The Oregon daily journal., December 27, 1908, Page 28, Image 28

THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL, 'PORTLAND, ', SUNDAY HORNING, DECEMBER 27, 1903
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The Picture Drawn
by One Who Cast a
Ballot
71 yTOST persons know that woman suf
twi frac extsts tn several western
states but comparatively few know
haw that suff rage is .exercised.
Do women, in places where they exer
cise the privilege of helping fill all offices, just
as men do, from President down to the local
justice of the peace, congregate about the
polls on election day? ; Is there wire-pulling
and electioneering amongthem, as among
men? Do they become as much excited over
their electoral prerogative and over the out-
f Veil, in answer, here's a story written
for this paper by a woman who took 'part in
last fall's election in Wyoming, She's a care
ful observer, and a woman whose writings
in the past have won many thousands of ad
mirers. She writes of the election in herown
district of Wyoming, just as she saw it and
she saw it at Lody, in that state.
By Suzcttc
Jl. yO DOUBT It wai exciting in other etatee of the
IWl Vn,onna n the b! cltlei when the returns
JL ca.me 'rolling In and Taft'e plurality began
piling up and Bryan'e estimated majorities
began eimmerrng down, but I'll bet I mean I'll wager
that it wasn't anything like the excitement, in Cody.
Wyo, when it looked ae though "Bad Lend Dave" Me
KaU wae going to beat "Dough" Dibble, the baker, for
Justice of the peace. And "Formaldehyde" Humphrey,
the undertaker, never got a look-in.
"Of course. 'Bad Land Dave' ha hie good quail
tlee, a a lady from the lower Sag creek precinct
Wisely observed, and his wife is a smart woman, all
of which is to be considered when one is voting; but,
on the other hand. "Sandy" Dibble, or "Dough." as
one prefers, certainly has a judicial mind and tem
perament, and. admittedly, his wife is a pleasing
person. - . - ,
The struggle which went on In our minds as our
hovere alternately over the sacred names of
fli nd McKall is something to remember..
Of course, you know, we the women have full
suffrage tn Wyoming. We can vote for President or
the local dog catcher. We don't have to chain our
selves to the railing like London suffragettes or shriek
from cabs in order to be heard.
t ndee'- I should say not; every woman Is a
Df tor at least six weeks before election, and the
glad hand with that long, lingering election grip is
ever out to greet us. We cut ice here in the sage brush
during a campaign, I'd have you know.
While the presidential contest was not without Its
Interest, we felt none of the breathless suspense which
followed the rtport that "Bear George" McClellan.
from the Ten-sleep country, was losing in his own
J?!?.'.?!- hile his rival for the state senatorshlp.
"Billy" Deegan, from over Kerwin way. was winning
hands down. There were sixteen votes cast in Kirwin.
My, my, how this country Is fining up!
And then when the news came down the North Fork
ff the Stinking Water that Dwlght Uolllster. of the
Bar T ranch, had carried Marquette solid for consta
ble, all except six votes for "Billy" Green the mean
things! and we know who tliey were, too we were
wild with excitement. Mr. Hpllister is a graduate ot
the Princeton Law School, anil ho played on the Prince
ton football team. That's the kind of men we want
to put, in office! Imagine being arrested and snaked
to the calaboose by an officer "who does not know
any better than to say: "You needn't tell me! I seen
)uu when you done it."
HOW FAIFt . VOTERS REASON
The sun came up red over the Bad Lands on elec
tion morning, the air seemed already charged with
ti.e excitement of the day's events and the Mayor
who lives and moves and has his being according to
his lights, which same are two-candlepower, walked
, downtown to his seat on the iron rail in front of the
, tarher shop, exactly as if he were alive.
By half-past 8 the ladles had their housework suf
ficiently far along to feel free to discuss the political
situation and study the sxiriDle ballot aver th. hoi, .
"jwrd fences.
"Aa for .myself," declared a woman in a gingham
housegown and a shawl. ."I'm. going to scratch Wlck
wlre for sheriff. Did you hear what he said about
burning sheep wagons and killing sheep? He used
tn be a cowboy, so he hates sheep. I'm going to
scratch him until he. looks like a raspberry pie."
"Well. I'm not" declared a voter in a blue sweater
fanning the air with a broom. "Telling that on him Is
jit a cheap election trick. My husband says so
Sprung it at the last minute so be couldn't answer
back. He's, as straight as a string, and my husband
"Goodness gracious!" wheeled a lady comln un
"1 a trot; "did you knew that Mrs. Wallle Piffles was
Folng to knife Dibble because ehe says he gave her
' . rnt loaves two days in succession? Did you ever
lr anything like thst?" ' .
