Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-05-19

the polls since admission to full
suffrage, has been large. A stock !
argument everywhere that the polls
would degrade women, was overthrown
as observers about the voting places in
Arizona report, and women elevated
the polls, instead The polls were
never before in this state so orderly,
businesslike and quiet.
Kansas in 1912. same year as Ari-
IONA. became full suffrage state.
One of the features of the day preced-
ing the last election in Kansas, was
the heavy registration of women
voters. Out of five cities from which
returns came. four reported the large
est registration in their history. The
proportion of men to women in Kansas
is 80 to 26. But back in 1861 Kansas
gave school suffrage to all women. In
1887 municipal suffrage was granted
them and full suffrage was granted upon
second submission to voters. A CORE
spondent from Kansas says she saw
voters coming to the polls in families,
just as they would go to church, or to
a place of entertainment together.
More than score of women have
served successfully as mayors. and
have served extensively on juries.
The first movement of the women
turn their state suffrage organization
into a Good Citizenship league. the
chief object of which is to provide
facilities for the study of governm ent
and civics among women. The first
constitution of Kansas, showed very
high degree of fairness to women and
adopted bill in 1859, that 1.-THE legis-
lature shall provide for the protection
of the rights of women acquiring and
possessing property. And shall also
provide for their equal rights in the
possession of their children. In 1868
women were given full control of their
property and wages. The age for
girls for consent is Is. Through the
| influence, largely, of women. a legis-
lative measure was passed providing
| that the wages of persons in prison,
shall be given to their families pro-
viding for the censorship of moving
pictures: providing penalties for the
sale of immoral postcards providing
for the sterilization Of idiots, insane,
epileptics and certain classes of Grim
inals; together with other correct
measures for the betterment of the
government. Kansas women have
been able to save thousand babies
in the last year. During 1913 there
were 848 deaths of babies between one
and two years. The state has never
considered babies important enough to
give them an appropriation, but it has
spent thousands of dollars every year
for cattle, hogs. horses, sheep, chickens
and in fighting insect pests of the
fields and orchards. But if the farm
er's baby was sick he had to go and
pay money to find out what allied his
child, while if calf were sick, the
state would send him veterinarian to
tell him what allied the calf. In ten
months of 1914 to Nov. l there had
been 2132 deaths of babies under one
year. The result of one years cam
paign has been to reduce infant
deaths. And legislature has created a
bureau of child hygiene under the
state board of health, with an appro-
priation of SIS, ZOO to carry on the
work.
The territory of Alaska was granted
full suffrage in 1913. There was not a
dissenting vote. The legislature caused
call laws which (heretoforel imposed
or recognized civil disability in wife,
which are not imposed or recognized as
existing as to the husband, are. hereby
repealed, and for any unjust usurpa.
ton of her property or natural rights.
she shall have the same rights to appeal
in her own name alone, to all courts for
redress, that the husband has,"
In 1914 Nevada became a suffrage
state. The legislature passed the easy
divorce bill and kept it on the statute
book for many years while only men
: voted. This year the women failed tC
secure a better bill, being the first
time women have actually had 6
chance to vote and so the anti suffra-
OF f0 ~
bad bill (men's bilD as an instance OF
baleful effect of equal suffrage.
In the same year with Nevada, 1914,
Montana became an equal suffrage
state.
Both these states were carried for
suffrage on the first occasion when
the question was submitted to the
voters. The men are pleased and
proud of the recent election, where
equal suffrage was carried. In some
states where it failed of adoption many
men are feeling mortified over the
fact. They do not consider it good pol.
! icy for their community. There are
"a. 72O women voters now to work for
women and educational avancement,
etc.
Illinois women can vote for electors.
Presidential suffrage given in 191:
ana LOT all O11cerS not created by the
state constitution, also upon all ques.
tons submitted to voters. Women
especially in Chicago, have taken ar
active part in public affairs for many
years; before their enfranchisement,
they served on numerous boards ano
commissions, as factory inspectors,
and in various positions connected with
educational. philanthropic and cor.
regional or sanitary work. Immedi.
ately after the passage of bill granting
equal suffrage, they created measure
to provide for the installation of a
municipal garbage reduction plant.
for which women have fought by theil
influence in vain for years. Thei,
work will cover Industrial laws which
affect the welfare of women ard chill.
dren as we'll as social and educationa
subjects. About Is per cent of the last
registration in November, 1914. were
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