Today marks 100 years since Iowa ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, extending the right to vote to women. The amendment would be approved in time for the 1920 presidential election.
Here’s what Ella Taylor, wife and mother of the Traer Star-Clipper publishing team, who had her own weekly column, had to say on July 11:
The national equal suffrage amendment has not yet been ratified and may not be ratified by enough states to become a law, but already a change is felt in political circles which is interesting to study. Enough women will vote at the next presidential election that their votes may swing the balance of power. Hence from the standpoint of the male politician women become of enough importance to be consulted, cojoled [sic] and complimented. They are even to be organized for political work. Women will become a part of the national committees; they will have state, county and township organizations. It is safe to predict that the political aspirant for public office will be carrying cigars in one hand and candy in the other. We hope he will exercise due care not to get them mixed up. He will be willing to kiss the babies and he will throw bouquets at the growing-up daughters because he will recognize the voter of the future.
Not only are men beginning to take notice of this new condition, but women are also waking up. They are getting interested in candidates and party principles. They are studying citizenship. Some of the leaders in suffrage parties are already pretty skillful in the political game. They will be ready to teach the others in party tactics. Already letters have been sent out from national headquarters to prominent women in all the states asking them to ally themselves with one party or the other. Some of these women are lining up for action, but more are staying in the background, keeping their eyes open to developments but remaining neutral until they are sure “where they are at” or more properly speaking, where the parties are at.
And this is what the politicians do not like. They can’t find any basis to work upon. They are floundering rather hopelessly in circles because “they don’t know what the women are going to do.” This feature of the game rather pleases us. Poor men! They don’t dare to snub us, they can’t play the game without us and they don’t know how to play with us. For the first time in history we are important citizens. Let us keep them guessing awhile.
(Told you I was going to be mining the archives. — Ed.)