, 1926-10-13

Cheyenne, Wyo.,
October l., 1926.
MT. Thomas Sedan Taliafero, Jr.,
Rock Springs, Wyo.
My Dear Sir:
I received your pamphlet this
morning asking the women of
S~weetwater county to vote for the
reelection of Nellie Tayloe Ross for
governor. And as 1 read farther.
I saw that you addressed the ar
ticles to all women of Wyoming.
Your chief argument is that we
will lose out as women in Il race
for office. Now, my dear friend,
Mr.. Taliafero. 1 know that you are
a prominent Democratic attorney.
/ am going to ask you a few ques-
tions, and possibly tell you a few
things.
First: Please state candidly, do
you really want Mrs. Ross to be re
elected because she is a woman, or
because she is a democrat?
Second: What has Mrs. Ross done
particularly to deserve the votes of
women? Has she ever since COM
ing to Wyoming taken any interest
in Woman's Suffrage. Has III ever
been a delegate to a Woman's Suf
frage convention, to a Woman's
Christian Temperance meeting, to a
Woman's Relief Corps convention,
to a meeting of the Federation of
Woman's clubs for Wyoming Dr. to
any meeting of any kind. in any
place, at any time, to anything for
the advancement of the m and
children of the state?
1t is true she was elected after
her husband, Governor w. B. Ross,
died, purely on the basis of SYM
pathy and charity. That is where
we women always succeed, and. my
dear friend, that is where we al
ways will succeed. That issue is
dead.
Next, as to the question of Won
ans Suffrage and the election of
Mrs. Ross at this time, I consider
the protection and development of
the water rights and natural re-
sources of the state to be a most
important problem confronting the
people of Wyoming. Every ranch
roman well knows how much de-
ponds on the proper distribution of
water. Every oma in our cities
and our country well know that it
is all bosh about losing out on
Woman's Suffrage when it ONE to
the question of shall Colorado or
Nebraska, or New Mexico, or n
other state, be allowed to steal our
water.
I have lived in wyoming fifty
years. l came here long before our
present governor. 1 nave been a
Woman Suffragist all these years. 1
have lectured in fourteen different
states on Woman's Suffrage, and we,
those who have worked for it, have
won a glorious victory which a n
not be taken from us. AS far as
the east, or the west, or the north
or the south is concerned, we don't
care what they think. 1t is what
we think-what Wyoming thinks.
We shall always have woman's suf-
frage and we shall always have pro-
hibition, and we shall always get
into public office. Never fear! But
let us exercise good common sense
about voting and vote for the can
didate who will be of the most va
lue in the place where he is put.
The women of Wyoming have
done their part. Mrs. Ross has en-
joyed a good salary in a high posi-
ton for two years.
You are now asking Republican
women to vote for her reelection.
My dear friend, 1 will ask you this
question. What has she done to
merit the votes of Republican wom-
II
She turned out Eloise Ellsworth,
a deputy in the office of the state
humane society because she was n
Republican. Eloise Ellsworth was a
widow with a child to support, and
a woman who knew the details of
h office with regard to ONE and
children who needed the care of the
state. She replaced her with a
married woman who is a Democrat.
Eloise is dead. and l suppose can
not cast a vote at this election, but
her friends can,
Now my dear friend, l am going
to say, that If your wife had signed
the article which o sent me, it
would have looked more Woman
S~ufragy," and less political.
Respectfully yours,
(Signed) Threse A.. Jenkins.