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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 247, 21 November 1914, Page 8

One of the most cogent reasons advanced by Mr McCombs, in his championing of the right of women to sit in Parliament is that at present "women are classed with lunatics, criminals, and other undesirables" in being denied the privilege. Of course-* that is no reason whatsoever. It might be argued with equal force that Mr McCombs suffers injustice as a democrat in having the doors of the Civil Service closed against him, because that condition places him along with bookmakers, burglars, and bottlehawkers, who also are denied entrance to that august body. Since the women of New Zealand have not clamoured for the privilege of contesting the electorates, ,Mr McCombs's zealous advocacy on behalf of something that is not desired places his political gallantry under suspicion. Cynics are likely to find for this strange ardour a parallel in the candidate who makes pilgrimages through his electorate from door to door, enquiring of good housewives the state of their health, and praising the babies. Does the political pilgrim really and sincerely bother about the health of his constituents? Mr Albert Glover knows, and so does Mr McCombs. The latter, in advocating the adoption of the referendum law, pleaded that all an elector could do now was to vote for the candidate who most nearly approached his ideals. Here, again, he is playing with a fallacy. The average elector has no ideals (politically speaking) worth discussing. Ideals for him are too much of a mental strain —it is much less trouble to pick out the party ticket and vote that way.