"Well, I don't cave," declared the woman with the
rroom.' "I'm going to hang to Dibble as long ae
t ,' button on his coat. He's dead square ano'v
' tan t be bulldozed. When you see a man with
' ST 'ill!!IdVtr,,'5hJt V.p that, you can know
I s in t afraid of anybody.".
"Well, I wouldn't vote at all If it wasn't for Taft
'and Peter McOlasbon," asserted the stout person,
calm again. "I guess Peter Enders has been a good
county clerk, but Peter McOlashon is the most ac
commodating man! Why, that time we started for
the Yellowstone Park, and it rained, and we stayed
all night at Peter McGlushon'g, he never charged us
a cent fed the horses oats, too. I guess I am going
to vote for Peter McOlashon, and you are no friends
of mine If you don't vote for him, too. If you'll vote
for him I'll vote for somebody you like."
Miss Peckbam, in a nubia, was feeding the chick
ens cornraeal when Mrs. Emerson Hobbs thrust her
foot through a hols in the chicken wire fence, and,
resting her arms on the top rail. Inquired coldly:
"Is It true. Miss Peckham, that, you are going to
vote for that kid. Percy -Met, for county attorney,
instead of Judge WallsT"
"It certainly is," replied Miss Peckham with un
mistakable acridity.
"It is possible tnat you have a reason for changing
your vote?" The rising Inflection in Mrs. Emerson
Hobbs' voice was ominously polite.
"I believe In giving the younger men a chance,"
declared Miss Peckham. '
"That's what I thought when I saw you grab
Percy Mets for two ladies' choice Waltzes at the
political dance."
"Don't you ever speak to me again. Mrs. Hobbs!"
"I don't Intend to. M4ts Peckham. Good morning." -
About 10 o'clock femlnlna voters from various sec
tions of our fair city began to traps across th va
cant lots, picking haling wire and cockle burrs from
th ruffles of thehr petticoats as they neared th
i ,Hal'. which Is aUso the calaboose also anything
else It happens to.be needed for.
These morning voters regarded th process simply
aa a duty, like going for the milk, something they
had to get out of their systems. They merely re
moved their aprons, threw shawls over their heads
and hurried in to have it over with.
But to the v '.ers of th afternoon It was more
of an occasion, a function, which enabled them to
wear that fair hat Humphreys' milliner had re
trimmed la! la!
Wagonloads of voters of all ages began to arrive
from the outlying ranches, and voters of. both sexes
galloped In on horseback.'
And what an Inspiring seen In front of the
Town Hall! If you have a drop of patriotic blood
In your veins you just thrill and thrill like an elec
tric button.
- Ther Is "Formaldehyde" Humphreys sitting on a
sawhors looking wistfully at two other fellows get
ting the votes he wanted, and there is Lemuel J.
J ud son bouncing th family in the new baby carriage
whll his wife votes, and through the window you
can see Old Lady Stone, with one foot in th grave
and th other In the voting booth, casting her first
Democratic ballot. She used to be a Republican.
Out behind the City Hall is Hobertson. the lumber
man. Instructing two voters, and there is Mrs. Little
plunging on Taft. betting three to one, with Mrs.
Cooper holding the stakes.
Then you decide to go In, wondering If, after all.
you will make a mistake and have your vote thrown
out. 8o you worm your vay through th crowd, and
somebody who knows you perfectly well asks you
what your nam is, and, aa he looks in his book for
it to see if you have registered, you. are eelxed with
an awful fear that when h finds It n wili roar out
your age.
Then "Jedge" Newton shifts his Lone, Jack Into
the other cheek and hands you a ballot. Tou step
behind a curtain and chew on the end of a lead
pencil that a couple hundred others have chewed on
before you, and try to decide whether or not you
put a cross In th circle at the top If you mean to
scratch the ticket.
You want to vote for Taft because you father will.
He is a Republican, so was your grandfather, and
your great-grandfather, which Is reason enough. And
yet you think a little sorrowfully of Bryan Bryan
with his fascinating personality, his tremendous per
severance. You admire the way he has fought against
odds, believing always In himself and his purposes.
The next name of Interest Is that of Frank W,
Mondell -for th Blxty-flrst Congress. Mondell? Of
course, for he. too. has sand or he never would' have
stood -up in Congress and told the Forestry Service
what he thought of It and Its hordes of superfluous
salaried nonentities but that Is another story. And
Jacob Schwoob for the State Senate. Of course, again.
Aside from our personal liking we would vot for
"Jakle" Schwoob as a matter of civic, pride, for he
has grown from a Mayor Into a stats senator right
under our very eyes.
