The sun., 1903-05-03

Wnnsan AQfIfAGc.

GLIDING volume o. The Hfsfory of Womd'
Suffrage, edited by SUSAN B. ANTHoNf
and a Hustled HAMPER and published BY
Susan b. Anthony. Rochester. N Y. The
volume covers the period from 1888 to 1900
Tho three preceding volumes set forth the
story Of the movement for woman mirage
during the seetl-sowing timo what Is
hare exhibited IL the harvest already reaped
and the grounds for the hope that the twen-
tleth century will witness the complete tri-
umph Of the movement In all civilized coun-
tries In the space al our disposal II ls.
Of course. impossible to give even summary
OF the facts collected In up 'ard OF l.loo
pages All that we shall here attempt to
20 IL n condense the evd,nce for believing
tnat the experiment for woman suffrage mas
been successful In those States OF our Union
and In those foreign countries where 1t has
been tried
The States In which women are already
permitted to vote at all elections are Col
orado, Idaho. Utah and Wyoming. we
sometines sec it asserted that the results
of the experiment in these States have been
unsatisfactory. In order that the facls
might be known. go far as Colorado was
concerned the following statement was
signed in 1893 by the Governor. by three
ex-Governors, by both United States Sena-
tors and both members Of Congress, by ex-
Senator'S by the Chief Justice and two Asso-
ciate Justices of the State Supreme Court,
three Judges Of The Court Of Appeals four
Judges Of the District Court, the Secretary
Of State, tho State Treasurer, State Audi
tor, Attorney General, the Mayor OF Denver
the president Of the State University. the
president Of Colorado College. the represen-
tatives of the Genera Federation ofWomen's
Clubs, the vice-regent OF the Mount Vernon
Association and the presidents OF thirteen
women's clubs. The statement sets forth
that "We. citizens OF the State Of Colorado,
desire, as lovers of truth and Justice. to
givo our testimony to the value OF equal
suffrage. We believe that the greatest
good Of the home, the State and the nation
is advanced through the operation of equal
suffrage The evils predicted have not
come to pass
"1he benefits claimed for It have been
secured. or are In progress of development
A very large proportion OF Colorado women
have conscientiously accepted their re-
sponsibility as citizens. In 1904 more than
half the total vote for Governor was cast
10y women. Between IS and 90 per cent.
Of the women in TIE state voted at that
time. The exact vote Of tho last election
has not yet been estimated. but there s
reason to believe that the proportional
vote Of women was as large as In pre-
vfous years The vote Of good women.
Ike that Of good men, Is involved in the
evils resulting from the abtse of our pres
ent political system. but the vote OF women
10 notioeably more conscientious than that
Of men, and will be an important factor
in bringing about better ORDER
There is later and confirrnatory testi-
nlony from citizens Of the same State to the
same effect Thus Horace NJ. Hale. for
merly president of the State University.
wrote in 1901: There is not political party
In the State that will ever dare to insert
in it's platform an anti-suffrage plank:
for it must not be forgotten that, upon this
question, the voting power Of the women
would equal that OF the men. II is no more
likely that the women Of Colorado will
ever be disfranchised than that the men will
be-" In 1902 Irving Hale Brigadier-
General, U. s. ", testified that $50 far
as have been able to judge by obser-
vation OF elections and analysis of re-
tricts than in tho slums and the proportion
OF intelligent and refined voters to the
ignorant and depraved is larger among
women than among mon. The average
result. therefore. has been beneficial
We mark. finally. the evidence given In
1902 by Thomas NJ. Patterson, United States
Senator from Colorado: 1T was said that
equal suffrage would make family discord
y ~ l.
easy. though stricter than In the neigh
boring States; but since 1893, when suffrage
Was granted, have never heard Of case
where political differences were alleged as
a cause for divorce. or as the provoking
cause of family discord. Equal suffrage.
in my judgment, brcadens the minds of
both men and women. 1t has certainly
given us in Colorado candidates of better
character and higher class Of officials.
II is very true that husband and wife fro
quentiy vote alike: as the magnet draws
the needle, they go to the polls together.
But women are not coerced, II a man
were known to cocroe his wife's vote,
believe he would be ridden out OF town
on rail with a coat Of tar and feathers.
Wnmen's legal rights have been improved
ia Colorado aince they obtained the ballot,
and there are now no civil distinctions.
Equal suffrage tends TO make political
affairs better. purer and more desirable for
all who take part in them"
We pass to Idaho. where the Chief Justice
and Nstbe Judges of the Supreme Court
have published an averment to the effect
that woman suffrage in this State is
success; none Of the evils predicted has
come to pass. and IT has gained much in
popularity since its adoption by our peo-
pie. In tR02, when woman suffrage had
been in operation in Idaho for over five
years. Ralph T, QuaHea, Justice OF the
Supreme Court bore witness "The adop-
ton Of equal sufra &c has resulted in much
good IL Idaho. The system is working
we'll . ane tbs test result therefrom is, the
seleotioi tor public positions. State. county
and n,unicipai. Our politics in the past
has been manipulated by political advent
urers more or less, without regard to the
best interests Of the people, but principally
in the interests Of a small coterie OF ,politi-
clans Of the different parties who have
depended upon the public treasury for
subststsno> The participation Of our
women in the oonventions Of our various.
political parties and In elections has
tendency to relegate 10 the background
the professional politicians. at least the
worst clement. and TO bring forth In their