ed against woman's participation in public affairs have
been overcome by the actual application of the system in Idaho.

The suggestion may be made that this activity of women in public
affairs has operated to draw them away from their homes and from
the usual domestic avocations, a suggestion which our experience
amply disproves. In Idaho women are to-day the same loving wives,
kind mothers and capable home-managers that they always have
been. Nor has there been the least belittling of the sex in the
eyes of the men, nor any falling off in that tenderness and
respect which men universally accord to women. There is not the
slightest interruption of family ties. Whether husband and wife
vote together or oppositely excites no interest and no animosity,
although naturally families are apt to have the same party
affiliations. The system has not operated to take women from
their homes, nor has it tended to make them in any way
masculine.[235]

In the presidential election of 1900 women showed the liveliest
interest. The universal testimony was that never in the history of the
State had there been such order about the polling-places. Four-fifths
of the ballots were cast by 1 o'clock. The women did as effective work
as the men in getting out the voters.

The total population of Idaho is 161,762, and is composed, in round
numbers, of 58 per cent. of males and 42 per cent. of females. The
total vote of the men was 55,096; of the women, 19,660. In the
counties representing the agricultural, manufacturing and general
business of the State the women's vote averaged 41 per cent. of the
total ballot. In the counties devoted exclusively to mining, where
there are very few women, they cast only 24 per cent. This brought the
average of the women's vote in the entire State down to 35-1/2 per
cent. of the total.

In Boise 1,982 men and 1,561 women registered; total, 3,543. The vote
cast was 3,281. Allowing for the usual failures on the part of the
men, these figures show that over 40 per cent. of the vote of this
city must have been cast by women.[236]

LEGISLATIVE ACTION AND LAWS: The placing of the ballot in the hands of
women has had the effect of bringing about two changes of the highest
importance. The session of the Legislature held immediately after the
adoption of the suffrage amendment passed an act prohibiting gambling.
Prior to that time it had bee