The Press. WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 20, 1893. WOMAN'S FRANCHISE.

The circumstances surrounding the granting of female franchise in this colony deserve aome notice at tli6 present juncture. The measure haa become law against the wishes of the Government that brought down the Bill which included tbe clauses en franchising the women of the colony. It was passed by a House, the majority of whose members are in their hearts opposed to the change. It has.beon forced upon the colony, the majority of the electors in which are opposed to the revolution. It haa, finally, heen forced upon the women of New Zealand, although the majority of them do not want the franchise, and have mad 6 no claims to obtain the privilege. The truth is that Ministers and their supporters have been the victims of a system of coercion which they have so largely applied in other directions. Ministers have been coerced into proposing the granting of female franchise owing to the powerful influence of an extreme section of their followers. The extension of the franchise to women has appeared in certain political platforms during the last year or two, as a " great Liberal measure." Eager always to appear in the van of "progress" the Government hastily included this plank in their own working programme, in j the firm conviction moat people believed that) it would always be rejected j by the Legislative Council. In making 6heir appointments to.that Chamber Ministers took no care, to say the least of it, to ensure the passing of their measures, as the recent voting of ! the new members conclusively proved. Instead of leading the House on this question too Government have been driven. Afraid to rouse the hostility of the extremists, Ministers have weakly submitted to the dictation of i those gentlemen, praying to Heaven all die time that others would be more self-assertive. The rest of the party have, for similar reasons, been equally weak-kneed. They voted for the Bill, in the hope and belief that) it would be killed in j ie another place." Thus it haa come ! abouD that Ministers and a large section of their followers have really been coerced into the adoption of a policy of which they disapprove. All this might have been avoided had Ministers only had the courage to take a manly and independent etand. They might have met with some opposition from a number of their followers. But the country would have been with them. They would have gained, not lost, support by such an attitude. As it is, they have the mortification of knowing that they have been instrumental in placing on the Statute Book a measure they heartily dislike, of which the majority of the electors disapprove, and which was not even demanded by a majority of women themselves. Nor is this all. The Premier is now vainly protesting to the supporters of female franchise, that the Government have all along been perfectly sincere in their desire to give women the right to vote. He would have the colony believe that Ministers have fought gallantly, in the cause of women, and that they are at the present time a much maligned body of men. This is about the very weakest position Mr Seddon could possibly take up. Does he reaily think for a moment that after all which bas taken place, he will gain a single, adherent) by such a course ? On the other hand, such protestations can have but one effect on the minds of the majority of the people of the colony. It will strengthen the growing conviction that shortsighted expediency is the only principle which guides Ministerial action. It would be far wiser to boldly admit that the Government have been the victims of a species of coercion which they have been unable to withstand. The admission would no doubt be received with a certain amount of pitying contempt. But some might accept it aa a slight evidence of contrition, and as an indication at least of a desire on tbe part of Ministers to extricate themselves from influences which are rapidly leading them into a political quagmire. The colony, however, has now goc female franchise, and we must endeavour to make the best of it. Obviously it is now the duty of every woman in New Zealand to get her name placed on the eleotora' roll. To refuse to do so will be to give the shrieking sisterhood an influence in the elections out of all proportion to their legitimate claims. Here again, we admit, coercion makes its appearance. We believe that a very large number of women do not desire to vote. They shrink from having to go to the polling booths on election days. They would much prefer staying at

home aud attending to their household duties. But the right of voting has been forced upon them against their wishes. They must now realise that if they refrain from exercising their newly acquired privileges, others will net. The noisy agitators, the advocates of fads, and the "advanced ,- " women generally, will not be co retiriug. If then, the womenly women of New Zealand desire to counteract these influences they can only do so in one way. They must take part in the elections. They, too, musb study public questions, and seek to make their influence felt. We admit frankly that it is unfair to the great majority of women to force this duty upon them. But it cannot now be helped. They are practically being coerced, iv self-defence aud in the best interests of the colony, to take this fresh responsibility on their shoulders.