The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-29
and Ethan Lodmell secretary. The
business meeting was then continued
and dainty luncheon served.
EQUAL RIGHTS

4
Mrs. Helen deLendrecie writes: The
following article, written by Dorothy
Dix, is such we'll written record of
fact concerning the manner in which
an election was carried by women that
/ ] think 1t an excellent lesson:
The Cassandras Of the anti suffrage
party, who are always indulging In
direful prophecies of the awful things
that will happen to women and the
country If women get the ballot, are
earnestly entreated to consider the re-
cent election at Tarrytown, N. Y
1t appears that Tarrytown is ur-
gently in need Of new water supply,
new mains for fire protection and a
new horseless fire. lighting engine.
The tax paying women in Tarrytown
have right to vote on matters affect
ing taxation, and so what did they do
on election day but rise up as one
woman and so to the polls and vote
the $4,000 tax needed to supply these
improvements for their town.
Millionaire women. society women,
working women. white women, colored
women, even anti women. all voted for
the health of their families and protect
OF course. it's exactly what anybody
with grain of common sense in his
head would know that a lot of women
would do. It was precisely what the
women Of New Orleans did ten years
ago when they voted millions Of doll
lars of taxes on themselves-for wom-
en- Of New Orleans own three-fifths Of
the real estate in that city-to sewer
the city and drain it and furnish pure
water to it.
Anything that makes for the health
or well being or the uplifting of the
community will always have the wom-
en- back of it. The Tarrytown cleo
ton must be horribly discouraging to
the antis, because 1t shows so con-
clusively that women will do with a
vote when they have one.
Also, it demolishes another favorita
"anti" theory, and that is that women
wouldn't vote, even il they could-be-
cause the Tarrytown women simply
turned out en- masse to carry the re-
form they wanted and that their votes
gave them the power to achieve
The attention of the antis is also
called to the curious way in which the
men Of Tarrytown behaved on election
day. Not a single one of them slugged
or. insulted woman at the polls. This
Is marvellous, but true.
Just why men, who are kind and
polite, and even somewhat in awe of
women, all the balance Of the year,
should rise up on election day and
beat and maltreat the ladies at whose
tables they are accustomed to dine.
and whose patronage supports them, is
one of the mysteries that no one can
explain. However, the suffragists
have assured us, with tears in their
eyes, that this is just what would hap
pen If women voted. although under
our balloting system we are all COM
PEELED TO vote along with our neigh
bors at the same polling place.
1t Is therefore with infinite pleasure
that we record the 'reassuring fact that
none of the wealthy and cultured gem
tlemen of Tarrytown were suddenly
transformed into hoodlums and thugs
on election day, nor did they punch
a single lady's head or tear her new
spring frock off.
On the contrary. they behaved with
just as much courtesy toward women
as they would have done at a garden
party, and the women found the act of
voting attended with just the same
thrilling dangers that dropping let
ter into the postoffice would have had.
Nor does the inexplicable conduct of
the men of Tarrytown end with their
failure to blacken the eyes of the wom-
en- voters. One of the principal argu-
ments of the antis against giving
women the ballot is that It will break
up the family.
Yet, according to all reports. many
Of the women were accompanied by
their husbands or brothers or male
friends, and the two sexes came along
as amicably together to the polling
place as they would have gone 10
church or the theatre or the golf links.
or anywhere else where they had
mutual interest.
More marvellous still, instead OF the
fact OF the women having carried a
much needed reform by their votes
precipitating a sex war in Tarrytown.
the men lit blazing bonf1res in the
street to celebrate the event. ana
marched around the village, halted in
front Of the house of every woman
taxpayer and voter and gave her three
rousing cheers.
And that's the way woman Suffrage
worked out in Tarrytown