The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-05-20

II for no other reason than that 1t
has united the women Of two strong
ly opposed religious sects, suffrage
has justified itself in Utah. Mormon
and Gentle, the women voters OF
Utah have pledged themselves to Sc
cure government and civic improve
ments, and they are working side by
side to gain that end, despite most
pronounced religious differences. 1t
is not going far to assert that the
whole world awaits the result with
intense interest. The following Is
quoted from an article entitled Equal
Suffrage in the State OF Utah." one
of a great series on Suffrage appear
ing in June Pictorial Review:
Utah may be lickened to Galatea. 1t
was created as beautiful ideal. In
"Equsl Suffrage in the State OF
reality it was only an image of the
real thing. 1t was not intended that
the Mormon women should have in
dependent ideas as how to vote. Equal
suffrage, like Galatea at its birth was
only a fair dummy. In course Of time
1t came or is coming to life. The very
act OF casting a vote made the women
of Utah think about that vote. They
legan to see possibilities that lay in
their ballot. II the vote was given
to them, they asked themselves why
shouldn't they use 1t as they saw fit?
Furthermore equal suffrage in the
home meant equal discussion in the
home. Also meant injection OF the
feminine viewpoint into politics.
Little by little step by step, the
Mormon women began to assert their
independence. In this way, perhaps
they were only keeping pace with the
men not only in Utah, but OF all the
world. This independence, this grad
ual breaking away from authority, Is
well shown in the election figures of
the last dozen years. In 1900, more
than so per cent of the vote OF Utah
went for Mckinley. In 1912 on the
other hand less than 81 per cent OF
the vote of Utah was cast for the
Republican party. And the combined
vote for Mr.. Wilson and MIR. Roose-
welt was half as large again as the
vote for Mr.. Taft. Slowly but surely
the electors Of Utah are learning to
vote according to their own con-
sciences.
What Is true of the electorate at
large is true of the feminine part of
it. One great obstacle that for many
years prevented the political cooper.
alton Of the Mormon women and the
Christian women was mutual distrust.
Each side feared that any measure
proposed by the other side was some
scheme for partisan advantage. But
slowly, as rock is worn by the con-
slant dripping of water, that feeling
is being oblterated. For this happy
consummation, equal suffrage and the
WOlHeH b CLUBS are TespOHsiDle. lheie
are forty of these clubs in the State
Federation. The membership is made
up of both Mormons and non-Mormon
people. Organized at first to read
Browning or dabble in art these as
sociations have now evolved to the
point where the discussion of Brown
ing has been replaced by the consider
alton of such topics as the social evil
the effect Of impure milk on babies
and the economic harm Of occupation
al diseases. When any one man or
woman falls to discussing such quest
ions there can be but one result. And
so, little by little the women Of the
State of Utah are coming together to
work for civic betterment.
Although the women elected to the
legislature were elected on a partisan
ticket they will have the united back
ing of the $4,000 women voters; for
in the federation Of clubs, the women