The Sentinel=record., 1915-03-05
THE "woMAN VOTE" IN CHICAGO,

Chicago women were given their first opportunity to vote for mayor when that city's municipal primaries were held last week. Of the 218,712 women registered, about 130.0O0 vo!- ed. The ballot provided for tnem was marked "womans ballot and deposit ed in separate ballot boxes. In the press telegrams announcing the pri- mary election results, it was noted that the ladies, 50 far as observers could gather voted mainly for the same candidate as their husbands, brothers or other male relatives voted for" Messrs. Sweitzer and Thomp- ! son. nominated by the democratic and republican primaries, respectively, ,swere said by Chicago newspapers to represent the liberal clements of ' their parties-the term Liberal" be-. ing defined by the Tribune as some thing approaching the open town idea IL is assumed the same news paper adds, that these nominations indicate a reaction from the moral. istic tendency, that the city wants things freer and easier, with fewer restrictions upon conduct and wider B latitude in enjoyment"
 The Tribune is not ready to believe that the "wide-open town" idea will be approved by the majority, though conceding that the facts may prove the assumption. But some of the women do not attempt to conceal taeir disappointment, not to say dis gust, at the result of the woman vote Mrs Ella Flagg Young. super intendent of Chicago schools, is quoted as declaring that women voters are worse than men. I al ways knew" she added, that if women got into politics you could never tell what they would do" Mrs Stillman, a member of the State Sui frage Board, is quoted as charging that the women voted for a wide | open town" Another woman leader, | according to the interviewer, con- < cludes that women are apt to do | anything" In her opinion a lot of | women votes were secured for one | Of the successful candidates by his | sister, who gave a tea Women" | she explained, like to see other wo mems homes. Others of the fami | nine leaders expressed themselves pleased with the result and delight 2 ed at the large vote cast by the wo men.
 It appears that the woman vote In the republican primaries was diyid. ed almost equally between the win. ming and losing candidates In the | democratic primaries a feminina ma jority of about 85.000 was recorded against Mir Harrison and for MT Sweitzer the candidate of alleged | liberal tendencies. It is only fair to | point out that other issues than the | ''wide-open town" were presented; | and that the ladies whose criticisms | are quoted above lost their votes by casting them for defeated candi- i dates. Their personal disappoint. ment may help to explain their un. kind remarks about feminine voters. | The moral issue" may have been | raised in the hope of obscuring para. ! mount" issues. Upon that assump- | tion, the ladies refusal to be deceived by it can perhaps be reconeiled with | the theory that women, when invest | ed with the ballot, will vote pretty | much all one way when moral ques lions are at issue. Time alone can | determine whether their votes at | Chicago were really cast in support | of wide open town" policy For the present, and from this distance, | @the election night theory that they | voted mainly for the same candi- date as their husbands, brothers or | other male relatives did" seems to | explain most plausible the result of the Chicago test.