The Colorado situation; or, Maria and her husband in politics and society

Chapter I. Maria Elected President Of The Woman's Club

On the Ranch, Sept. 1.

George Saunders of the Pokerville Record :

For some time I have been thinking of writing up the situation as I have seen it in Colorado, for the last several years, and Maria says she thinks it a duty I owe posterity, for if I do not, most likely it will never be written, and coming generations will be deprived of some of the most important events that transpired, during the evolution, when women Avere evoluting to the sphere where they are now.

Now, I 'm going to relate the events, only, that came under my personal observation, or with which I was connected, and I do not know that I'll relate all of them, for things have moved pretty lively in Colorado, since woman suffrage came in. But I'll try to mention the most important ones, and without further preface. I'll begin.

In 1892, I left the Republicans and joined the Populists, and nearly all the Democrats of Colorado did the same thing, and we elected a Populist Governor and legislature, and then passed a law giving woman the right to vote and hold office, just the same as man, and she became his equal, politically, as well as socially.

But after we gave women the right of suffrage, 1 great many of them were slow in availing themselves of the opportunity conferred on them, and Maria was one of that class. In regard to woman suffrage, she said she thought women were suffering enough already, without the law conferring any more responsibilities on them. m

Maria is one of the best women in the state, if I do say it myself, and she is a good cook, but she can say the most cutting things one ever heard, and for some time after the law was passed, if I requested her to vote for a particular friend of mine, she turned me down with a reply that indicated she thought women could be engaged in a better calling, than going to the polls and "Whooping it up for a political boss," as she termed our leading politicians, at that time. But she did finally get into politics, but it wasn't till after she had joined the Woman's Club, then, it seemed, she was willing to take a hand in anything, of a clubbing nature, that came along.

Now, George, I want .to say right here, that I'm heartily in favor of women voting — that is: I'm in favor of it, if Maria is, for. as she says, we allow all kinds of good-for-nothing men to vote, then why should not our mothers and sisters and wives vote? The women of this state should always thank that Populist Governor and legislature for emancipating them.

It is not at all necessary for a woman to neglect her duties to her home, husband and children, to take part in politics. If she is a real womanly woman, she will be a better wife and mother than she was before, as she will have an opportunity to see the evils that are perpetrated, and will know the better how to remedy them, so Maria says.

But I have gotten off my subject, George, for I did not intend to argue politics, or woman's rights, but just to relate incidents: those that have trans pired, and some that are happening as we go along.

After helping the Populists carry the state and pass the woman suffrage bill, the Democrats scattered about wherever they thought they had a good roosting place, but the Republicans went back to their old party, and carried the state in 1894, then went along that way till 1896, then the trouble began again. Trouble seemed to begin oftener than it did before the women began to take a hand in politics. A few days after the nomination of Mr. Bryan, when Colorado w T as just about going crazy over the Democrat candidate and free silver, and all that kind of stuff, I concluded it was just about time for me to take a hand to stop the land-slide from the Republicans, for I didn't think I would ever leave them again. So one morning, after I got my work done up, I got on my horse and rode over to Pokerville, to engage someone in an argument, as that was my strong point, and the Republicans of the county had generally expected me to do most of the arguing and other political talk during the campaign.

But Avhen I got over there and listened a little, 1 was never so surprised in my life. Politics seemed to have taken an entirely new turn, and the arguments were all different, and the women were as active as the men, and seemed to know just as much about it, and, if any difference, they put up the best argument.

One lady, in particular, who had seen the suns of some forty odd summers (and the Lord, only, knew how many winters), and, as she said, had never been enwrapped in the meshes of matrimony, declared that if the Democratic candidate was not elected, "The great and glorious Centennial State will become a howling wilderness, and its inhabitants wanderers on the face of the earth. ' ' Her argument was unanswerable and conclusive and I was convinced. I would fall into the ranks with the rest of the gang, and we would march up to the polls in solid phalanks, in November, and place the Orator of the Piatt in the Whitehouse. Nearly all of us made speeches and had a great time.

