The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-24
JUSTICE BREWER ON SUFFRAGE.

Justice Brewer of the United States
Supreme Court has contributed to the
Ladies, World an article on "Woman
Suffrage, It's Present Position and Its
Future First, the learned Justice
discusses the general suffrage PROPOSE
ton. then comes to the consideration
of the practical effect of woman
suffrage in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and
Colorado.
OF Wyoming, he says it is chiefly an
agricultural and stockraising State,
with no large commercial city and COM
paratively little manufacturing or min
ing. There are ample public schools
open to both sexes, and general intelI-
gence prevails among both. Little ag-
pressive spirit is shown by the. women
voters. There is community OF
thought and purpose between husband
and wife, man and woman. There have
been no great scandals, and the Justice
concludes that so far as Wyoming IS
concerned, "certainly, so far as can
be seen, female suffrage has worked no
harm to and probably has been whole
some restraint upon the political life of
the State"
,As to Idaho, Justice Brewer says lit
tie can be said about the operation of
woman suffrage for $50 short n time
has elapsed since the grant that re-
suits cannot we'll be estimated
AS to Utah, Justice Brewer dismisses
it largely from the field of the general
discussion involved, in the following
paragraph;
In Utah the relative proportion OF the
sexes is much closer than that OF Wyo-
ming. The significant feature OF its life
is the Mormon church. AS woman Is
| more religious than her brother. the
| dominance of church control over her is
greater than over him. Indeed. 1t has
| often been said that female suffrage was
| brought about by the rulers OF the Nor
/ mon church in the belief that thereby
It's control OF politics in Utah would be
| made more secure. BE that rs 1t may. IL
| Is clear that, when that suffrage Is largely
part of the machinery OF a church. II
| Is helpful or hurtful as the interests OF
that church seem 10 its leaders to de,
mand Its results cannot be considered
| n fair test such VIII be found where
her action is free from church control.
| The fullness OF that control In Utah is
| evident from the fact that, after the al
Eloyed revelation 10 Brigham Young. the
women freely accepted polygamy.
This shows that the Justice has n
pretty clear insight, not only into the
operation of woman suffrage, but as to
the reason why the suffrage was con
ferred; and it will be noted by the
logical mind that precisely the same
objection TO n church-controlled woman
vote applies also against a church-con
trolIed man vote. Justice Brewer
would, no doubt, admit this himself
and. in fact, his paragraph on Utah
as quoted points unerringly TO his con
demnation of a hurch-controlled vote
Of any kind
In Colorado, the Justice concludes
, that woman suffrage is at its significant
test. Colorado is not very unequallI
divided as between men and women
The suffrage proposition has been il
effect long enough to give it a gooC
test, yet, on the whole the Justice doe
not seem very decided in his opinion
as TO the helpfulness Of woman suffrage
! although he leans TO the opinion tina
woman suffrage has been helpful, al
) though perhaps not TO the extent tha