The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1920-08-21
CANCELS HUSBANDS
VOTE EACH ELECTION
Utah Woman Proves Female Of sps-
eiss independent in exercise Of
Rranchise.

Salt Lake City.-For 48 years Mrs.
Susan Young Gates Of Salt Lake City.
Utah. daughter Of the late Brigham
Young. and mother Of Miss Lucy Gates.
the prima donna. has been voting-and
voting the Republican ticket. Her hus-
band, Jacob S. Gates, is "a natural-born
Democrat" so we go to the polls to-
gether and cheerfully nullify each 9TH
er's votes" she laughs. "Stnl neither
of us would be without the privilege of
voting nor would either of us deprive
the other of his vote. Usually. where
purely local issues are involved, we vote
alike. It is only when It comes to
congressman and United States sena-
tors that we put pisen in each others
tea"
According to Mrs. Gates, Utah exer-
cised the right of full suffrage before
any other state or territory in the
Union, for though wyoming's fran
chise antedated that of Utah by three
months and three days. Utah was the
first to hold an election in which wo-
men voted. 1t was there Mrs. Gates
cast her first Republican vote. and she's
been voting the ticket ever since!
Utah women have always been as
free as the men of Utah could make
them" said Mrs. Gates. "The Prophet
Joseph Smith gave the right of reli-
gious franchise to women when he foun-
ded the Mormon Church From the
time my father planted the Stars and
Stripes on Ensign Peak and took pos
session OF the country--then a part of
Mexico-in the name of the United
-
the women Of Utah to have equal rights
with them. AS soon as fort could be
erected at what is now Salt Lake City
town council was organized and wo-
men as well as men voted on all mat
ters pertaining. to the government of the
city. This is the first time in the his
tory Of the United States as a govern
ment that women voted In a municipal
election"
All her life Mrs. Gates has been an
ardent suffraglst, and at the victory
suffrage convention in Chicago last
February received from Mrs Gait a
gold pin for long and distinguished
suffrage work. She inherited her be-
lief in suffrage with her Republican
politics. Her fathers mother Abigail
Howe, Of New England. wife of John
Douglass. who fought four engagements
under General Washington during the
Revolution. was a believer in equal
rights.
When Utah became territory Of the
United States in 1850 women lost their
right to vote. and until 1870, when suf-
frage was enacted by the State Legis-
lature, they had no voice In the govern
ment of Utah. When the suffrage bill
became a law there was a general un-
derstanding that under 1t women had
full rights with men. including the right
to run for any sort Of territorial office,
and in 1873 several women announced
themselves as candidates. Congress-,
however, declared that this was CONTRA
ry to the constitution for women to hold
state or Territorial office, and the wo-
men had to withdraw from the race.
But the Utah women having once
exercised the ballot would not give it
up. and ten-year struggle ensued,
crowned finally with victory--and the
ballot.
"And So" concludes Mrs. Gates with
her whimsical smile, I'VE vote men
and women-each according to his own
belief and each quite independent Of
the other. And It helps politics to have
men and women both represented, be-
cause each brings different view
point different vision, to the problems
to be solved. the legislation to be enact
ed. and. together, we achieve better,
bigger results"