The Washington times., 1906-03-11
WOMEN IN DENVER
PURIFY POLITICS
Few Try Frauds, and Election of Decent
Candidates Has All Been Due to Their
Fight Against Machines.
BY JUDGE BEN B. LINDSEY,
Of the Denver Juvenile Court.

Woman suffrage in Colorado for over
ten years has more than demonstrated
its justice No one would dare to pro-
pose its repeal; and. If left to the men
OF the State, any proposition TO revoke
the right bestowed upon women would
be overwhelmingly defeated
Many good laws have been obtained
In Colorado which would not have been
secured but for the power and infiu-
ence Of women.
If It were any reason to deny women
the right TO vote because they could
not regenerate mankind as a result, IL
would have been years ago a reason
for depriving men of the right to vote.
Few Women Try Fraud.
At some Of the elections in Denver
frauds have been committed. Ninety
nine per cent Of these frauds were
committed by men. without any con-
nivance or assistance. direct or indi-
rect. from women; but because one per
cent were committed by women. there
are ignorant or careless-minded people
In other States who actually argue that
this is A reason for denying women
the right to vote. If II were a just rea-
son for denying suffrage to women. 1t
denying it to men.
Perfection is not to be found in this
world amone either men or women;
and. while / grant that more women
approach this exceptional state than
men, at the same time there are a few
women. like a great many men, ready
to prostitute the use Of the ballot-box
for selfish or mercenary causes.
Many a time have heard the 'boss''
in the political caucus object to the
nomination of some candidate because
of his bad moral character. with the
mere explanation that If the women
found him out it might hurt the whole
ticket. While many bad men have been
nominated and elected in spite OF
woman suffrage, they have not been
nominated and elected because OF
woman suffrage, but. in ninety-nine
cases out Of a hundred, because the
men had a right 10 vote. In other
words. if the situation were reversed,
and only women had a vote, / am sure
it would result in a class in public Of
fee whose character for morality, hon
esty and courage would be OF a much
higher order.
With the exception OF a few downtown
precincts, where frauds were arranged
and carried out entirely by men. with
a very occasional and exceptional use of
women. the elections in Denver have
been more decently and honestly con-
Quoted than they were before women
had the right to vote.
Must Not Judge by Few.
People have no right to judge woman
suffrage in Colorado by the election
frauds in a few precincts, unless IT
would be to show why suffrage should
be denied to men and restricted TO wO-
men. The election frauds in Philadel-
phia, where women do not vote, were
never used as a reason why suffrag &c
should be denied to men. There is no
more reason that the exceptional case
OF such frauds in Denver, even those
with which a woman may have been
connected. should be an argument for
denying the right TO her ninety-nine sis
ters who have conducted themselves de-
Gently and properly.
I have known a number Of instances
in Denver where men in public office,
who have had TO do their duty fear
Iesslv and honestly, but in doing so have
had to fight the powers Of evil, have
been preserved to political and public
life purely through the influence OF wo-
men and their public demonstrations and
threats of use of power at the polls.
These have forced bosses" to nominate
for public office men, VINO, according TO
the newspaper accounts, were 'nomi-
mated amidst howls and curses" simply
because of the power Of the woman
vote. making public sentiment back OF
the candidate who was forced down the
throats Of unwilling machines. Again