253

WAS NOT A PARTISAN FIGHT

Mrs. Peattie Explains Wherein the Women Voters Were Misled.

Suggests That THree of the Gentle Sex Enter the Next Race by Petition.

Reasons Advanced Why a Woman Should figure on the Board of Education -- False Accusations.

The election is over, and the republicans have won. There's nothing disastrous in that. it is to be hoped that it will always be safe for any party of Americans to win. No one can possibly believe that more than half of the nation -- or less than half of it -- is in league against good government. The parties in America represent different points of view, but it is to be hoped that they do not represent different degrees of patriotism.

The women in this city have had a peculiar interest in the last election, owing to the fact that they had a candidate of their own. That candidate has been defeated, along with the rest of those who were upon the democratic and populist tickets. And I am so fearful that the women will therefore feel discouraged, and lose their interest in the office for which this candidate was nominated -- that, however much I may be accused of bad taste, I must publicly write a few words to reassure them.

In no one branch of civic work is woman so much needed as in that which supervises the Schools. It is [?] and appropriate that she should be there. Her duties will not be of the same sort as those which the men assume. The men may attend to the finances in a general way, and dole out the janitorships to their political henchmen. But the women can make it their business to become acquainted with the life of the school room; they can look after the comfort of the children, the welfare of the teachers, and the moral and intellectual instruction. The task will be large, but noble. And certainly patriotic women should not be debarred from performing a public service now and then. It is a service, to be sure, which must be performed without any reward. It lays the performer open to much criticism. Where a woman is concerned success on the school board does not mean the opening of wider opportunities. Nothing but disinterestedness can prompt her to assume such responsibilities. It will therefore be seen that for many reasons she will be a valuable acquisition.

The present defeat has been the result of the partisan feeling among the women. More than half of the women who voted cast their ballot for the republican ticket, preferring a republican rather than one of their own sex upon the board. This was probably unexpected to those who first conceived the idea of securing the nomination of a woman candidate. There was nothing partisan in the attitude of that candidate. Nor could she conceive what partisanship had to do with the duties which are to be performed upon the school board. A democrat or a republican ought to be able equally well to look after good morals, fine instruction good ventilation and thorough system. Opinions on the tariff do not affect ones interest in childhood, nor do differences concerning the ratio of silver and gold currency affect one's ability to judge of text books. But the women seem to have thought otherwise, and to have been indifferent to representation upon the school board, so far as representation lay in sex. And they have defeated their own candidate.

They did not pause to consider, or did not know, that that candidate was nominated by independent petition, and was at first associated with no partisan ticket, and that her indorsement, first by the populists, and then by the democrats, was a matter of courtesy on the part of the respective conventions, and that she would have as cheerfully been indorsed by any party at all. She could not, infact, see that party affiliations had anything to do with the matter.

But to consider further the causes of defeat; The candidate of the women was a writer -- and for six years has written daily for the World-Herald. During those six years she has written one long signed article a week, and these articles have been each of them upon a different subject. If to write a book is to oblige one's enemies, what can be said of the obligingness of a woman who tells what she thinks upon every subject that arises during six busy years? Could any person do that without arousing much personal antagonism? Or, indeed, could any person do that without making many close and true friends?

As I said before, it may be bad taste to refer to this. But I do it only because I wish to speak upon the successes that we shall have in the future. Supposing that at the next election of members for the school board three women instead of one are nominated, and that they are women older, more conservative, and of better education than myself. Supposing, for example, that those women were Mrs. Hanchett, the wife of the physician; Mrs. Keyso, the wife of the juudge, and Mrs. F. F. Ford, president of the Woman's club. The first is distinguished for her learning, and her conduct of private classes of students of women. She has a love for all related to pedagogy which nothing can destroy. The second has been a teacher in the High school, and has also conducted private classes, and is now one of the most esteemed and intellectual members of the Women's club. The third is a brilliant woman and one of the most public spirited in the city. There are many other women who might be mentioned, but I have spoken of these three, almost by accident. If they were to be nominated together by petition, and not attached to any party, but run simply as the women's candidates, and the women were to vote -- which only about a third entitled to a vote, did, at the past election -- they would get in with the help of the men who believe that women should be represented on the school board.

The disagreeable personal features which have arisen in my case would not arise in theirs. They would not, in one breath, be accused of being atheistic and Roman Catholics. Nor would any of the other absurdities which have gained credence concerning me be said about them. For I have been a woman of radical thought and life, and it has not met with the approval of many women, who are, by nature, conformists in every sense of the word.

