THE WOMEN'S FRANCHISE. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Post, Volume XLII, Issue 62, 10 September 1891, Page 4

THE WOMEN'S FRANCHISE. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir— Wo are not yet out of the wood, bu* I cannot help writing to say how gratifying it is that justice has prevailed, and that a majority of the House has decided that women shall be free. lam sorry that I cannot be grateful to those members, who, I fear from very questionable motives, were so overflowing in generosity as to compel the acceptance of a bounty that had never been asked for. We recognise our friends amon<? both the ayes and noes for this liberality, and it will not be surprising if memory stores a record of those against next election time, and the Taieri ladies will no doubt appreciate at its proper value the object Mr. Carnoro-.s had in view in moving that women should sit in Parliament. The Legislative Counoil will, I trust, set this right, for, as our friends well know, women have no desire to sit in Parliament. Whatever changes time brings round one oannot tell, but the iden of this at present is not for a moment to be thonght of. To transpose a, word of a trite remark I would say — "Enough for the day is the good thereof." Women will now have to set abont educating themselves how to exercise wisely the grave responsibility whioh I hope will soon, without any doubt, be their privilege to share, and this will be a work of both time and experience. As ono who for many years now has used all her influence, however little that may have been, to rcaoh the point now attained:, I venture to thank you for your long and invariably consistent advocacy of our cause, and for your kind publication of tho many letters thereon that from first to last have appeared in your columns. The Post is essentially the newspaper of the fireside, its tone on all social subjects is of a high standard, and without any donbt it has very materially helpod to school the community to that condition of mind which throughout the oonntry has made this political question to be popular. We would also aoknowledge our deep indebtedness to Sir John Hall. In tho hands of a loss persistent member I fear the matter would have been relegated to that time of unknown quantity — the fntnre. I am, &c, Up-country Lady Ratepayer. Bth Sopt.