money and sound Americanism. Which State can claim that its action rings
truest to the stroke of honest metal in finance and in defence of national
honor?

A few States have extended municipal suffrage to woman. It is generally
local and restricted Only in Kansas is there full municipal suffrage. Dr.
Jacobi, in her "Common Sense," says: "Municipal suffrage in Kansas demands
no property qualification, and its exercise therefore does not differ in
the least from that required in a Presidential election." This is a
mistake, for the difference is essential and illustrates the undemocratic
character of woman suffrage. Municipal suffrage in Kansas, like the
Territorial suffrage in Wyoming, was given by legislative act, and could
be done away with by another legislative act without appeal to the people,
or any change of the Constitution. It did not touch the vital question
whether women, in a democracy, could form a component part of the
government. Mrs. Stanton well understood that difference. Kansas had long
possessed local municipal suffrage when, in 1894, the question of granting
full suffrage, by constitutional amendment, was submitted to the people.
Mrs. Stanton then wrote: "My hope now rests with Kansas. If that fails
too, we must trust no longer to the Republican and Democratic parties, but
henceforth give our money, our eloquence, our enthusiasm to a People's
party that will recognize woman as an equal factor in a new civilization."
There was enough leaven of republicanism working then to cause the old
fighting-ground, the free-soil State, to reject the amendment by a popular
majority of 35,000. To the "People's Party" in Kansas woman suffrage may
look for the most striking illustration of its results. Where municipal
suffrage could be secured only by constitutional enactment, and was so
secured, it would differ merely in degree from presidential suffrage; but
it never has been so secured in any State except those that give full
constitutional suffrage. It is on a par with school suffrage, except that