The Highlands Call to Action
A local correspondent challenges Kennewick women to show their 'political sense' by voting in the upcoming primaries.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
That not all of the women of Kennewick and surrounding country are indifferent to political affairs, but are evincing a desire to exercise their right of suffrage conscientiously and intelligently, is shown by two communications which this paper has received this week. Mrs. E. O. Keene, Courier-Reporter correspondent for the Highlands, makes the following appeal to the women voters: 'Albeit that we are supposed to merely chronicle events that occur on the Highlands, may we please digress at this time and electioneer a little? Many women who have registered do not intend to vote at the primaries. Women, we beg of you to do this. Our editor stated in the Commercial club rooms that women lacked political sense. We surely will give silent assent to this statement if we do not vote at the primaries. It is of much moment to Highlands women to vote for those U.S. congressional candidates who will put forth strong efforts to get the government ditch through, which will give us abundant and cheaper water.'
“We surely will give silent assent to this statement if we do not vote at the primaries.”
This reflects the early, urgent push for women to establish their place in the electorate following suffrage in Washington. The 'government ditch' they refer to echoes the ongoing, perennial local political battle for water rights and irrigation infrastructure in the Tri-Cities region.
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