New-York tribune., 1909-11-14

suits. indeed. apPear 70 lave been the
opening 10 women 81 a few new avenues
o. employment such as political canvass
inC and elective Officer. their employment
IN Eomen hat greater numbers - clerks and
sicnographers h public Offices. and tho
equalizing ia most public positions Of their
salaries with those of mon doing tho same
work But the positions arc graded. and
men are given the best paid places The
average wages. even % women teachers.
are stin decidedly lower than those of mcH
teachers. There y. however. some reason
io Ueliclc that, throu-n the slight influence
cN"rted over their employment In public
positions. equal suffrage may have effected
fer the better The opportunities a. least, if
Iot the wages. of women in private in
dGstry in Colorado.
Commenting upon these statements I'm
the introduction. Helen Thomas FleNncr
Mrs. Simon I1exncrD says: The labor
market is not confined within the bound
aries OF any one state. or even Of any one
country. Tho workinEmen of America have
hardly vet learned how 10 use the ballot
effectively I'm tl.eiT osyn interest. and IL is.
al course. Idle TO expect the small number
of women uow enfranchised in the United
States L. control SO vast "a problem. There
fore d. should surprise no one that Miss
Sumner tnds inc wages If women in
Colorado very little if at All. affected by
their possession # the vote Bu,, none the
less. m, conclusion that cnfranchisement
VIII not prove an advantage TO wage earn
iag Nosnca is Dy ne means warranted. Gov
oInmclt more and more controls tie con
1itions % manufacture ana commerce. and
an classes iu the community are coming
10 understand the immense power Of gov
,Ianent in ihis particular. l. is TOO much
10 ask the working men IF the community
to caIry ihe political burdens of the work
ing women as well as th"ir own"
The most conspicuous effect Of equal
suffrage. Miss sumner finds. has been upon
legislation. NO state" she SAYS, has a
co.o o. LAWS better adapted 10 lis immc-
date needs FOR the protection OF women
and children. Though Il H. impossible TO
Iro.e beyond the possibility Of = doubt
that the woman's club movement alone
would not have brought about the pass
age OF the same laws. il seems probable
tEat thc votes or women have affected the
desired end with less effort and in less
time than would have been required in
lon-sufIraEc states"
As to tac effect o. equal suffrage upon
t.se women themselves. Miss Sumner saws
in conclusion: III has enlarged their in
tcr,s's. guickenei their civic consciousness.
and developed Dan many cases ability Of
high order which has been Of service L.
tnc city. the county and state. closely
allied 10 ths wider outlook and richer op-
l'oriunity, ani also distinctly visible as az
least "a tendency. is thc Development Of the
spirit ~ "o;uradeship between the seNcs
D. is stlH top early 90 measure adequately
tEcs" factors. and perhaps ID will never he
pos, ihi" o." determine exactly how much
equal suffrage has contributed lsut the
Colorado experiment certainly indicates
that equal suffrage is p step in fle direc-
zion - a better ritizcnship q lnofo .ne,-
iiNc use or the ability of women as an ia
i"-ral part of the race. and = closer un-
dcrstanding and oomraaesliip between men
and women"