But when I went home that evening, I hesitated a little about telling Maria my intentions, for she was such a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, that I thought, most likely, she might raise an objection, or make some remark about my changing about so often from one party to another, every time an election came around. But after I had done up the evening work and we had eaten supper and Maria had washed the dishes and the children were engaged in then plays, and everything appeared to be as harmonious as possible, I concluded to tell her and be done with it, so I said, ■ ' Maria, there has got to be a change. ' '

She had sat down to her work, sewing on the children's clothes, most likely, for she was always busy at something, even before she went into the woman's club. But when I spoke of the change, it seemed to effect her quite a bit, for she stopped working on whatever she was doing, and looked squarely at me, as if she were surprised, and she is not a woman that is easily surprised, either.

But, as I said, she stopped and looked at me a moment, and then she said, "That's what you thought four years ago, when you went off flirting with the Populists and Democrats, and you got the change, and now aren't you satisfied with what you got?"

Now, George, a question like that, when it is put in that manner, and when one considers how times were from 1892 to 1896, will have a tendency to cause one to forget what he was going to say. But I saw I was in for it, and. might as well fight it our right there and be done with it. So, after reflecting a moment, to steady my nerves, I spunked up, just like I had seen the Populists do, when they got in a tight place and couldn't think of anything else to say, and said, "Oh, that is all right, Maria, but don't you see the country is going to the dogs ? " . Then she answered right off and said, "Yes, Jake; I see, and it has been going considerably in that way ever since you voted for the change four years ago, and got it."

I guess Maria thought when I left the Populists, after helping them and the Democrats out in 1892, T would stick to the Republicans, for we had been having a pretty hard time of it, whether it was the fault of the Democrat administration or not, and had to mortgage the farm to pay the taxes and some other things. Of course, Ave all knew there was something wrong somewhere, and Maria was for putting the blame on the Democrats, for she said times were good before they got into power, but had been bad ever since.

So after she made her last remark about my remark that the "Country was going to the dogs," I just sat there and didn't say anything for a spell or more, for she didn't leave off in a place where I could begin with any show of success. But I could see that I had her curiosity aroused, and I knew that when a woman's curiosity was aroused, the best thing one can say, is to just keep still, for she will do the leadingout after that.

So she went on with her sewing a little while, then looked up and said, says she, "What kind of a change do you think we will have to have, Jake?"

Now I knew my time had come, and I lit in and told her what I had heard the Populists and Democrats and all those other fellows over at Pokervilk say, and how active the women were, and if she didn't pitch in and help, she would be behind the times. Then I told her how we would coin all the gold and silver we could get, 16-to-one, and make everything boom, and everybody would have about all the money he wanted, and wouldn't have to work much, either. Then I went right on and told her that if we elected our man, our plains and our mountain-sides and even our deserts, Avould "bloom as the rose." Then I told her of the doleful and lamentable times we would have if the opposition won, and by the time I had said all I could think of on my own account, and all the things I had heard the Democrats and Populists say over at Pokerville, I could see she had be-ome quite interested, and thought I had carried my point, for when you get a woman interested in something, she'll never stop, till she finds out all about it. She is quite different from a man in that respect.

Now, Maria is an educated woman. She used to teach school before we were married, and since we came to Colorado and went out on the ranch, she has kept up with the times, for she takes several papers and magazines, and besides doing her work and taking care of the children, she finds time to read, which is more than can be said of some women, if I do say it myself. And most of the men, never do read any thing but politics.

But her reading, up to the time of which I am speaking, when she read of politics at all, had been from a Kepublican point of view, and, as a matter of course, that had a tendency to keep her mind from extending or reaching out, as the case may be — that is : her mind had not grappled so many of those things that have a tendency to cause one to — Say, George, I'm afraid that I'm not saying just what I want to say. I know what I want to say, but I can't find words to express my feelings as easily as I could before women went into politics, and it seems that the farther I go, the less I get there, but lest some one should reach a wrong conclusion from what I want to say, I will say that I don't mean to infer that I am not in hearty accord with Maria and whatever. she did, or does, or. may do, or anything that any other woman in Colorado did or does or may do, for I hold that every gentleman should be loyal to the women of his state, regardless of results.

