The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-03-09
THE WOMEN
OF SIX STATES
Will be a Factor in the Elec-
tion Of the Next
President.
Especial to The Mlrror)

| washington, Marcn 1-ffOm Il mh-
lion to n million and a half Of wo-
men will have something to say in
choosing the next president. In at
least six states the hand that rocks
the cradle win 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 mon immigrants.
The excess male population is fixed
at 100000. In the western states
men are not so much i'm the majority.
however, as they were in the earlier
pioneer days. Moreover. II seems to
he generally conceded that women
register and vote i'm larger proper
tion than men. To take the womans
vote, therefore. at approximately half
the entire voting population Of the
SIX states where the FEMININE infTu-
ence Is direct" would not be far
wrong.
Estimating Washingtons total vot-
ting population inclusive Of the new
woman vote at 10000. Idaho's at 1885,
600. Wyoming's at $4,000. Utah's at
10000. Colorados at 100000, and Cali
fornia's at S00.OOO we would have an
aggregate Of nearly two million vot-
ers i'm the six states. Possibly the
fairest estimate would fix the quota
II women voters at about 100000. a
number large enough to be recloned
with in any campaign.
This army of women. despite the
fact that the United states is some
times called slow or persuasion by
suffraSe enthusiasts includes one
third Of the women voters Of the world,
the other two-thirds being in Austria
la, Finland. Norway and New Zea-
land. 1t is more than the usual presi-
Dental plurality. If u million and a
half voted solidly they might decide
the presidency.
The women will not vote solidly. any
more than men will vote solidly.
About the most that can be said as
indicative of women's solidarity in
politics Is that they have n tendency
to break away from party lines, to.
choose the man rather than the party.
and that In their politics, as i'm their
| industrial economies, they follow the
biological law under which the fem
ale of all species operates as the up
builder and conservcr OF life. Their
political activity has been almost uni
Iformly constructive. and the results
of that activity have been almost uni
formly reflected in legislation direct
lly related to the welfare of the home
land the family child labor laws,
lschool laws. and Industrial laws that
Iconcern women.
The exercise OF the voting privilege
in 1912 Will be no novelty to the wo-
men Of Wyoming, where they have
been voting since 1869, the franchise
having been bestowed upon them a
year after the organization OF the
TERRITORY When the territory became
n 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 90
per cent. of them make the most OF
II registering and voting regularly.
The women of Colorado are not nov
, ices at voting in presidential elections
: They were franchised in 1898 so that
they have been voting for presidents
Tor nineteen years.
. Utah women voted when the state
was still a territory. The territory
t became a state in 1866, and the right
e of women TO vote was established ir
the constitution. A woman has ono,
r been elected to the senate in Utah, and
$ several have served in the house Of
I representatives..
Idaho women viii cast their hftf
presidential votes this year, having
the franchise since 1896.
Washington women also voted wher
Washington was territory In 1888
: woman suffrage was declared uncon
= ,stitutional. and was not put into tn
I constitution OF the new state upon IT
G admission TO the union. In 1910, how
g ever. II carried the state by a vote o
Y three to one.
4 California women win be the frs
in the United States to have an op
= lportunlty to vote directly for presi
d dent. The presidential primary lay
u lpassed both houses or the Californi
Il legislature In extra session sometlm
: ago. Six other states, where wome
+ dc not vote, have passed laws confer
c ring the same privilege upon me
voters. There are six American ci
! ties. with population OF more tina
: 100 900 each, where women vote ia
e president, congressman and all othe
= officials, on the same basis as mel
y Three Of the six are in California, Sa
Francisco leading as the largest