minant parties. If either of these could have
had assurance of receiving the majority of the woman's vote it would
have been obtained for her long ago without effort on her part, just
as the workingman's and the colored man's were secured for them, but
this has been impossible. Even in the four States where women now have
the full suffrage neither party has been able to claim a distinct
advantage from it. At the last Presidential election two of the four
went Democratic and two Republican. In Colorado, where women owed
their enfranchisement very largely to the Populists, that party was
deposed from power at the first election where they voted and never
has been reinstated. Although there was no justification for holding
women responsible, they were so held, and the party consequently did
not extend the franchise to women in other States where it might have
done so. Many consider that the principles of the Republican party in
general would be more apt to commend themselves to women than those of
the Democratic, but others believe that, so great is their antipathy
to war and all the evils connected with it and the consequences
following it, they would have opposed the party responsible for these
during the past four years. It may be accepted, however, as the most
probable view that women will divide on the main issues in much the
same proportion as men. From this standpoint neither party will see
any especial advantage in their enfranchisement, and both will look
with disfavor upon adding to the immense number of voters who must now
be reckoned with in every campaign an equally great number who are
likely to require an entirely different management. There is a certain
element in the leadership of all parties which is not especially
objectionable to men, but would not be tolerated by women. Candidates
who would be perfectly acceptable to men if they were sound on the
political issues might be wholly repudiated by the women of their own
party. If temperance and morality were made requisites many leaders
and officials who now hold high position would be permanently retired.
These are all reasons which appeal to politicians for deferring the
day of woman suffrage as long as possible.

Each of the two dominant parties is largely controlled by what are
known as the liquor interests. Their influence begins with the
National Government, which receives from them billions of revenue; it
extends to the States, to which they pay mill