Now, as I was going to say, I thought it best not to discuss the subject too much just then, for there is such a thing as overdoing, and I could see that Maria was in a thinking mood, and it is generally best, when you find a woman in a thinking mood, to let her think, and even encourage her a little.

It was on Tuesday that I went over to Pokerville and joined the gang to do up the Republicans, and on the following Saturday evening, there was to be a lecture in the schoolhouse in Deerlick, by some lady (I forget her name, now), and her subject was to be woman's rights, and after the lecture, she was going to organize a woman's club, and, of course, the announcement had created quite a flurry among the women, and the men, too, for that matter, which is always the case, when somebody or something out of the usual is going to turn up, and Maria and I concluded to go, and I think that almost everybody else in the village and community, had also concluded to go, from the crowd we met there.

The lecture was a success and harmony prevailed^ and, from a feminine point of view (of course, the masculine element in the audience, kept quiet), everything was lovely, except man, and he might be made endurable, under the right discipline, hence, the object of the organization.

At the close of the lecture, the club was organized, and, to my surprise, someone nominated Maria for president; and, to my astonishment, she raised no objection; and, to my bewilderment, she was elected; and, to my dismay, she was initiated into the mystic rites and assumed the duties of office in a manner that would have done credit to an expert. I was never' so surprised in my life.

After taking her seat as president, she announces that the next thing in order would be the election of a secretary, so someone nominated Sam Snow's sister-in-law, and as there was no other nomination, she was elected unanimously, by acclamation, which gave me another surprise, for she and Maria were very close friends and had always seemed to be in accord on the woman question, and I had thought at times, from some remarks that I heard fall, that, if any difference, Sam's sister-in-law, was in accord more than Maria was, for she was nearing that age where it would not be safe to antagonize the opposite sex too much, unless she really meant what she said.

Now, I can't say that I was displeased at the selection of Maria as president of the club ; in fact, I felt honored, or wonld have felt, if it had not been for the suddenness of the thing; for, I take it, any man, who holds his wife in esteem, will take pride in seeing her placed in a position of trust, or being selected as the choice from among many. And as to the selection of Sam's sister-in-law as secretary, they could not have made a better choice, for she was fitted for it in every respect, if she were in harmony with the thing, and we must take it for granted she was, or she would not have accepted the office. She had been secretary of the school board and had given satisfaction, and she had reached an age where she was mature enough, but not too mature. Taken all-in-all, I thought the club was well officered, if I do say it myself, and most likely, there would be something doing, if they concluded to be aggressive.

Maria and I did not discuss the subject much at home, but in course of time, I could see that there was a gradual change in her. She is not a woman that jumps at a conclusion suddenly, but weighs the subject carefully, from her point of view, and decides according to her convictions, which is quite the proper thing to do.

After that, Sam's sister-in-law come over to our house quite frequently, I suppose to discuss club affairs, as most likely, there would be club topics that would need discussing, so as to have them in proper shape to present when the club met, and the president and secretary, would most likely be expected to present them. And sometimes I noticed, they appeared to hold secret sessions, as it were, as if they had something to discuss, that they did not want me to hear, but that did not excite my curiosity very much, for I took it for granted a woman's club would have some things to discuss in private, that it would not care to discuss before the public in general. But as time went on and events developed, I had good reason to believe they were discussing the advisability of entering the political arena, as most of the club women in Colorado have done.

A few weeks after the organization of the woman 's club, and after they had met a few times, there was to be a grand rally over at Pokerville, and everything that could yell, was expected to attend, but I had not thought of Maria going, for I had never heard her yell but once and that was when a wild steer was after me and she thought I would be killed. But the day before the time set for the great meet, when I spoke of going over to Pokerville, the next day, to be present at the Democrat-Populist-Socialist-16-to-one love feast, Maria said she believed she would go too, and she thought Sam Snow's sister-in-law would like to go with us if I had no objection.

Now, Maria knew very well that I would offer no objection to Sam's sister-in-law going with us, for she was about as good a talker as Maria was, and th.'t was saying a good deal, and she wasn't bad looking, either.

But what surprised me, was their intention of going at all, for I had never known either of them to attend a political meeting, or anything else, where there was much whooping and hurrahing going on.

