The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-08-01
WOMAN SUFFRAGE, AS 1T is CON-
QUOTED IN COLORADO
o the Editor Ocala Banner:


present tine about female suffrage,
and as / am formerly from the state
of ColoradoA where it has been in
practice for IA good many years, /
thought an Srticle on the subject
might be of interest to your readers,
and l will gite you a little idea how
it is conductH and how it works in
that state, according to my observa-
tions-
In the irstSplace, I think it gives
perfect satisfaction, and | think If
there were Ypte taken to repeal the
act it would be overwhelmingly de-
feated. Before it was in vogue there
were a great many women who had
property and kpeans who had no
voice in the baking of the laws or
the election of officers to make or en-
force them. TAey claimed that they
were paying t4kes, and objected on
the ground thai there should be no
taxation witho1 representation
AS to the o1IceS they usually fill,
the office of Kounty superintendent
of schools is one very important one,
and don't kno% of any county in the
state where a8lady doesn't fill that
office, also thes office of state super
intetndent of public instruction has
been filed for5many years by women
and, in my opinion, with the highest
honors. Women often fill such posi-
lions as city treasurer and librarian,
and | have known some to fill the Of
fee of clerk of the district court.
There are many lady .postmasters,
and the clerks in the postoffices are
mostly ladies. l don't think the wo-
men stick so clase to politics out
there as do the men. They vote more
for the person than his politics. Of
course, you will understand the peo-
pie are more evenly divided; one
precinct will go democratic, and per-
haps the next will go republican, and
so on all over the state. In the coun-
ty, and also in the state some of each
party will be detected. There are very
few colored people there, and some
may vote, but 1 never saw a negro at
the polls.
Now, as to election day, 1t is more
like a holiday than otherwise. Al
good many bf the clerks of elections
are ladies. The candidates hire two
seated carriages and drivers and en-
ploy lady to go with each. They
each have their street to canvass.
They will so to your house, and if the
ladies are ready to go they take them
to the polls and wait until they have
voted, and if they then want to go
home theyI return with them, if not
they go for someone else. No ques-
lions are asked about how one in
tends to vote. But if you are not
ready to gD when the ladies call for
you, you are asked what time they
shall call for you, and they will call |
again.
People who live out of town and |
who go there to vote, generally take |
their dinners with them. The Ladies' |
Aid, and other societies, give what |
they call election dinners. They go |
TO the grocery stores and get them to
contribute, some ham, another dol |
lars WORTH of sugar, another coffee, |
another canned goods, and so on. An |
other committee will go to the homes
and solicitk bread, pies, pickles, jeS
lies, etc. Then they will hire a halS
or q vacann store-room, and partition
1t OFF, so they can have kitchen i'm
the back part. Then they place two
rows of tables, reaching nearly to the
front door,: with chairs, and then adj
vertise where the dinner will be serv-
ed. Families generally take in these
election diners. Very few go home
to dinner. After you have had din
ner you will7 find a lady at a desk
near the dooT You pay her about 80
cents for youf dinner, or more if you
feel charitabls Some give so cents;
some throw IN a dollar, and many
FAMILIES giveAas high as five dollars,
but about "a cents is what you are [
expected to Day.
Before thiH law was passed, many
women said hat they did not want to
VOTE but hink there are very few
now that d h't. There is nearly al
ways some question to vote on that
they feel iWerested in. They take
great interest in school and temper
ance matters. As I believe this cow
ers the principal ground, 1 viii close. !
81 A. L. EGGLESTON.