Some of these misrepresentations have been very amusing. It has been said, for example, that I was the candidate of the World-Herald, because the World-Herald wished to have a member of a particular church -- a church of which, by the way, I am not a member on the board. It seems as if it would take an intellect of low order to believe that, yet many persons of presumable intelligence did so. What benefit would the World-Herald derive from any communicant of any church on the school board? No one can imagine any benefit that would arise. Besides, I was the candidate of the women, and not of the World-Herald, though that paper has been kind enough to support my candidacy, for which I thank it. It has also been said that I was an atheist. It is impossible to understand how anyone could think that, for I have never written a line, nor lived an hour, nor performed an action, when I was not conscious of the fact of God.

It was commonly said, too, that I was eager for election that I might increase my income. As no salary was attached to the office, and as the duties attendant would consume valuable time, may I ask how it would be possible that my income should be increased?

It was alleged that I was spending money for my election. The women supporting me spent $15 for cards such as all the candidates had. They gave their time and they loaned their carriages. That is the extent of the outlay.

These denials seem superfluous -- even amusing. But if people are so unfair or so stupid as to make them, perhaps I may be excused for being tedious enough to deny them. There were other tales -- fairy lore, perhaps, they might be called -- which I will not deny. It would be an insult to the intelligence of Omaha and a reflection upon the good sense of those who nominated me to do so.

But there is strength in numbers, there is strength in continued and persistent effort. Moreover, this fact is to be taken into consideration, that since I have the good fortune to have freer access to the columns of the daily paper than any other woman, I could exercise some influence with women were any other than myself the candidate for office. In a way, our cause has been handicapped this election by the fact that our efforts were voiced by no woman in the daily papers, although the efforts made in the Woman's Weekly by Miss Mary Fairbrother undoubtedly brought very palpable results.

No, there is no cause whatever to be discouraged. Next year must see us with women on the school board. We have learned several things this year, and will profit by the knowledge. We have learned among other things that the foreign vote will always be largely against us, particularly the German vote. Germans cannot divorce themselves from their old prejudices. They think that women should be in the home and nowhere else. We will have to wait till their sons grow up before we can hope for a change there. We will also have to allow for the reluctance of many women to cast their ballot. They seem to fear there is some pollution in the little red voting booth. We will have to allow for the fact that men, reading the character of women, and knowing how quick they are to be influenced by any sort of an uncomplimentary story, will invent such stories for the purpose of influencing the women.

But is not anything that is worth doing also worth suffering for? Surely? Opposition should make us firm. it should not discourage. We must develop courage, determination and indifference to small and contemptible methods, if we are to succeed. A man riding to battle cannot turn back because he encounters a cloud of mosquitoes.

And, all other matters aside, we have scored one success. It lies in the following, which I have clipped from the columns of the daily paper:

"Chief of Police Seavey says that this was the most orderly election ever held in Omaha. The absence of the bummer element about the polls was the chief feature of the day. Not a single disturbance was reported by any of his men. Another thing was the absence of carriages and wagons generally need in hauling voters to and from the polls. One of the reasons for the orderly condition of affairs may be attributed to the presence of women. Some of the men were so polite as to stand back and allow the women to take their places in the line. Others removed their [?] in the stalls while preparing their ballots if a woman was present."

WAS NOT A PARTISAN FIGHT

Mrs. Peattie Explains Wherein the Women Voters Were Misled.

Suggests That THree of the Gentle Sex Enter the Next Race by Petition.

Reasons Advanced Why a Woman Should figure on the Board of Education -- False Accusations.

The election is over, and the republicans have won. There's nothing disastrous in that. it is to be hoped that it will always be safe for any party of Americans to win. No one can possibly believe that more than half of the nation -- or less than half of it -- is in league against good government. The parties in America represent different points of view, but it is to be hoped that they do not represent different degrees of patriotism.

The women in this city have had a peculiar interest in the last election, owing to the fact that they had a candidate of their own. That candidate has been defeated, along with the rest of those who were upon the democratic and populist tickets. And I am so fearful that the women will therefore feel discouraged, and lose their interest in the office for which this candidate was nominated -- that, however much I may be accused of bad taste, I must publicly write a few words to reassure them.