But we went and had a great time, and while Maria and Sam's sister-in-law seemed to enjoy the racket, to a certain extent, they didn't get loud and demonstrative very extensively, like many of the others and their conduct was quite satisfactory to me.

Sam's sister-in-law didn't return with us, as it was her intention to stop in town with some friends a few days, and she had a beau then, who was going to bring her home, when she got ready to come, and Maria thought there was some prospect of her getting married, for they had a peculiar way of looking at each other, and when they were walking along, they were generally holding hands. But she didn't get married and maybe, it was for the best, for she was one of the finest bachelor girls I ever saw, and I should have felt very badly to have seen her tied up to some fellow who was not worthy of her love. T hold that any woman is better off unmarried, than tied up with a man who is not a congenial companion, or one who cannot or will not provide her a respectable living, and I think that is what Sam's sister-in-law thinks too, for I'm sure she has had fairly good chances to marry, but is yet single.

Now. I'm not going into detail very much, in relation to the stirring events that marked the notable campaign of 1896, for we — that is — Maria and Sam's sister-in-law, didn't get very active that year, though they acted a little, just about enough for good exerlise, and to take notes, apparently, for what might follow, though I made a few speeches and did some other talking. They seemed to be taking observations. and I think that was the most consistent manner in which they could have spent their time, anyway, as there was no question about the Democrats carrying the State of Colorado that year. Of course, Maria and Sam's sister-in-law and I, all voted for Mr. Bryan, and I made it a point to see that he got a respectable majority.

But it is the events of four years later, when Maria, Sam Snow's sister-in-law and I started the new party, that I'm going to write-up, for if I do not, just like as not, it will never be written, and our posterity in coming generations, will never know that such a party ever existed.

After failing to elect our man in 1896, most of the Republicans went back to their old party, when they could without causing too much suspicion, and the Populists and all that other stuff, scattered about most anywhere, if they saw a chance for good picking, or where they could raise a racket, so when the campaign of 1900 came around, it found our gang pretty badly disorganized and in poor shape for active duty.

I will now have to close for this time, but will write to you again before long, and tell you how Maria, Sam's sister-in-law and I started a new party, and some other things, and there are a lot of other things happening right along over here now. From your friends, . JACOB SHORT AND MARIA.

Chapter II. Call For The First Convention

On the Ranch, Sept. 9.

Special to The Pokerville Record.

I am as well as could be expected, and so is Maria, and Sam Snow's sister-in-law and the children, and hope that when these few lines reach you, they will find, you and your family and the readers of The Record enjoying the same blessing.

Now, as I told you at the close of my other letter, it is my intention to skip over the most of those straggling years between 1896 and 1900. "When about half of the people of Colorado were at sea, figuratively speaking, and the other half were trying to explain how it happened, and new parties were continually springing up, and the old ones were dividing and sub-dividing, until there were so many candidates in the field, when an election came on, that it took a ticket about the size of a bed-quilt to hold their names. In fact, almost everyone, who could write his or her name, was a candidate on some ticket. It seemed the women had caught onto the situation, and were playing it for all there was in sight. They were going to make up for the dark ages, previous to 1892, while they were kept in bondage.

When, in 1900, the new, from Kansas City reached Pokerville, stating that Mr. Bryan was again nominated, and the Democratic Convention had dropped the silver question, and made "Imperialism" the "Paramount issue," I thought we had now, sure, caught the Republicans in a trap, where it would be impossible for them to explain out, and that's what I told Maria and Sam's sister-in-law, and while Sam's

THE COLORADO SITUATION lb

sister-in-law was inclined to agree with me. Maria seemed to think different. She thought the Democrats didn't have get-up enough about them to catch anything, unless it was something that was behind time.

Now, when Maria objected to going over to the Democrats with me again, I said, "Well, what are we going to do ? I have been a Republican three times, a Democrat twice, a Populist once and once catch-ascateh-can." Then, says I ; "Of course, one can remain a Democrat indefiinitely, or go in and out at his pleasure, and there won't be any questions asked, nor much expected of him, but I don't want to be sticking to a party that cannot elect anyone. But the Democrat plan looks good to me this time, for the people are terribly set against imperialism or anything of that sort."