Really, it's a perplexing position!
And so we go down the list, scratching her and
there, for this reason or that, and we come out with
a feeling that w ought, to go around and apologize
because w could not vot for both candidates. Then
"Jedg" Newton shifts the Loft Jack back again and
tells us how to fold our ballot. We drop it in the bo
and it's alt ever but th shouting.
AS OFFICE HOLD&IW
KANSAS WOMEN
'w
TT
ANSAS holtla out many inducements to the
enthusiastic : woman suffragist. While
complete suffrage has not yet been lc-
corded the sex in Kansas, as m some of
the western states, the state haa made rapid
strides in the experiment of having women hold
public office, and without regret at least, so states
Governor E. W. Hoch.
-According to a statement made by Governor
Hoch for this paper recently, thirty-seven of the
105 county superintendents of public instruction
at that time 'Were women, elected by the people;
two counties had women treasurers; one had a
woman county clerk; one a woman clerk of a dis
trict court; one a woman county attorney, and
six women registers of deeds. "
l HE real greatness of a state," declared Gov
ernor Hoch, In his statement regarding
women office holders in Kansas, "Is not to
bs measured by its territorial extent, by
th density of its population nor by its material re
sources, but by th wisdom of its laws and the char'
aeter of ' Its people.
"Kansas is all right territorially. Unes drawn
across a map of the United States from .east t
wast and from north to south Intersect In th very
heart of Kansas, so that this state Is neither northern
nor southern, neither eastern nor western It it th great
central state, th hub of the Union, If you please.
: "Its per capita wealth In . the banks exceeds
'$100. I believe ? no similar : number of people
anywhere on earth are relatively more prosperous
than th people of this' state, nd I must be pardoned
for believing that our state government is the most
advance J and the roost progressive along sane; lines
of any state in the Union. ; i .' "
"Our educational system la fine. Oar prohibition
policy, now more than a quarter of a century old, has
"been of immense benefit to the state educationally,
morally and financially. We are pioneers in this move
ment, and the whole country Is Just now awakening
to the wisdom of this policy. T.
"But perhaps Kansas excels all other states most
In the liberality ef Its law relating to women. Com
plete suffrage has not yet been conferred upon them.
I am sorry to say. although municipal suffrage has
for a number of years been-accorded them, and It has
done much to purify our cities and add to the dignity
and economy of local government. But In the matter
of political favors, Kansas has been particularly lib
eral toward its women.
"I had th honor of.appolntlng to the office of pro
bate judge the only woman who ever held. this office
In this state, Mrs. Mary H. Cooper, of Mitchell county.
Her husband, who held the office, was an old soldier,
aha was his deputy, .and during the months of his last
sickness performed all the duties 'of the office, and
performed them so well that the two gentlemen who
aspired to succeed her husband by appointment each
assured me as an Inducement to his appointment that
be would retain the services of Mrs. Cooper. I thought
if she was worthy of the deputyshlp she was worthy
of the principal position, and so solved the problem
by appointing her, much to the delight of the com-
Mrs. Frida D. Mols, superintendent of instruction of
Finney county, furnishes a good example of th west
ern woman who believes In the possibilities before
her sex. In a short sketch of herself she states:
"I was born in Baden, Germany, in 1880, and came
to the United 8tates with my parents two years later.
' When I was years old my parents moved to western
Kansas. They S knew how to work and manage, and
. taught their children the necessity of doing likewise.
' Schools in the early days were 'few and far between
with short terms.- At IS I was a schoolma'ara, with
a small store of learning and a keen sensitiveness Of
my shortcomings. After teaching one year I went to
college a year, working -my way through, mostly,
"At 21 1 married, and expected to lay aside publio
" Interest, help manage the farm and keep bouse. But '
before six. months passed Mr. Mols died, and I was
left a widow before I was tt. Having no children. I
went back to the teaching profession till elected to
i the office of county superintendent, nearly two years
ago.' Finney county Is a large one, but Prlnc my
horse and I . hav made the rounds, visiting the
schools of the county. Two schools are as many as I
scan generally make In one day, owing to the distance
1 between them. I nearly always go alone, making from
twenty-five to forty mllesi a day.
"I do not know what Other women can do, but I!
know our western women deserve as much credit as
the men in bulWing up the country. We have suc
cessful women farmers and business women and, I
believe I am safe In saying, women politicians" -
. Miss Jennie Davy, school superintendent of Harper
county, was elected to that position two years ago.
She says she loves her work and enjoys, the long
" drives over the rural districts. , I .
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