Beauty and the Beast, and Tales of HomeTaylor, Bayard
General
Beauty and the Beast, and Tales of Home
Taylor, Bayard
Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
As election-day drew nearer, our prospects looked brighter. The
Republican ticket, under the editorial head of the “Burroak Banner,”
with my name and Mrs. Bassett's among the men's, was such an evidence,
that many women, notably opposed to the cause, said: “We didn't want the
right, but since we have it, we shall make use of it.” This was exactly
what Mrs. Whiston had foretold. We estimated that--taking the
County tickets all over the State--we had about one-twentieth of the
Republican, and one-fiftieth of the Democratic, nominations. This was
far from being our due, but still it was a good beginning.
My husband insisted that I should go very early to the polls. I could
scarcely restrain a tear of emotion as I gave my first ballot into the
hands of the judges. There were not a dozen persons present, and the
act did not produce the sensation which I expected. One man cried
out: “Three cheers for our Assemblywoman!” and they gave them; and I
thereupon returned home in the best spirits. I devoted the rest of the
day to relieving poorer women, who could not have spared the time to
vote, if I had not, meanwhile, looked after their children. The last
was Nancy Black, the shoemaker's wife in our street, who kept me waiting
upon her till it was quite dark. When she finally came, the skirt of her
dress was ripped nearly off, her hair was down and her comb broken; but
she was triumphant, for Sam Black was with her, and SOBER. “The first
time since we were married, Mrs. Strongitharm!” she cried. Then she
whispered to me, as I was leaving: “And I've killed HIS vote, anyhow!”
When the count was made, our party was far ahead. Up to this time, I
think, the men of both parties had believed that only a few women, here
and there, would avail themselves of their new right--but they were
roundly mistaken. Although only ten per cent. of the female voters went
to the polls, yet three-fourths of them voted the Republican ticket,
which increased the majority of that party, in the State, about eleven
thousand.
It was amazing what an effect followed this result. The whole country
would have rung with it, had we not been in the midst of war. Mr.
Wrangle declared that he had always been an earnest advocate of the
women's cause. Governor Battle, in his next message, congratulated
the State on the signal success of the experiment, and the Democratic
masses, smarting under their defeat, cursed their leaders for not having
been sharp enough to conciliate the new element. The leaders themselves
said nothing, and in a few weeks the rank and file recovered their
cheerfulness. Even Mrs. Whiston, with all her experience, was a little
puzzled by this change of mood. Alas! she was far from guessing the
correct explanation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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