as admirably conducted as yours--''
 ''oh." she interposed, "I grant that you may have influence. but we. we have power"
 She was. of course. perfectly correct. but in the instance cited has not influ- l and perhaps also a little less crude, ard more than a little less rasping? The proprietor of not unimportant shop In Denver could scarcely speak of l the part taken by women in instituting labor reforms in that city without irri- | tation. They threaten and call names and stir up such a needless commotion, '' he said. The owner of a large establish ment in Boston said, on the other hand, | that he considered the State of Massa- l chusetts to be peculiarly indebted to its | women for help in improving the condi- tions under which women and children | worked. 'In the very nature of things | women are more able than men to offer practical suggestions on these things, | he said jemphatically. In Chicago an- | other merchant, and in Cleveland still l another. spoke in equally enthusiastic | terms of the beneflcent influence exerted by the women of the respective cities upon labor legislation. The exercise of political power on the part of that woman l in Denver who reminded me repeatedly that she had the ballot may have given to her a melodramatic thrill not other- | wise obtainable, but has it made her any | more useful a citizen than her co-worker | in Boston, Cleveland or Chicago, who has not the ballot? and has it not per | haps made her trif1e less womanly Has she not hurt herself a little with the fascinating. weapon?
 She has, 1t is true, brought upon her | self lesser misfortune; beyond the weakening of her personal dignity and | the bunting of her sense of taste she I fortunately, as one of her acquaintances, a suffragist, told me, neither this par ticular woman nor any other member of her group, is representative of the most powerful class of women politicians in | Colorado. ''She lacks skill,' said her acquaintance; and then she pointed out 1 to me another woman, who, she said | possessed skill.
 As to the nature of that skill, I was | Van ka | The woman in possession of it was of un- questionable importance in the public af- fairs not only of her city, but of her State as whole. Her friends referred to her in phrases which,Tif vague. were yet un- deniably indicative Of unqualified admira- tion. . What is 1t that she does?' ] | asked g7+i.:' Ti.,cSE -s5 .4....
 ''Everythlng!" was the expansive reply
 ''In what way?" inquired.
 ''In every way!" came the instant an- swer.f'
 When had all but begun to despair oi | receiving any more definite information one of the political enemies of this wo. man, whom was beginning to admire foI her obviously great interest in philan. | thropic affairs said to me, by way oi comment upon my somewhat enthusiastic tributes to so large and acting interest on the part of so otherwise overworked a woman: "Oh, but that's a part of hel campaign plan. She does it to get votes. "
 This accusation I repeated to a friend Of the woman against whom 1t had been made. in order that she might refute 1t To my astonishment, she said: Certain. | ly! The people she helps will, of course vote for her! For whom else should they vote? She has been kind to them; she will continue to be kind to them It is for their own good to give her their sup. port
 But, granting that" said, 'isn't being friendly to them in order to secure theil support a sort of bribery? Isn't it buy. ing votes-with kindness know, but stil | buying votes!"
 Well" said> my companion, "she must have votes! You wouldn't have her buy them with money. would you?"
 She gazed at me in evident perplexity l If you prefer people who are doing char tty work for the mere sake of doing it-' she began. Without finishing. she went quickly across the assembly room 1T which we had happened to meet After a few moments. she returned. followed by sweet-faced woman, with the introduc. tng of whom she concluded her interrupt ed sentence. Here is a person of tha type" With which she abruptly left us
 An expression of bewilderment came in to the face of the person of that type "Do you know what she meansY' sht asked me. looking after the other woman
 That you are doing charitable work think" I ventured.
 My new acquaintance laughed in som, relief. "oh. yes, try to do all can,' she said. Tt isn't much. Charity work is hard to do in Denver; harder than ir most cities"
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