In no one branch of civic work is woman so much needed as in that which supervises the Schools. It is [?] and appropriate that she should be there. Her duties will not be of the same sort as those which the men assume. The men may attend to the finances in a general way, and dole out the janitorships to their political henchmen. But the women can make it their business to become acquainted with the life of the school room; they can look after the comfort of the children, the welfare of the teachers, and the moral and intellectual instruction. The task will be large, but noble. And certainly patriotic women should not be debarred from performing a public service now and then. It is a service, to be sure, which must be performed without any reward. It lays the performer open to much criticism. Where a woman is concerned success on the school board does not mean the opening of wider opportunities. Nothing but disinterestedness can prompt her to assume such responsibilities. It will therefore be seen that for many reasons she will be a valuable acquisition.

The present defeat has been the result of the partisan feeling among the women. More than half of the women who voted cast their ballot for the republican ticket, preferring a republican rather than one of their own sex upon the board. This was probably unexpected to those who first conceived the idea of securing the nomination of a woman candidate. There was nothing partisan in the attitude of that candidate. Nor could she conceive what partisanship had to do with the duties which are to be performed upon the school board. A democrat or a republican ought to be able equally well to look after good morals, fine instruction good ventilation and thorough system. Opinions on the tariff do not affect ones interest in childhood, nor do differences concerning the ratio of silver and gold currency affect one's ability to judge of text books. But the women seem to have thought otherwise, and to have been indifferent to representation upon the school board, so far as representation lay in sex. And they have defeated their own candidate.

They did not pause to consider, or did not know, that that candidate was nominated by independent petition, and was at first associated with no partisan ticket, and that her indorsement, first by the populists, and then by the democrats, was a matter of courtesy on the part of the respective conventions, and that she would have as cheerfully been indorsed by any party at all. She could not, infact, see that party affiliations had anything to do with the matter.

But to consider further the causes of defeat; The candidate of the women was a writer -- and for six years has written daily for the World-Herald. During those six years she has written one long signed article a week, and these articles have been each of them upon a different subject. If to write a book is to oblige one's enemies, what can be said of the obligingness of a woman who tells what she thinks upon every subject that arises during six busy years? Could any person do that without arousing much personal antagonism? Or, indeed, could any person do that without making many close and true friends?

As I said before, it may be bad taste to refer to this. But I do it only because I wish to speak upon the successes that we shall have in the future. Supposing that at the next election of members for the school board three women instead of one are nominated, and that they are women older, more conservative, and of better education than myself. Supposing, for example, that those women were Mrs. Hanchett, the wife of the physician; Mrs. Keyso, the wife of the juudge, and Mrs. F. F. Ford, president of the Woman's club. The first is distinguished for her learning, and her conduct of private classes of students of women. She has a love for all related to pedagogy which nothing can destroy. The second has been a teacher in the High school, and has also conducted private classes, and is now one of the most esteemed and intellectual members of the Women's club. The third is a brilliant woman and one of the most public spirited in the city. There are many other women who might be mentioned, but I have spoken of these three, almost by accident. If they were to be nominated together by petition, and not attached to any party, but run simply as the women's candidates, and the women were to vote -- which only about a third entitled to a vote, did, at the past election -- they would get in with the help of the men who believe that women should be represented on the school board.

The disagreeable personal features which have arisen in my case would not arise in theirs. They would not, in one breath, be accused of being atheistic and Roman Catholics. Nor would any of the other absurdities which have gained credence concerning me be said about them. For I have been a woman of radical thought and life, and it has not met with the approval of many women, who are, by nature, conformists in every sense of the word.

Some of these misrepresentations have been very amusing. It has been said, for example, that I was the candidate of the World-Herald, because the World-Herald wished to have a member of a particular church -- a church of which, by the way, I am not a member on the board. It seems as if it would take an intellect of low order to believe that, yet many persons of presumable intelligence did so. What benefit would the World-Herald derive from any communicant of any church on the school board? No one can imagine any benefit that would arise. Besides, I was the candidate of the women, and not of the World-Herald, though that paper has been kind enough to support my candidacy, for which I thank it. It has also been said that I was an atheist. It is impossible to understand how anyone could think that, for I have never written a line, nor lived an hour, nor performed an action, when I was not conscious of the fact of God.

It was commonly said, too, that I was eager for election that I might increase my income. As no salary was attached to the office, and as the duties attendant would consume valuable time, may I ask how it would be possible that my income should be increased?

It was alleged that I was spending money for my election. The women supporting me spent $15 for cards such as all the candidates had. They gave their time and they loaned their carriages. That is the extent of the outlay.

These denials seem superfluous -- even amusing. But if people are so unfair or so stupid as to make them, perhaps I may be excused for being tedious enough to deny them. There were other tales -- fairy lore, perhaps, they might be called -- which I will not deny. It would be an insult to the intelligence of Omaha and a reflection upon the good sense of those who nominated me to do so.