Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1878 — Wyoming Women Voters. [ARTICLE]

Wyoming Women Voters.

This Territory, as is well known, is the oply locality in the United States where women vote the same as men. The idea that led to its adoption was, first, that Wyoming, being the youngest of all the States and Territories, should be progressive, up with all advancement, and never disposed to look backward ; and, second, to throw into politics an element to aid in counterbalanc ing the influence of the roughs, thieves, cut-throats and highwaymen, who then constituted a large share of the population. Since then a fair trial of the institution has not developed sufficient power or importance in the voting of the women to prompt any one to move for a repeal of the law. I believe only one woman in the Territory was ever elected to office by the people, and now no offices are ever demanded by the sex, except some sinecure places in the Legislature, where the pay can be drawn and but little service rendered. In tlie casting of votes the women do not figure extensively except on very rare occasions. There is a certain class, however, who always vote, and, being themselves disreputable characters, they always throw their suffrages to the worst men on the ticket. The purification of politics is not in their interest. In other eases the members of some certain church or other society desire one of their number elected to some office, and then the women of that organization turn out and cast their votes solid for the designated man. Probably had the women in Cheyenne have never cast a vote since the first or second election after the law was passed. At first it was customary for carriages to visit all the residences on election days and convey the ladies to the polls in the interest of certain candidates, but that fashion is now almost a dead-letter. There is a separate polling-place for the women to vote, and they are treated like ladies, being free from insult or jostlings; so that mixing with the mob cannot be the cause of their lack of interest in elections, but that politics is out of their legitimate sphere. As the adoption of the measure here has amounted to so little, your correspondent can see little in it to praise or condemn, except that it has given the unscrupulous politicians a chanoo to use the “ women of the town,” together with the variety women, to further projects and men of the worst character.— St. Lou is Republican letter.