The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-23


all In school, II the women Of Denver
can manage it, Judge Lindsey will stay
in the County Court as long as he can be
persuaded to.
The first law in which women were
interested after they got the ballot was
that making fathers and mothers equal
guardians of their children. There had
been an occurrence some years before
that reused a good deal Of feeling on the
subject.
A consumptive came out here with his
wife, who got employment and supported
and cared for him devotedly until he died.
Before he died he called for facilities to
make will
His wife humored him, thinking it only
the fancy of sick man, as he had moth
ing to leave. But when the will was opened
II was found he had willed their unborn
child to his relatives. The court held that
he was within his rights, and she had to give
up the child when 1t was born. 1t created
public indignation. but the law was never
altered until women got the ballot.
I'VE never had State home for de-
pendent children until the women voted.
We had only sectarian orphan asylums.
Now We have an excellent one, with plao-
ing out system modelled on the Michigan
plan, which came directly from a paper
read before a meeting Of women by Mrs.
E. NJ. Ashley, one of our leading women
we never had State industrial school
for girls till We got the vote. There was
a splendid Industrial school for boys at
Golden, where boys arrested for petty
offences were educated and taught trade.
But there was nothing Of the kind for the
corresponding class Of girls. For Sec
tartan reasons, there has been at intervals
bitter opposition to the State Industrial
School for Girls, and it is only the back
ing Of the women that has accomplished
its preservation and support.
1T was after the women voted that the
age Of consent was raised 10 10 years. Mrs.
Holly of Pueblo handled that bill. There
Is only one other State that places the age
Of consent so high. and all through the
South, the section most opposed to equal
suffrage, it ranges down to IL, 0, even 7
years. salient illustration OF the COM
parative efficiency Of chivalry and justice.
Five years ago the Colorado Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs began sending out
travelling libraries over the State; State
whose magnificent distances call for travel
ling libraries, II any ever did. Last winter
we went before the Legislature and got a
bill passed making this travelling library
a State institution, and securing an ap-
for its support.
I'VE asked only that portion Of the
commission in charge should be women,
but the men amended our bill and provided
that the entire commission should be COM
posed OF women. and that the Governor
should appoint them from q list OF nomina-
tons submitted by the president Of the
State Federation Of Women's Clubs.
An instance Of the non-partisan action
Of women in such things was my appoint
ment as chairman Of this commission by
Gov. Peabody. I am and always have
been Democrat; but he appointed me on
the appeal OF the women Of his own party.
had had char &c Of the work previously,
and they thought ought to continue In
charge.
-Or books go to remote hemlets, mine
boar ding houses and the desolate little school
houses Of mountain and plain, sometimes
fifty or sixty miles from the railroad. The
Colorado Fuel and Iron Company circu-
lated our boxes among It's camps until
it established q travelling library Of its
own. The railroads give US free trans
por tation.
we have a great many Juvenile boxes
for the country schools. and In these We
place portfolios OF prints and photographs
Of geographical, historical and art sub
jects.
Station agents. postmasters, country
storekeepers. ministers. school teachers
and all sorts and conditions Of men have
charge OF our boxes. They have been
the means Of starting many local libraries
and reading rooms, to which We send our
boxes constantly, as well as giving them
books for their shelves.
women are responsible for the intro
duction OF the open shelf system IN the Den
yer Public Library. or the system Of section
libraries in different quarters OF the city.
and for the appointment Of women on the
Denver Library Board. Mrs. Charles j.
Hughes and Mrs. William G. Fisher, two
Of the leading women Of Denver, were
recently appointed on that board by the
Mayor.
-Since I have been East have heard
it said that il the women Of Colorado had
been alive to their political responsible
ties the frightful labor troubles we have
had in Colorado could not have existed.
Our labor troubles are something far be-
yond the control OF the women. They are.
on small scale, q war-part OF the same
great struggle that has been smouldering
all over the Rocky Mountain country since
the Ceur d'Alene troubles.
Colorado women have not done any
thing radio or startling, but tn ey h ave
looked after the children a little"