New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-05
HOW THE VOTE WAS CAST
California Suffragists Tell What
It Feels Like to Go to
the Polls.

We'll. you've voted. Now 60 home, that's
romau's sphere"
The California man spoke jokingly, ana
his wife obeyed in the same spirit She had
been away from the home" about ten min
utes. according to Mrs. Mary T. Carnage,
who was there and heard 1t. She is now
here TO tell New York women that il Is not
such an awful thing TO vote. ~ you
had not seen her at the head Of the
California delegation in the parade yester-
6sy you would not be able to detect any
thing unfeminine in her appearance. She
has nice, frizzly little black curls and a
plump, cheerful face. She dimples all over
when you ask her II it is not unpleasant 10
frequent the polls.
Why should It be?' she demands. They
fuilt q little special booth right around the
corner from our house. So many women
we're registering, the old places could not &C
Comnodste them. Why. II did not take me
much longer to vote than TO mail letter.
ana, say, II did not take me one-tenth as
long 10 vote as TO go 10 pay taxes, as have
been doing for the last thirty years They
never worried about me leaving the home
60 pay those taxes.
That suspicion about the society women
would have 10 mingle In at the polls was
one OF the great arguments of our oppo-
rents however. One OF them said some
thing about undesirable persons TO me, and
] just turned on him. Don't you live In a
respectable neighborhood? 1 asked. why,
az course Dear me he was terribly In
suited. Well said I, where is the unde-
s.rable company coming from right in your
own neighborhood? What are you men
about if II is not safe for lady to walk
on the streets? She could not go to see
Ter friends or do her marketing II that is
the case" He saw the point, too.
Besides, It's against the law to speak
within 100 feet Of the polls. You walk up
and attend to your business, and then you
20 away. That's all. No woman Is going
10 hang around the place all day. waiting
TO hear Objectionable language on the out
skirts Of the crowd. Women have too much
10 do. They can't waste all day at the
polls.
Another great point the ants made was
about leaving the children. But why leave
the ohiIdysnf You take them out to mar
ket and 70 church. or else you get friend
10 stay with them. It's just the same II
you're going out TO vote I have q little
friend who said, My baby lie going right
along, too. II the polls aren't 1T place
for baby. I'm going to know It; then wen
see that SIS changed 30 she took her
child By the hand and went down to vote.
~ n while
she was writing. Than they went and had
some leo cream. Another family all went
toaether 70 vote. The father had the baby
by one hand, and the mother had tho other.
Suffrage hadn't destroyed family life there.
had II? -''t
Indeed. ! believe suffrage will cement
homo life. Tho woman doesn't want to be
put under . glass oover-protected from all
real AFFAIRS Of the world. She wants to
know what 10 going on. Then, when the
family gather around the evening lamp the
wife and mother viii have something TO
talk about besides embroidered towels ana
Mrs. Smiths new hat and the babys cough
things which drive the husband TO the
club, destroying moro homes than politics
ever viii.
ct remeu,ber one Of the eloquent remarks
of a Senator during the oampaign-'shaIi
woman mingie with the rough Life OF tho
worldr cried he. All. mol Lot the Amer
tcan woman remain on her pedestal while
We do her honor
Yes answered him. You keep the
American woman on q pedestal just one
day. that's the day you talk about her IN
public. After that she comes down and
goes to work for you It's all very nice
TO be q clingins vtns--.f you have anything
to cling to; II you haven't big male OAK
tree beside you. though. the cinsins une
trails In the dust and gets trsmpied on.
That's why I'm interested In suffrage /
want 70 80 woman not . oiinging vino.
but Q straight. strons little oak trss. grow
ing ssds b. side with the tree she used TO
cling 10. People said to me IN the cam
naisn: why DO you sxsrt yoursslfK These
esudjt,sus which you describe don't hurt
yes. Ysu hsvs money and social position
Yea I answered that's Just why !
feel must work for the poor girls who