The Ronan pioneer., 1917-01-26
WOMAN SUFFRAGE
MAKES PROGRESS
UNITED STATES LEADS IN THE
FIGHT OF WOMEN FOR EQUAL
POLITICAL PRIVILEGES.
And Many Countries Are Following
Example of the Americans; Feder-
al Amendment, Looked Upon as
Wholly Negligible Few Years Ago.
Is Now Burning Issue.

At the beginning of = new year,
ties of women in the recent election,
Montana women will be interested in
a correct account of the progress and
standing Of women suffrage through
out the world. The following was
written by Alice Stone Blackwell and
the article is we'll worth preserving,
not only for future reference, but for
future comparisons:
Ninety years ago women could not
vote anywhere, except at municipal
places in Europe.
In the forty years from 1880 to
1870, women were given full suf-
frage in Wyoming, municipal suf
frage in England, Finland, Victoria
and New South Wales, and school
suffrage in Kentucky, Kansas and
Ontario.
Some Early Day Victories.
In the twenty years from 1870 to
1890, women were given municipal
suffrage in Kansas, Scotland, New
Zealand, South and West Australia,
Tasmania, Iceland, Ontario, New
Brunswick, Nova S otia, Quebec,
British Columbia and the Northwest
Territory; school suffrage in Michi-
gan. Minnesota, Colorado, New
Hampshire, Oregon, Massachusetts,
New York, Vermont, Nebraska, North
and South Dakota, Montana, Arizona,
New Jersey and Oklahoma, and full
suffrage in the Isle of Man. In Mon
tana, tax-paying women were given
vote upon all questions submitted to
the taxpayers.
In the twenty years from 1890 to
1910, women were given full suf-
frage in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Nor
way, Finland, New Zealand, South
and West Australia, Tasmania,
Queensland, Victoria and New
South Wales; municipal suffrage in
Ireland, Denmark and the province
of Vorarlberg (Austrian TyroD, and
school suffrage in Illinois, Connect
cut, Ohio, Delaware and Wisconsin.
In Louisiana, in Michigan, and in
all the towns and villages Of New
York state, taX-paying women were
given a vote on questions of local tax
ation In Iowa and Kansas women
were given a vote on bonding prop
ositions, and in Minnesota vote for
library trustees. In France women
engaged in trade were given vote
for judges of the tribunals of COM
merce In Belgium women were CIV
en- a vote for the Conseils des Prud-
hommes.
Suffrage in Montana.
In the seven years from 1910 to
1916, inclusive, women have been
given full suffrage in Washington,
California, Kansas, Oregon, Arizona,
Montana, Nevada, Manitoba, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, British Columbia, AL
aska, Denmark, Bosnia and Yucatan;
municipal suffrage in South Africa,
in Laibach (Austria), Baroda Gin
dia) and Belize (Honduras); and
school suffrage in New Mexico. The
Kingdom of Wurtemberg gave wom-
en- engaged in agriculture vote for
members of the Chamber of Agricul-
ture; and local rights of suffrage
were extended to women in number
of cities, ranging from Canada to the
Gulf.
1t will be observed that full suf-
frage for women has made more pro-
| gress during the last seven years
than during the previous seventy. In
1916, also, the first woman was
elected to congress; and the women
of the United States were for the first
time an important factor in a great
national election.
Now Comes the Federal Amendment.
The federal amendment for woman
suffrage, which eight years ago was
looked upon b. the majority of con-
gressmen as wholly negligible, has
become a burning question, COM
manding the anxious attention Of the
party leaders on both sides; and, for
the first time, every political party in
the country has declared in it's ma
tional platform that women ought to
vote. Even the great war, so dread
| full and destructive in every other as
pect, has brought equal suffrage
nearer in Europe-in England, actu-
ally within sight-because of the
splendid war service rendered by the
women. The history of the years
bears out the words of Mexican
poet:
"Humanity knows that mycteri-
Gus soul causes everything to move
upward by a starry stair. What was
thorn yesterday will be a rose to-
morrow: what was a chrysalis yoster-
day, tomorrow will be a butterfly;
what yesterday was a wish, tomorrow
will be wing!'