Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-19
SUFFRAGE IN UTAH.
Breaks Down Religious Barriers Be-
tween Mormons and Gentles.

/ If for no other reason than that i
has united the women of two strongly
opposed religious sects, suffrage has
justified itself in Utah. Mormon anG
| Gentle. the women voters of Utai
have pledged themselves to secure
good 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 too far to assert that the
whole world awaits the result with in
tense interest. The following is quot
ell from an article, entitled Equal
Suffrage in the State of Utah. one of
Ia great series on Suffrage, appearing
in the Pictorial Review
Equal suffrage in the State of
Utah may be likcned to Galatea. 1t
WAS created as a beautiful ideal. In
reality 1t was only an image of the
real thing. 1t was not intended that
the Mormon women should have in
dependent ideas as to how to vote.
Equal suffrage, like Galatea, at its
birth was only fair dummy. In
course of time, it came or is coming
TO life The very act of casting a
vote made the women of Utah think
about that vote. They began to see
Ithe possibilities that lay in their bal
lot. If the vote was given to Them
they asked themselves why shouldn't
they use it as they saw fit? Further
more equal suffrage in the home
|meant equal discussion in the home
Also it meant inevitably the Injection
|of the feminine viewpoint into poll
tics.
Little by little, step by step, the
Mormon women began to assert their
independence. In this, perhaps. they
were only keeping pace with the men,
net only of Utah, but of all the
verdi. This independence, this grad
uai breaking away from authority, is
well shown in the election figures of
the last dozen years. In 1900, more
than 80 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 east for the Re
publican party. And the combined
vote for Mr. Wilson and Mr.. Rocse-
welt was half as large again as the
vote for Mr.. Taft. Slowly but surely
the electors of Utah are learning 10
vote according to their own eenseien-
ces.
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 coopera-
ton of the Mormon women and the
Christian women was mutual distrust.
Each side feared that any measure
proposed by the other side was some
ccl, 60 nd, Mt csa
slowly, as rock is worn by the con-
slant dripping of water, that feeling
is being obliterated. For this happy
consumption, equal suffrage and the
women'sf clubs are responsible. There
are forty of these clubs in the State
Federation. The membership is made
up of both Mormons and non-Mor-
mons. Organized at first to read
Browning or dabble in art. these as
soeiations have now evolved TO the
point where the discussion of Brown
ing has been replaced by the consid-
Grafton of such topics as the social
evil, the effect of impure milk on ba-
bies and the economic harm of oeeu-
pational diseases when any one, man
or woman, falls to discussing such
questions. 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
were elected on a partisan
ticket. they will have the united back
ing of the $4,000 women voters; fer in
the federation of clubs, the women
possess a means of unity that men III
different parties do not possess. When
it comes to measures affecting the
public good the women know no party
lines.
To reach this condition of unity has
taken them a decade and half. Fiji
teen years may seem long time to
have waited for equal suffrage to JUS
tify itself. In reality, it was re-
markably short period. Before women
could learn to act together. they mad
first to learn to overcome their preju-
dices, to forget their religious differ
ences. to learn to judge by broader
standard. Charity and breadth OF
view are not easy to acquire. Parti-
cularly are they difficult of acquire
ment by women, who in sense lead
cloistered lives. Nothing but a desire
to effect a common end, and That END
so lofty as to appeal TO the
best IN their womenhood, could ever
have brought the women OF Utah into
the position they now occupy. If their
unity be still not absolute, ct least ha-
tired has given way TO kindly consider
alton, and religious differences have
been put aside for the contamination
of a great lend, That end is the well
fare of Utah Month by month the
women of that state are beng drawn
closer together by their common de-
sire fer social service. To them as to
the women of other states has como
home the lesson that il they want
their homes. THEN cities and their
states to be clean and decent, and
their children to be kept from EVIL,
they themselves must bear nand III
sailing the ship of state. They have
found but one way effectua'ly to as
sists-by getting the vote ana using 1t
Utah is A better state and VIII be-
come a better state still because the
women of Utah have the ballot. In
the way of legislation, it is true that
they have as yet accomplished little
But they have been getting ready t.
do great things ITO him who is des-