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Tell's Chapel. You have destroyed the Clarens shore of the Lake of Geneva; there is not a quiet valley in England that you have not filled with bellowing fire; there is no particle left of English land which you have not trampled coal ashes into, nor any foreign city in which the spread of your presence is not marked by a consuming white leprosy of new hotels and perfumers' shops; the Alps themselves, which your own poets used to love so reverently, you look upon as soaped poles in a bear

garden, which you set yourselves to climb and slide down again with 'shrieks of delight.' When you are past shrieking, with no human articulate voice to say you are glad with, you fill the quietude of their valleys with gunpowder blasts, and rush home, red with cutaneous eruption of conceit, and voluble with convulsive hiccough of self-satisfaction.''

We may not take so strong a view as Ruskin about railways, but we may all be glad that his school of thought exists, and that it has been strong enough so far to save Borrowdale from destruction, and prevent a railway being made to Ambleside, and also, we hope, a high road over Sty Head Pass, between Borrowdale and Wastdale.

I will take one more passage on this subject, which also may stand as a type of the power of style. The thought in it is of the simplest, viz., that there must always be agricultural land; but hear this piece of glorious speech:

"All England may, if it so chooses, become one manufacturing town; and Englishmen, sacrificing themselves to the good of general humanity, may live diminished lives in the midst of noise, of darkness, and of deadly exhalation. But the world cannot become a factory, nor a mine. No amount of ingenuity will ever make iron digestible by the million, nor substitute hydrogen for wine. Neither the avarice nor the rage of men will ever feed them; and however the apple of Sodom and the grape of Gomorrah may spread their table for a time with dainties of ashes and nectar of asps, so long as men live by bread, the far away valleys must laugh as they are covered with the gold of God, and the shouts of His happy multitudes ring round the wine-press and the well.’’

A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF RUTH. Prepared for the Conference Class of Race Street First-day School, Philadelphia, First month 23, 1898.

It is a pleasant arrangement which, in our own Bible, places this sweet story of filial love in happy contrast with the scenes of blood and misery depicted in Judges and Kings. And though this order accords with that of the Vulgate, and Septuagint, yet there are not unimportant reasons for believing that it was written. long after the books placed in the same connection.

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In support of this view it is urged that the Hebrew Bible places Ruth among the hagiographa, or writings"; and second, that it is free from any evidences of the "prophetic " editing which mark Judges and Kings. Moreover, that it presents no examples of divine justice meted out to a rebellious people, nor divine mercy rewarding the penitent wrong-doer. But surely if it had been in existence when the so-called "Earlier Prophets " were edited, its account of the ancestry of David would have secured for it a place in the collection. And further, the picture it presents of the details of antique life and obsolete usages argues that it was written long after the period to which it refers, and that it was handed down from generation to generation, as the folk-lore of an ancient people.

Like the other books from Genesis to Ezra, with the single exception of Deuteronomy, there is nothing

in its pages to indicate either the author or the date of its writing. An old tradition intimates that it was written by Samuel, and that the genealogical facts at the close were added by a later hand. Modern investigation finds no manuscripts of it older than the Fourth century of the Christian era; and yet the character of its language, being free from the pedantry of Jewish legality, indicates that it was written after Ezra's time, but before the Jewish literature was subjected to the growing influence of the "doctors of the Law."

It is not to be assumed that the main purpose of the writer of this story is simply to impart historical information about the ancestry of David, which is mentioned only in a casual way, and not prominently, as would be the case if it were the main design. And yet this is an important element in the story, found nowhere else in the Old Testament, but which is confirmed by Matthew in the first chapter of his Gospel, thus adding credibility to the other incidents of the story.

The chief purpose of the writer appears most conspicuously in those passages which picture the heroine of the drama leaving her own people and her own heathen gods, and taking refuge under the "wings of the God of Israel," looking to Him for help, and finding more than she could expect or conceive. It is a conclusive proof that the watchful care of God's providence is over all who trust Him.

Further lessons will appear during a brief re hearsal of the story.

