The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-03-09
ROCKS THE CRADLE
CASTS THE BALLOT
(By winfield Jones.)
Special to The chieftain.

Washington, D. c., March 9.-From
a million to million and a half Of
women will have something to say in
choosing the next president. In at
least six states the hand that rocks
the cradle will also cast the ballot.
In the six states where women will
vote next November they constitute
somewhat less than one-half of the
total voting population. The census
report is authority for the statement
that men are increasing in this coun-
try more rapidly than women, due TO
the larger number of men immigrants.
The excess male population is fixed at
100000. In the western states men
are not so much in the majority, how
ever as they were in earlier pioneer
days Moreover, it seems to be gem
orally conceded that women register
and vote in larger proportion than
men. To take the womans vote, there
fore, at approximately half the entire
voting population of the six states
where the feminine influence is 'di-
rect would not be far wrong.
Estimating Washington's total vot-
ing population inclusive of the new
woman vote at 100000, Idaho's at 1885,
0O0 Wyoming's at $4,000, Utah's at
10000, Colorado's at 100000, and Cali
fornia's at 100000, we would have an
aggregate of nearly two million voters
in the six states. Possibly the fair
est estimate would fix the quota of
women voters at about 100000, a
number large enough to be reckoned
with in any campaign.
This army of women, despite the
fact that the United States is some
times called slow of persuasion by
suffrage enthusiasts includes one-third
of the women voters of the world, the
other two-thirds being in Australia,
Finland, Norway and New Zealand. 1t
it more than the usual presidential
plurality. If a million and half vot-
ed solidly they might decide the presi-
dency.
The women viii not vote solidly,
any more than men will vote solidly.
About the most that can be said as in
dicative of women's solidarity in poll
ties is that they have a tendency to
break away from party lines, to choose
the man rather than the party, and
that in their politics, as in their in
dustrial economics, they follow the
biological law under which the fe-
male of all species operates as the up
builder and conserver of life. Their
political activity has been almost uni
formly constructive, and the results
of that activity have been almost uni
formiy reflected in legislation directly
related to the welfare of the home and
the lamily-child-labo laws, school
laws, and industrial laws that concern
women.
The exercise of the voting priyil-
ege in 1912 will be no novelty to the
women of Wyoming, where they have
been voting. since 1869, the franchise
having been bestowed upon them a
year after. the organization of the ter
ritory. When the territory became a
state in 1890, women suffrage was
written in the constitution. Wyoming
women have exactly the same political
significance that men have, and, ac-
cording to figures from the state, SO
per cent of them make the most OF It,
registering and voting regularly. They
often sit as jurors and serve as jus
tees of the peace.
The women of Colorado are not
novices at voting in presidential cleo
tions. They were franchised in 1898
so that they have been voting for pres
idents for nineteen years.
Utah women voted when the state
was still territory. The territory be-
came a state in 1866, and the right of
women to vote was established in the
constitution. A woman has once been
elected to the senate in Utah, and sew
eral have served in the house of rep
resentatives.
Idaho women will cast their fifth