When I had said everything I could think of, that I thought would have any effect, and couldn't think of anything else and stopped, Maria hesitated a spell, then she looked up and said, ' ' Jacob ! " As soon as she said "Jacob" I knew she had something more than ordinary on her mind, as she always calls me "Jake," for short, except when she is quite serious. So I answered and said, "What is it, Maria V And she said, "Jacob, let's start a new party." Now, George, I wouldn't have been a bit more surprised if 1 had been kicked by a mule, than I was when she said, "Let's start a new party."

I didn't see what she could be driving at, and 1 said to her, "Oh, Lord; Maria, there are more parties now, than there are people, and I don't see how we could possibly start another one." But she said that was all right, as she had been looking about a little, and believed there was plenty of room for another party, if one knew how to start it and keep it going. Then I asked her, "Who will do it, Maria?" and she said, "You and I."

Now, if any difference, that was the worst surprise I had had yet, and it took me longer to recover, but I finally spunked up and said, "How will we do it, Maria?" Then she lit in in earnest, and I could see she was catching onto the Colorado situation for all it was worth, and she said, "We will first appoint a time Cor a meeting, and then we will make a platform, and nominate officers, and take up a collection for campaign purposes, and send out political documents and speakers, and whoop everything up in general, and do just like others do, when they want to start a new party, or keep an old one going."

Now, you see I saw I was getting into politics a little more than I had been calculating on, and when it came to starting a new party, I wasn't so sure about it, though I was sun in helping to run an old one. Rut I had a good deal of confidence in Maria, and felt sure she would not undertake a thing, without first having studied it out carefully.

I knew she had an idea, that was in some manner, different from the others, or it wouldn't be worth while to start a party in opposition to them, but it was a guess as to what the idea was, and, for the life of me, I couldn't see why she wanted to start another party, when the Democrats and Populists and Socialists were making such liberal offers, and I told her so, but she said, "Let's start a new party and make more liberal offers than they are making," but I couldn't see how we were going to do that, without overdoing the thing to such a degree as to cause suspicion, but she said I needn't bother my head about causing suspicion by making liberal offers.

She said she didn't think it was much trouble to start a new party, anyway, as all one had to do, was to tell the people how they were being downtrodden by the trusts and the government, and that the rich were getting richer and the poor, poorer, and if they would join our party, we would change things so that everybody would have about all the money he wanted, and wouldn't have to work much either.

• "Now," said she, after she had been putting up a talk on general principles, without speaking of any particular plan, "I'll tell you what you do: to-morrow morning, as soon as you get your work done up, go over to Bill Riley's, Ben White's, Abe Crosby's, Sam Snow's, Pete Benson's, Carl Snider 's, and as many other places as you have time, and tell them we are going to start a new party." "But," says I, "those fellows already belong to a party." "So do you." says she, "belong to several of them, but you are everlastingly trying to get out and into others, and maybe, they will be wanting to do the same thing. Now, go and do as I tell you, and you will find they will be in for it, if you tell them you have a new plan by which they can get about all the money they want.

While Maria was telling me what to do, there was a twinkle in her eye, that I did not understand, but I thought, most likely, it was caused by the importance of the undertaking, and I concluded to do as she said, for I couldn't see what harm it could do, though I didn't have much hopes of its success.

So the next morning I started out, and went over to Jake Pace 's first. Jake is a real nice fellow and they have nine children, besides his sister, who is an old maid, and lives with them, not counting his wife, and four of them are boys and five girls, besides a man who stayed there and worked for his board, and wasn't hardly worth that, so I just up and told them all, that we were going to start a new party that would beat anything in Missouri, and they asked "How will you do it?"

, Then I lit in and told them we were going to corn all the gold and silver we could get, at whatever ratio the people wanted, and that we would close all the banks, and issue the money direct to the people, and we would keep on issuing it, till we got enough, and that we would sure make everything boom, and those who came into the party first, would get the best offices, and that we would meet at our house on Friday evening, at seven o'clock, by early lamp-light, or half past, and they said they would come down a spell; then I went over to Sam Snow's.