It is a unique idyl of a Moabite peasant presented in four scenes. The first is a "midnight of trouble." Famine drives a Jew and his faithful wife Naomi from home and religious fellowship. Notwithstanding the narrowness and bigotry of Jewish patriotism and priestly laws, they seek a refuge in Moab, the rich highlands on the east side of the Dead Sea.

Anon, death leaves this devoted wife and mother a childless widow, bereft of all loved ones save Ruth and Orpah, the sorrowing young widows of her two sons. It is but natural that the weeping Naomi should turn her thoughts anew to the Jehovah of her childhood, and her steps to the land of her fathers. But who can portray the last sad scene in that Moabite home, where two daughters of a Gentile race had merited and received sincere parental love? Which of us by any standards established in his own domestic life, can measure the true affection that found expression in that ever-famous utterance: "Whither thou goest I will go, where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God"; or that other classic confession of love: "The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me"? Surely we may read between the lines of this beautiful narrative the story of a home life worthy of our imitation.

The second scene opens in Bethlehem of Judea, no longer suffering from want or famine. Naomi has returned to her native town, where, surrounded by her kinsfolk, her lot may be less intolerable, and Ruth. who cannot be dissuaded, has accompanied her. It is the beginning of barley harvest, and the fertile plains below the city yield a bountiful return to the busy reapers. Ruth, now a bread-winner for herself and

mother, has gone down to gather the stray heads which the reapers have left, and which a Jewish statute decreed should be left for the support of the poor. It is her good fortune, or "hap," to pursue her tedious task in the field of a rich planter whose kind disposition towards those less fortunate than himself is manifest in his direction to the reapers to let fall great handfuls of grain on purpose that there may be more for the gleaners. He has heard of the fidelity of this daughter of heathen Moab to the mother, to the land, and to the religion of her lost husband. He knows her story, and a brief inquiry of his master reaper tells him the rest. Did not the "star of hope" shine out more brightly in that saddened life that April morning when those words of sympathy and kindness fell upon her ears?

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Glean on! Go not to another's field to search ! When thou art athirst drink from the water jars my young men have carried. And at mealtime come thou hither and eat of our bread!" This was the same voice which saluted the reapers each morning with the benediction, "The Lord be with you!" and to which a chorus of voices responded, "The Lord bless thee!"

Does not this beautiful story picture an ideal relationship between employed and employer, in striking contrast to the selfish antipathy so prevalent to-day? Perhaps in our own time as well, the struggling poor hunger as much for kindly encouragement as do they for bread.

And as the unknown dramatist depicts this woman of a fiercely proscribed race seated, likely in the cool of some nearby shade, eating and drinking with the pious Jews, does he not intentionally point his readers to the moral, and enter a protest against the race prejudice and intolerance of his own time? And was it not appropriate that this story be read amid the festivities of the Pentecostal feast to enjoin remembrance of the poor, the stranger and the widow?

But I hasten on to note the third scene in this story of the olden time, the dawn of a brighter and happier day. Assured of the esteem of her husband's near kinsman, Naomi has recourse to a custom then prevailing among the Jews. This recognized the right of a childless widow to marry the next of kin to her husband, and was the outgrowth of an ancient statute which held that a woman having been brought into her husband's house by a contract and the payment of a sum of money to her father, was not free to remarry at will, on the death of her husband, the contract clearly implying that she should become the wife of a younger brother. In later times the Jews interpreted this restriction upon the freedom of a widow as her legitimate right. Therefore, Naomi had a claim upon Elimelech's nearest kinsman to marry her widowed daughter-in-law, after first redeeming her dead husband's inheritance, and thus perpetuate the family name in Israel.

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The claim, therefore, Ruth made to Boaz on the threshing-floor was strictly legitimate, and her trustful boldness in presenting it lent a charm to her virtue. It was the presumption of "assured trustfulness on assured goodness."

In the closing scene of this "sweet prose-poem,' "the midnight of trouble" is changed into "the noon

day of prosperity." Boaz, in obedience to the law of his people, and with due solemnity, takes the daughter of a heathen and idolatrous race to be his wife. The heroine of the drama thus becomes one of the first Gentiles admitted into the Jewish church, and the ancestress of the house of David.

