The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1893. WHAT WILL SHE DO WITH IT?

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3082, 19 September 1893, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1893. WHAT WILL SHE DO WITH IT?

A curious misconception of the logical effect of admitting women to the franchise exists in the minds of a good many people. A candidate for a seat in the next Parliament assured us the other day that "it was all nonsense about dragging women into politics and so forth. Women were not compelled to vote, and as a matter of fact only those would, as a rile, vote who liave been all along demanding the right—and these were mostly personally interested in the suppression of the liquor traffic." We fear that if our friend knows as little about politics as he does about women—or about hun an nature, male as well as female—the less he meddles with public matters the better for everybody. According to thfc view entertained by him, and by a great many of the general public also, only those women whose domestic happiness has been marred by the bibulous proceedings of male relatives will, as a rule, avail themselves of the right to have a v>ice in selecting ropresentatives for Parliament; and they intend, we are told, to suppress the liquor traffic. But surely a moment's consideration will suggest the extreme improbability of the female friends and relatives of those concerned in this traffic refraining to

exercise their right to vote in opposition to that policy. The fact is the right being conceded must be exercised by all, or at any,rate by the majority of women in the community; otherwise one or more sections would secure an unfair proportion of power, and the " shrieking sist3rhood " —as some of our contemporaries rudely describe those most prominent in the agitation — would probably initiate an efc*, of spasmodic and sentimental legislation that would astonifch the world. The sooner we realise the fact that under the new order of things women eligible to vote must not only register but record their votes the better. There is another strong reason for enforcing this view of the caee upon everyone, besides that which we have mentioned above, and it is this. It is generally admitted that in the great majority of eases married women will vote with their husbands, and even single girls living at home will usually assist to increase the family voting power. Consequently the change would not materially affect the relative strength of parties in any given locality, were it not for the votes of widows, deserted wives, and single girls over twenty-one who might be on the roll. These, although not necessarily independent of the parties previously represented, may presumably be so. They therefore will hold the balance of power for some time to come, or at least until women themselves shall have received some sort of education on matters political and the duties of citizenship. The position seems to us to be one that cannot fail to create some apprehension. For it seems very likely that the result of the elections in many of our manufacturing centres, many hang upon the rotes of factory girl S| barmaids and others, whose training is certainly not calculated to enable them to act with judgment and discrimination in voting for a Parliamentary candidate. Bye-and-bye the state education may include some of the fundemental principles of political economy, and then the girls^—no matter what callings they may follow —will not be so entirely ignorant as they nearly all are now of the business they are about to take part in. As it is they are at the mercy of the qleveri attractive and persuasive candidate— particularly of that one who can make large promises. And we should not be surprised to see, when the numbers are posted on that fateful Bth December, more than one statesman of age and experience relegated to private life by the votes of the single women in some of our centres of population. We believe that all the women eligible for a vote will exercise a wise discretion in having their names placed on the rjU as soon as the law allows them to do so. For it may be taken for granted that svery section of the community having interests to serve wi]> endeavour to enroll every available vote. For purposes of attack as well as of defence, this couiso is practically imperative.