The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-11-30

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! the polls. They went singly and in
groups. some with their husbands,
actual and prospective, and some
without protectors. Not having been
in the state one year, much to our
regret. We could not vote. Never
theless, this morning bright and
early, | started out to see how it
was done.
II knew the uptown precincts
would be all right, so [ sharpened
my pencil. and betook myself to-
ward the warf. down where the drift
wood accumulates. Where live Mex
leans. Chinese, japanese, Negroes,
Indians-and. well everybody and
anybody else. As / drew near the
first voting place, 1 confess I did
feel in a hurry. 1t was pretty we'll
fortified with neighboring saloons.
and the dozen or so men hanging
about seemed to fit in with the land
scape. Not a woman In sight. As l
drey near the lull in the controversy
over municipal harbor bonds made
me aware that they were on the
lookout for women who had courage
to vote. | fancied they were re-
lieved when | passed on. This pre-
cinct is dominated by European
American Citizens of the class
who evidently think
'.Have We not heard the words of
Paul,
Oh. let the women keep silence all. y
Right down in the heart of the
slums the voting was done in the
Industrial school building. When l
saw the word "school" | felt it
would be safe to enter. Once IN
side it did not look bit dreadful.
Just clean school room, with the
chairs temporarily placed against the
wall. In the open space thus at
forded pieces of canvass had been
made into little corners and fasten-
ed to stills to keep the inquisitive
from seeing where you applied the
rubber stamp.
On the rostrum was long table,
on one side of which sat two men,
one with his hat on and one with
his hat off one smoking and the
cther-civilized AT the end stood
man with his hand on a machine
ready to catch the falling snow
flakes. At the ether end-wonder CT
wonders-sat a woman ballot clerk.
Mrs. Lucy r. Redmond has the dis
tinction of being the only one in
the ETY. today. She is a settlement
worker. and came to the rescue. The
man who insisted on her doing the
work said ''It is a choice between
woman and two DRINKS" One of
these DRINKS tried to vote while 1
was in the room. AT ten O clock he
was so overcome that he forgot
about the rubber stamp and walked
off with Mrs. Redmond's pencil
Mrs. Redmond assured me that
this is one of the worst districts in
the city. and still there was no loaf
Ing around the doors, and g number
cf tie foreign women had come to
vote, and she added ''They vote
quite as intelligently as the men,"
last election it took me all day
Wednesday TO clean up the room.
The tobacco guilds had to be raked
cut and TIE floor scrubbed before the
children could enter. 1t Smelled of
tobacco for a week ''Look at it
row. she sad with a proud ges-
tyre. At eleven O'Clock when I
left there was not a quid in sight. So
nuci fer progress and one woman s
Influence in the slums.
In the uptown precinct which 1
visited. was impressed with the
helpful spirit of the men. They
were simply overlooking with ex-
plantations. One lady had visited the
booth. used the stamp, and made her
contribution to the machine, and
stood waiting for her friend, who
Started toward a booth. One of the
mel glanced up and said ''Ladies
You must not both go to the same
booth" The lady who had voted
said. in an even tone, eyes. | un-
de-stand.' She then looked solemn
ly around over the group of men,
and then no doubt seeing an answer
ing gravity in my demeanor, she
well-really winked at me as she left
the room.
Mrs. j. III. Wiley.