Such is the story of Ruth. How much of it is history, how much imagination, critics are not agreed. And why should we sharply discriminate between that which belongs to the realm of ancient history and that which belongs simply to the realm of ancient literature? The character and faith of a people are gathered as truly from their literature as from their official history. Indeed, the story of Ruth gives the reader a clearer picture of ancient manners, customs, and social life than is depicted in the strictly historical books. It uncovers humanity, and reveals the sincere, loving emotions of its characters. And though the story is given no interpreter to point the moral, its lessons of virtue, truth, fidelity and love are drawn so distinctly as to inspire us with a longing to make them our own. J. EUGENE BAKER.

FRIENDS IN SOUTHERN FRANCE. Joseph G. Alexander, an English Friend, who has recently visited Southern France, in company with G. D. Terrell, delivering lectures, etc., in support of the Protestant bodies there, has a letter in The Friend, London, First month 7, from which we extract as below.

THE next two days we were to have traveled to two towns near the Spanish frontier, which J. Dalencourt had asked me to visit if possible. But a letter had been received from the pastor, an ex-priest himself, saying that he and his fellow-workers had just been violently attacked by the local Catholic paper as "Anglais" and "Vendus," and that he felt it was better not to have the visit of two Englishmen just at this time. This is the only time throughout our tour when we have actually had cognizance of any difficulty on this ground. Many Friends will have seen the recent address of Theodore Monod, at Edinburgh, reported in the Christian of 25th November, telling of the anti-Jewish and anti-Protestant movement in France, engineered by the Jesuits, which represents all Protestants as allied with the English, and all Englishmen as the enemies of France. One of the Paris workers told us that he had found it sufficient to explain that we were Quakers, in order to obviate objection to our visits; and in several instances those who introduced us to French audiences referred to the fact that members of the Society of Friends brought the first provisions into Paris after the siege.

From Montpellier we traveled to Fontanes, where we stayed at the hospitable home of Clement Brun and his wife. Their widowed daughter, Madame Morin, had come also from Montpellier, to help her aged mother to entertain us. We greatly enjoyed the restfulness of this first and only night spent in a real country home in France, and not less refreshing to the inner man was our intercourse with these worthy surviving representatives of French Quakerism. The indigenous Society of Friends in the South of France seems to be dying out, owing to the combined operation of two opposite causes. The conscription laws

place before their young men three alternatives: (1) imprisonment for an indefinite period, (2) emigration, (3) unfaithfulness to the principles of the Society by consenting to military service. The last young man who chose the first alternative, as far as I know, was a Darbyite (as the French call the Plymouth Brethren), who was finally allowed to escape to Belgium, after imprisonment for many months. I am not aware that any young Friend has refused in France. Several members of the Brun family have chosen the second alternative, and have emigrated to the United States. The other influence is a more satisfactory one, it is the increased spirituality of French Protestantism, which seems to render less needful the distinctive Quaker protest against ecclesiasticism. To earnest young Frenchmen there must seem to be a strong call to strengthen that element in the ancient Church of the Huguenots, the Reformed Church of France, which has already done much to dispel the spiritual darkness caused by the rationalism that prevailed in it almost universally at the commencement of this century, as Stephen Grellet's memoirs abundantly testify. Fontanes is an instance of what is going on in this respect throughout France. The meeting there is still attended by about twenty members and attenders, amongst whom, one woman Friend exercises a gift in the ministry. They have maintained their position better than Friends at Congenies, where the Reformed Church has long been favored with evangelical pastors, and there is also a vigorous Methodist Church. The village of Fontanes is chiefly Catholic, and the Protestant Church has been in the hands of the Liberals," or rationalists. The " Liberal" pastor of the neighboring town of Sommieres is supposed to hold a service in the village once a month; but as hardly any came to his services, the Evangelicals because they disapproved his preaching, and the rest because they are indifferent, he has pretty much given up coming. For some time past a fortnightly service has been held in the afternoons by a retired Evangelical pastor, who on one occasion attended the Friends' meeting and took acceptable part in it. The Friends, on their part, have been glad to join their neighbors whenever this service has been held, and their own meeting on these occasions has been diminished by the absence of some who otherwise attend. The Evangelicals have now succeeded in electing a pastor of their own way of thinking, and his advent may probably reduce the attendance at the Friends' meeting.

