Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-29
Activities and Views of Progressive Women in Various Walks of Life
Experience Of n woman Legislator.

Experiences Of n woman Legislator.
-HE only woman member OF the
T last general assembly OF Colo
RADIO, Mrs. Alma V. Lafferty,
- recounts IN the Delineator some
QI61l OF her experiences a. a legisla-
~ tor. She says. in part:
After three months experience as The
only woman member OF the Colorado legis-
lature among nlnety-nine men-sixty-four
in the house and thirty-five In the senate
I am more than ever firmly convinced Of
the right and justice OF woman suffrage.
and 1 believe that. whenever II is possible.
81 is the duty Of a woman TO take an &C
tive part in helping to make the laws OF
her state. Until now, I never realized how
Iksdly the mother heart and the apprecia-
ton Of the human side of every question
are needed In our law-maklng assemblies.
When II comes to making laws for the
protection OF our children and for the bet
terment OF conditions for women, who Is
more capable or better fitted to perform
the task than the women themselves7
One Of the first bills signed by the gov
ernor was introduced by me-and II was
referred to the educational committee, OF
which l was chairman. The bill pro-
vtded for the examination Of school
@A AANAHAh6 VI VIAL An@
portance, which has been enacted in many
states. To my surprise It met with con-
siderable opposition and discussion. I was
able, however, to meet all questions and
TO show the urgent necessity for such a
law.
Il succeeded in preventing amendments TO
the bill, and finally, without any change,
It passed the house on third reading; but
when that bill got through the senate, its
own mother did not recognize I'll 1t hap
pened TO be taken up for consideration at
a time when there was a desire TO defer
action on another measure, and that digni-
fled body OF senators played with my poor
little bill all one day. 1 was engaged to
speak that evening at a labor meeting in
q town near Denver, and the last words I
heard, as I left the capitol at noon to go
to the train. were: They are tearing your
bill to pieces
'when they finished with It. It was fin
ished and worthless. They had struck out
even the section providing for the appro-
p%riation, a polite way Of killing It out
right. When the amended bill was sent
back to the house we refused to concur
In the senate amendments. A conference
was appointed. I had the honor
of naming the committee. and the senator's
began TO realize that what they had done
might not sound well in a future cam
paign. They meekly accepted the bill, re-
stored or reconstructed by the conference
committee, and 1t went on its way rejoic-
ing and is now a law.
The women OF Colorado now realize that
their great mistake has been in merely
voting, instead OF living up to all their
civic responsibilities. The difference of
the women themselves is at the bottom
Of their difficulty In gaining recognition.
! have no sympathy with the woman
movement unless women are ready to as
sumo the full responsibility of citizenship.
II consider II a most natural thing for
me TO be in the legislature. My position
as an office holder has never embarrassed
me at any time. I have felt always that
the loyal women OF the state were sup
porting my efforts. It seems strange to
me that 1 am an object Of curiosity TO
some people; 1 certainly do not feel any
less womanly on account Of my experience
in public life, and I shall always have
pleasant recollectons OF my strenuous
three months in the legislature, and of the
new friendships formed there.
While my associates and 1 differed on
many issues and sometimes debates be-
came rather warm. yet. after It was all
over. the feeling OF good-fellowship re-
maine I believe that / have gained a
larger and broader view OF life, and al
though 1 did not accomplish everything
expected of me, I am not discouraged
What has been accomplished will set peo-
pie to thinking and the conditions fol-
working women in Colorado will steadily
improve. Our failures will spur US on &c
greater activity in the coming two years.