The Washington herald., 1907-03-09
WOMEN AND THE SCHOOL VOTE.
Effects Of Equal Suffrage a. shown
in Several states.
Editor The Washington Herald:

Editor The Washington Herald.
A writer Ia The Herald says that woman
suffrage has had no good results in either
school. municipal. or foil elections
A letter was lately sent 0.t from Ma
ti1nal Woman Suffrage headquarters TO
the State superintendent of public in
struction in all the States where women
have the school ballot. asking whether
the results had been good or bad. The an
Swers have come in within the last few
weeks. All the superintendents are agreed
that there have been no bad results, and
almost all Of them say that the results
have been good.
The Wisconsin superintendent writes
The school interests Of the State have
been materially benefited He adds that
i'm Madison the proposal 10 put uD new
and much needed high school building was
carried by the womens votes.
The Nebraska superintendent writes:
1T has had many good results For in
stance. in the voting Of school bonds
where better school buildings We're an alb
solute necessity. the bonds could not have
been carried without the votes of the good
and intelligent women. including useful
wives and consecrated mothers. The in
stances are too numerous TO mention"
Theodore Roosevelt as govaFnor Of New
York. recommended womanN suffrage in
his message TO the legislature Reporters
fiocked around him 10 ask why. He told
them that his home town Of oyster Bay
had long been iB great need of a new
schooIhouse. but had never been able to
get the needful appropriation till the
women were given D vote. Then the
mothers voted the new schOolhouse at
once. This seems to be a common expe-
rience
The Montana superintendent writes. 1T
creates more interest, and brings out bet
ter material for trustees.
The North Dakota superintendent
writes. Tt has many good results. Those
mothers who are interested in good
schools and good government are the ac-
tive persons at these elections. Most
women have the interests of their children
at heart. regardless of everything else"
The New York superintendent writes
that the women's vote generally is not
large. but adds Where an important
contest arises I'm school district, the
women do vote, and the majority are the
Intelligent and best women In the com
munity.s
The Massachusetts superintendent
writes Better persons are CHOSEN 10
school boards because Of it, In two con-
tested elections i'm this State recently
women have come out in unusual numbers
to vote and in both cases the results are
in favor of higher standards of school
administration
The New Jersey superintendent writes
1T has been attended by good results.
The women who vote are usually the
mothers of the pupils, and are intelligent.
/ 1t does not oblige them ia neglect their
/ home duties and il makes them more
useful as wives and mothers.
1 So I might go en- down the list. The
| State superintendent of Washington,
I Wisconsin Illinois. Wyoming, Minnesota,
/ Montana. Kansas. Colorado. South Da-
| kota, Nebraska, New Hampshire. New
/ Jersey. Utah. and Connecticut agree in
saying that the school vote gives women
more influence in school affairs, and most
/ of them concur in thinking that, in the
words Of the Nebraska superintendent,
this influence has always been exerted
/ in behalf of the child the home. and the
State ALICE STONE BLACKWELL
| Dorchester. Mass.