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In the afternoon we went on to Congenies, where I stayed sixteen years ago with Lydie Majolier, Christine Alsop's sister. I remember she had recently recovered from a severe illness, and told me how she had a vision of heaven whilst in a state of consciousness, and that the Lord told her she had to go back to earth for a few more years of service. Still a little company gathers on Sunday mornings in the only Friends' meeting-house in France; but our meeting was held in the Bernards' house, as the meeting-house is not provided with light. About fourteen met us, nearly all connected with Friends, though but few were actually members, and we had a helpful little meeting.

The next evening we gave our lantern lecture at the Methodist Church at Nismes, having much enjoyed during the day a visit to the famous Roman aqueduct, the Pont du Gard, some distance from the city. On Tuesday we were again welcomed to a Quaker home, that of Joseph and Marianna Pim, in the city of Valence, on the Rhone. Our meeting was at the Protestant Church, which the Pims attend, and which, like most of the Reformed churches in the Departments of the Drome and the Ardeche, is entirely Evangelical. We were interested in seeing our friends' admirably arranged hall, just like those of the M’All Mission, in which their weekly evangelistic and mothers' meetings are held. We talked over with them the question of a missionary boat, in which they are so deeply interested, and which has lately been discussed in your columns. That there is wide scope for such an effort cannot be doubted, and we should be very glad to hear of the right person being found to work with our kind hosts.

For Friends' Intelligencer.

AND A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD

THEM."

DURING a season of close talk with my little girl, when I was striving to explain to her that it was because of the great love her parents had for her that they felt compelled to deny a wish of hers; that because they could see that in granting it they would not be doing what was really best for her, I asked if she did not think she could trust Father and Mother, knowing how much they loved her? And the little one cuddled her head on my breast and responded, "Mother, I won't ask to do it any more.'

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child of her trust and faith in her parents brought a This quiet acknowledgement in a strong-willed keen thrust home to my own heart.

little one of seven summers, and who have so many Have we, who are more mature in years than the evidences of the abounding love of our Heavenly Father, always felt ready to accept the heavy trial: which may have been our portion, as fresh evidences of his all-surrounding love? Have we felt willing, at all times, to give ourselves into his keeping, unquestioningly and trustingly, knowing how much he loves us, and how surely he will do what is for our best welfare? I knew I had not! Then came the intensified longing that, when other trials should be mine, I might be able to have this child-like confidence in the wisdom of the All-Father, and that my heart should stand ready to echo the words of the Blessed Son, "Not my will, but thine, be done.” P.

THERE is nothing gained by fretting;

Gather up your strength anew,

And step by step go onward,

Let the skies be gray or blue.

—Margaret E. Sangster.

We cannot walk in two ways at the same time. We cannot follow our own will and the will of God. We must choose the one or the other; We must deny God's will to follow our own, or we must deny self and self-will to follow the will of God.

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Loyalty to principle, fidelity to truth, in the midst of difficulties, in the face of trials and suffering, is the chief teaching to be drawn from the lesson for today. After referring to numerous instances of such faithfulness in early Hebrew history, the writer of the epistle refers to the great multitude of witnesses by whom we also are surrounded, and urges those to whom he was writing, as well as ourselves, to whom his epistle has been handed down, to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us."

The history of those who have lived before us, the story of their trials and temptations, their hardships and sufferings, their successes in overcoming evil and in proving their fidelity to truth and duty,—this is for the encouragement and upbuilding of humanity in all ages. These instances from Hebrew history have helped multitudes of faltering souls to become strong, and to show their strength by their loyalty to the Christian faith, even though the path of duty led to death. All through the ages there have been like illustrations of the true greatness of fidelity to truth, and no such instance has ever been recorded or repeated without having a strengthening, uplifting influence on other souls.

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Religious Society is not necessarily knowledge of all
Truth, but rather entire obedience to the measure of
Truth revealed to each soul by the indwelling Spirit
of Truth.

SCRIPTURE STUDY AT RACE STREET. Conference Class of Race Street First-day School, Philadelphia.

Second month 6, 1898.

