The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-22

this was to be expected, for, while men have usually shown more interest in national and international politics, women have displayed greater in terest in municipal politics and local conditions which could be remedied by
 intelligent legislation In former times the education of children, the care of the sick and infirm, and the protection of the weak from the strong were all interests of the home, but now they have been absorbed by the modern State, and have usually been inefficiently controlled. In Colorado as a result of laws introduced and supported, largely by women, these interests have come once more under the trained supervision of women. These laws are remarkable for their saneness and progressiveness; they provide for the prevention of child la bor: the establishment of State Home for dependent children; the ere ation of juvenile courts; the establ1s ment of truant schools; the compul- sorry education of children under six teen; and the prevention of prosecut- ing and arreSting officers from collect ing fees in cases against children. Be- sides these, there have also been other laws passed, which make 1t misde- meanor to fail to support aged ana infirm parents and a criminal offense
  clothing in case of sickness of wife or minor child; laws which require a woman physician on the board of the insane asylum, laws which provide for the free maintenance of the feeble minded, and for the enforcement or pure food laws. Moreover. these laws have not merely been passed, they have been enforced.
 Besides this, women have also been f,,J in, hot ho in terests. Before 1893 there were but three "dry'' towns in Colorado, now there are fifty. Furthermore, in Den yer there are no saloonkeepers in the city council-something which can be said of but few cities in the United States
 Now. having considered the advant- other side of the question, the advant- age to the woman herself One of the first results of equal franchise would be, not to put more burdens upon her shoulders. as some think, but to enable her to legislate some of her present burdens off. In the first place, she would be able to have laws passed which would make her CO., guardian of her children with the fa- ther. 0n all but eight of our States this is not the case) At present, in about one-third of our States, the husband has the right to appropriate his wife's earnings just as he can take for himself the earnings of his horse and wagon. This also woman could change-in fact she has changed both of these conditions in Colorado. Again, | she would be better able to obtain equal pay for equal work; and she would also be in a position to better the conditions under which she works. | this is doubted by many, 1t. has really occurred in Colorado. I
 Moreover besides being able to inn prove her economic condition, the en- | woman would be able to | develop immeasurably in character; | for women are not so different from men that they do not require for their | development the mental and moral discipline which responsibility in pub- lie affairs would give.
 Then, to briefly summarize both | classes of advantages, they are these: | through Woman's high moral stand :