Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-10-14

Vote Benefit TO
WOMAN And STATE.
Prominent Washington Clti-
zens Tell of Upift.
BETTER POLLING PLACES.

National Democratic Committeeman
John Pattison Asserts Women I'M
proved Them In Tone and Character.
Another Declares Voting Is Human
Right-Has Helped Washington.
Washington.-One of the best ways
to find out how equal suffrage works is
to listen to what the people in the
equal suffrage states have to say about
woman suffrage. The testimony Of Mr..
John Pattison, national Democratic
committeeman Of Washington, carries
weight not only on account of Mr.. Pat
tiSon'S position, but because it is found
ed on facts and not on theories When
Mr.. Pattison was interviewed he con-
fessed frankly that at first he was op-
posed to woman suffrage On sentimen-
tai grounds. He had been taught to
put woman on a pedestal, and he didn't
just see how he was going to keep her
on a pedestal if she persisted in going
to the polls. He now acknowledges
that to have been a false alarm and
says that if a return to the old order of
things were put to the voters today 80
per cent Of the male voters would vote
for woman suffrage. In a long and in
innate connection with politics he has
seen the convention halls and polls,
(which formerly were too often the
scene of drunkenness and violence, i'm
prove in tone and character by the
presence of the women delegates and
voters"
Women, he finds, have shown an
active and helpful interest in civics
and school matters. In municipal af-
fairs they are keen, earnest workers,
but national politics they are inclined
to leave to the men.
When Mr.. Pattison was reminded
that opponents of woman suffrage in
the east held that equal suffrage had
proved harmful to the western states,
at has been the best thing that has
ever happened to u.s." said Mr.. Pat
tison. "Our women Of the west are
the best mothers in the world, the best
wives in the world, the sweetest sweet
hearts in the world."s
"Why shouldn't they be-" was the
way Mr.. Charles Lund, former chairman
Of the state Republican committee, an
swered the question, "Should women
vote?" ''They are just as capable Of
voting as the average man; they have
the, same brains, the same interests,
the same feelings and prejudices. Suf-
frage has been good thing for Wash
ington, and it has been a good thing
for the women. There have been no
radical changes, but there has been a
perceptible Improvement in the tone Of
politics"
Mr.. Arthur Lee, president Of the
school board of Spokane had this to
say on woman suffrage: eff the wo-
men of Washington want the RESPONSE
bility Of the ballot the men of Wash
ington want them to have it. Equal
suffrage is still a comparatively re-
cent innovation in Washington, and it
is hardly fair to judge women's ca
pacity for government in the few
years that they have had an oppor-
tunity to voice their opinions. But it
certainly has not worked any harm to
the government and in instances has
been Of real benefit"
Mr.. Charles S. Albert, attorney for
the Great Northern railroad, in indoors
ing woman suffrage says: "Some people
seem to have an idea that voting is a
ceremony that people perform labori-
ously, with much expenditure of time
and energy. All we do in washington
is to go first to the primaries, the wo-
man with her shopping bag or some
times with her market basket, and the
man with his newspaper, and when we
get to the iJrimaries If we don't know
anything about the candidates we in
quire from some one who does know.
the women asking questions just as the
men do. Then he trOts off to his Office
and she to her shopping or to her home,
and we don't consume any more Of our
time with politics until election day.
Then we go cast our votes. 1t really is
very easy-nOt exactly an arduous and
nerve racking performance to ruin a
woman's character or break down her
health. We believe in equal suffrage
in Washington just as we believe in
wives and homes and children