Subject for consideration: The Times of Isaiah." Presented by Joseph E. Haines.

The paper will consider: A. The time of Isaiah -con-
temporaneous with Kings Uzziah or Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz,
Hezekiah. See 2 Kings 15, 16, 18, 19, 20; Isaiah 7, 36, 37,
38, 39.
B. Isaiah's position as Prophet and Statesman. C.
The position of the Kingdom of Judah between the declining
empire of Egypt and the advancing influence of Assyria. D.
The statesmanlike policy of neutrality advocated by Isaiah.
See Isaiah 30, and many passages in other chapters. E. His
influence upon the history of the Kingdom.

Topics for study: The relation between Kings and Prophets.
See, besides the Biblical references above, the account of
Elisha and Jehu, 2 Kings 9; Nathan and David; 2 Samuel
7 and 12: 1; Nathan and Solomon ;
Nathan and Solomon; 1 Kings 1; Samuel and

David, 1 Samuel 16: 13; Samuel and Saul, 1 Samuel 10: 1.
REFERENCES.-Gladden, pages 127 to 128.-Sayce, "The
Times of Isaiah," Bible Dictionary, Encyclopædia Britannica.

TEMPERANCE LESSONS.

A CHEMICAL EXPERIMENT.

I have here several vessels of different shapes and sizes and I have some baking soda and some tartaric acid. I mix the soda with the acid in this paper and put a little of the mixture into a tumbler. Now I pour in some water and you see it boils up and threatens to boil over. This happens in the small tumbler, but let us try it in this pitcher. Do you think it will act the same in a pitcher as in a tumbler? Truly it does. How about a tin cup—a saucer-a vase? It always acts the same. Do you think it necessary to try this experiment each time you want to know how these substances will act? Whenever you get a new lot of soda or of tartaric acid is it necessary to try this experiment over again? Certainly not. When their action is once determined by a few tests it is known for

all like cases in after time.

Similarly with the action of alcohol and tobacco. Their

The early history of the Society of Friends has many instances of heroic devotion to duty, and the liberty of thought and freedom of expression which we to-day enjoy are largely due to faithfulness of those early lovers of the Truth. Through their fidelity, and the sufferings they endured in proving action on boys and men have been tried many times and the their fidelity, we have been made rich in the possession of the freedom of the Truth. May we so hold and enjoy this freedom, and, if need be, may we so prove our fidelity to the Truth, that those who shall come after us may also enjoy equal freedom with ourselves.

If our

"Individual faithfulness to known duty," this was the watchword that enabled the early Friends to found a church whose message of hope and faith and love has done much to lift humanity to higher levels; and it remains the keynote of all efficient work in the present and of all true progress in the future. message as a religious body is still to be proclaimed to a world which greatly needs it, it will be because of like faithfulness to revealed duty. Our great central truth teaches us that the light of Christ enlightens every human soul; that the Voice Divine speaks to every human spirit, and that "by lowly listening each soul may hear the right word." When the right word is heard, when the Voice speaks in the language of command, then faithfulness must do the rest, fidelity must lead to obedience, and the Divine approval will surely follow. The true teaching of our

results are to be seen of men. The results are known. If alcohol
or nicotine is put into a boy the result is a more or less damaged
boy. It is not necessary to try their effects on each boy since
boys are made on very much the same plan. Of course some are
more injured than others, but after all what is the use of injur-
ing ones self at all? What is the use of experimenting on ones-
self when the matter has already been settled by thousands of
tests and thousands of people. A physician thus sums up the
general opinion of those best qualified to speak on the question
of tobacco. It "weakens the organs of digestion and assimi-
lation and at length plunges into all the horrors of dyspepsia.'
(See Cyclopædia of Temp. and Prob. Art. Tobacco.) As to
alcohol the experimental results are so frequently seen that we
need not enlarge upon them here.

Suggestions. This can be varied indefinitely, being intended to show the certainty of results under natural laws : that things do not happen by chance.

A more showy experiment is as follows: put a few drops of ferric chloride solution into a vessel of water and a tablespoonful of tannic acid solution in another; whenever these are poured together they will make a black fluid although both are colorless.

