Mexico weekly ledger., 1905-02-09
TAKES ISSUE WITH A RECENT
COMMUNICATION In THE
MEXICO LEDGER.
he STANDS UP FOR COLORADO
George C. Erisman, Formerly q We'll
Known Citizen Of This County,
Has High Opinion Of His
Adopted State.


In an article In the weekly LEDGER
Of January Goth, ult, from Colorado,
but without especial location or date,
In which some matters we're so I'M
fortunately misrepresented that the
writer OF this article wishes to correct
before the readers OF the LEDGER
would fix In their minds that such
gross things exist In our beautiful
state, or In any other state Of our
blessed union, for that matter. That
our state two years ago was most pros
porous is very true; that through this
prosperity woman suffrage was In
vogue as now, is equally true; that
Colorado has fallen" morally, financi-
ally or politically, is very untrue; that
business to some extent was affected
is true. The people Of the state did
not indorse the misuse Of the militia,
and by their votes last November de-
clared a change in affairs of state, but
not In woman suffrage.
Mr.. Editor, would 1t be fair TO say
that Missouri lis fallen" when bribery
and Doodle seemed to shake her very
foundations? Isn't it fair to say that
Missouri is on the up grade as usual
and on a surer foundation than ever?
IL is such with Colorado. People
everywhere know Of Colorado's great
mineral wealth, but only those who
investigate know that during the last
five or six years the annual products
OF her farms exceed her annual min
eral output. There was sS,O00,oeo
worth of s%ugar-from b~eets-pro-
duced in this state last year from an
infant industry only four years old.
This amount is just one-third OF the
yearly sugar product Of the United
States. Has Colorado fallen? The
Colorado papers have just cause to
censure eastern papers for attributing
the downfall of Colorado" to woman
suffrage. 1t is like the eastern papers,
which, up to a few years ago, seemed
to be pleased to head their columns
with "Robber Missouri" ect., until
they could not put up" SO they had
to, "shut up" So 1t is with Colorado.
The citizens OF our state are satisfied
with woman suffrage and consider 1t
In advanced step, which will be ac-
knowledged by the other states sooner
or later. Isn't 1t a little queer that
newspapers at a great distance, and
such a very, very few people at home
should attribute such horrors to
woman suffrage when the three or four
states having woman suffrage are by
experience, not opinion, satisfied with
the law and Its effect, making nc at
tempt at Its repeal, each year adding
proof OF women's refining influence at
the polls, as we'll as at the fireside. l
have yet failed TO isee the first Colo
RADIO paper lifting its voice against
this advanced step. My wife and l
noticed this refining influence at once
when casting our first vote In 1900 at
Pueblo and have noticed the same
elsewhere we have voted. Wife's in-
terest is Just the same as mine, and
she has as much right to a vote on
that which effects her. as l have. The
widow has a just right to say what
laws shall effect her children, her home,
her property, but some would rob her
OF this right preferring 10 e tine lg-
norant negro male voter exercise this
right for her. In common sense, who
is the best qualified to choose the best
laws, our wives, mothers and eligible
or the ignorant negro, who
nothing at stake and can be
bought for q dime. 1t is an outgrown
idea that women's influence is not ele-
waiting at the polls. Experience has
proven this. What kind OF influence
is the lady teachers exerting in the
public schools OF missouri! a vast
majority Of your teachers are ladies,
tits 50 10 every state. IL their infiu-
ence is 50 bad, why don't the good
people stop IT. The political corrup-
tion here, as elsewhere, was caused by
the lowest type Of mankind In the
cities, not by our wives, mothers and
voting, or their influence,
neither do they need ply, for mere
they have a right to stand for their
The wild and woody west" has long
since gone by and the many former
here helped TO make IL TO
too, as well as Others. Yes, some OF
the ladies here ride horseback, riding
astride, wearing divided skirts, Delng