United labor bulletin., 1911-11-02
GOOD JUDGMENT RECOGNIZED.
Great Reform Measures Advocated by
the American Federation Of Labor
Becoming Operative.

The recent election in California has
demonstrated beyond the peradventure
of donbt that the judgment of the
American Federation of Labor in the
matter OF great reforms has been ex-
cellent and praiseworthy Two OF the
great measures, Woman's Suffrage and
the Initiative and the Referendum. just
made law by the voice OF the people OF
California have been energetically sup
ported by organized labor for many
years, and ii is TO the credit of the
American Federation Of Labor that it
initiated the nationaN movement for the
latter reform.
The last number of the Weekly News
Letter told of the greatN victory for the
Initiative and the Referendum and the
Recall in California. 1t now records a
lowing press message tellsN the story:
San Francisco. Cal.-Calisornia has
voted to enfranchise her women.
with the votes all but counted in the
golden state. the suffrage amendment is
assured of a majority of 800 voSes, and
the final returns may make the Ngures
higher than that.
"It was day of wild exultation
throughout the state. The women had
snatched victory out OF defeat, and they
were beside themselves with joy. Par
suffrage amendment had been defeated
by majority OF nearly $4,000 votes. was
the spirit of rejoicing let loose in al its
vigor and intesity.
Women embraced and kissed one an
other indiscriminately. and all personal
and sectional difficulties were forgotten
in the glad word that suffrage had won.
Club women, college women, working
women and just plain women Joined
hon arA hAn rfC IN m
throng and sang and shouted the Califor-
MIA verdict so long and Justify that 1t
must have been heard around the world.
kilograms and cablegrams, frantically
penned by excited fingers, were sent
chasing over the wires to all parts of
the globe informing men and women that
California had decided in favor of votes
for women.
"On the night of election the devoted
workers in the cause of equal suffrage
had gone to bed with the somber feeling
that their brave battle had been lost.
THE mental and physical strain to
which the suffragists had been subjected
during As hours was more than human
strength could withstand Within that
time they had been defeated and counted
out. had been called back into the ring
for more drubbing and fought along on
their knees for whole day, had stag
gered up under their second wind, had
slowly recovered their strength with
which to hold their adversary at stand
STILL finally with black defeat and gray
doubt behind them. they had emerged
big and strong in the clear, white light
of victory"
In 1890 the American Federation of
Labor endorsed Woman Suffrage. the
endorsement of the Iniative and the Ref
erendum followed in 1892, and In 1898
the Postal Savings Bank received the
stamp Of its approval. The latter meas
ure has now been adopted by the ma
tional government, while the states are
| wheeling into line for the other two
great measures. The agitation for all
three measures has been pressed with
out let up for years. and organized
labor can be justly proud in the part II
has played in bringing them into opera
ttion.