Use other illustrations of the uniformity of the action of natural laws, as that of gravitation, of the pendulum, etc., coming back to the point that we will experience the same results from any violation of the laws of human well being as others have experienced. We are not made exceptional beings. J. H. H.

Y

THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The Independent. THE Scriptures are clear enough as to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Doubtless God is revealed to us, in his spiritual operations within us, as an inworking Spirit. There is a Holy Ghost. But he is revealed to us not for speculation, not for theological analysis, not for religious discussion, but for comfort. He is called the Comforter. Jesus told his disciples about the Holy Spirit, just for the pupose that they might not feel orphaned after he should leave them. They were to understand and remember that wherever they were, in whatever distress or loneliness, God's Spirit would be with them. Before priests, rulers or kings, in prison or on the cross, they could be at peace, because the Comforter was with them, and he would support them until God should take them to himself.

Equally they were not to be left without a teacher when their Master should be taken from them. Jesus. would leave them, in bodily presence, but the Holy Spirit would bring to their minds all his teachings in his absence. The Spirit of all truth would guide them into new truth. Thus the divine inspiration should be with them they should be filled with the Spirit of utterance; filled with the Spirit, they should speak with tongues; still better, they should interpret; still better, they should prophesy; that is, they should be empowered to preach and teach, so that their words would be with power. All this was told them for their encouragement, their comfort. This comfort was the purpose of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit revealed to them, comfort and strength in application, comfort and strength in teaching and service.

If the doctrine of the Comforter was given for comfort and help, rather than for curious investigation into the interior constitution of the Godhead, we can then be sure it was not given to be a discouragement or hindrance in any Christian service.

WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN COLORADO. Susan R. Ashley, "a woman much esteemed and beloved in Colorado," contributes to the " Rocky Mountain News, "of Denver, the following article.

THAT equal suffrage has proven a benefit to the women, doubtless the majority of our citizens will admit.

Has it also benefited the men and the State? Let us see.

Prior to the granting of suffrage to women, many men had withdrawn from active participation in political life, discouraged through futile attempts to prevent the affairs of State from being largely controlled by the class of voters least fitted for such trust. When women were enfranchised and began attending primaries, these men were encouraged to again strive to make their influence felt in the cause of better government.

In order to enlighten the feminine mind-a most cherished prerogative since the world began-it became necessary for many men to study election laws and political economy. This was also to their advantage and that of the State.

To further inform "the would-be reformers," who

persistently insisted on knowing who each nominee was, what was his fitness for the office he was seeking, was he morally clean, has he made a success of his own business, etc., some knowledge of each nominee was required, with the result that better tickets were presented than would otherwise have been secured. Another gain for man and State.

Previous to woman's voting, polling places were often located in untidy and most unsuitable places. Since the advent of women in politics, polling booths are erected in clean and respectable localities, and profanity in and near the booths has disappeared This improved environment we believe to be an external expression of cleaner political methods, for primaries, conventions, and legislative halls are more orderly, personal abuse of opposing candidates is less frequent, and the machine politician is far less in evidence than formerly.

Woman's increased interest in the enforcement of laws and ordinances pertaining to moral and physical health, has deepened man's sense of responsibility in these particulars, with a resulting improvement in both.

That some very undesirable persons still manage to get into places of public trust is true, but that the average character of office-holders is higher in our State than before equal suffrage was granted, is also true, and that every bill introduced into our Legislature through woman's influence has been for securing more equitable conditions.

While the greater number of Colorado men have always been chivalrous and courteous in their consideration for women, since the bestowal of suffrage the fact that women help to decide questions of State has secured for their opinions at least respectful hearing from all classes of men. Should there be cases where this is but surface politeness, it would still be a gain in that desirable virtue, self-control.

That the class of citizens opposed to law and order declare that it was a mistake to give women the ballot, is proof that politics are not moving to suit them.

We have not seen nor heard of one communciation signed by a Colorado man of either public, financial, business or even social prominence, declaring equal suffrage to be a failure, while many high in public esteem and occupying the most important positions of public trust have over their signatures written of its beneficial results. This is further evidence that equal suffrage has proven a benefit to Colorado.

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