A RETROGRADE MOVE.

Evening Star, Issue 8611, 3 September 1891, Page 1

A RETROGRADE MOVE.

If one thing is more clear than another in the present political situation it is that Ministers are determined to retain their majority and secure themselves in the possession of power. The support they afforded to the proposal for the political emancipation of women very naturally has been extremely distasteful to certain members of their party, who realise in this extension of the franchise the death knell of their parliamentary existence. When the character of candidates has due weight and at least a moiety of every constituency is beyond the influence of stump oratory, and little likely to be cajoled by the humbug of the platform—the days of such men as now, unfortunately in too many instances, And seats in the House will be over. Women, as a class, are notably shrewd in matters of business, and the great majority of them are likely to regard the exercise of the franchise as a very important business indeed. They will not be ready to confide the interests of the country, in which they are so closely involved, to persons notoriously untrustworthy, and with whom, in private affairs, they would have nothing to do. It is characteristic of the sex to look* to the main chance, and when they come to study politics under a sense of responsibility, it may be taken as certain that they will regard rather the probable consequences of the adoption of a policy rather than the consideration now always dominant—of how the balance of parties will be affected. Married women may be depended upon to have especial regard to the future of their children, bound up as this must be in the material prosperity of the Colony. They will not be at all inclined to favor rash experiments in social economics. The greatest statesmen of England in the present century — we may mention Gladstone and Disraeli —have acknowledged how much they owed to the wisdom and political foresight of their wives; and we, perhaps, are not going beyond the truth when we assert that the position of the British Empii-e at the prestut moment, as foremost among the Great Powers of the world, is in no slight degree to be attributed to the sagacity, sound common sense, and excellent judgment of the Queen. It is quite a mistake to suppose that Her Majesty is a cypher in the counsels or the State. She quite understands and has never exceeded her duties as a constitutional Sovereign; and Ministers of both parties have recognised the great value of her opinion and advice ; whilst on critical occasions she has invariably turned the scale in favor of the judicious course. Not only do we assert that woman is intellectually capable of the intelligent exercise of the franchise, but we believe that the mass of ■women would exercise it more intelligently than the mass of men—very especially in looking to the substance rather than the shadow.

Our opinion has been throughout that Ministers were not in earnest in desiring that women should have the franchise. They profes*d rather too much when declaring that Sir John Hall should have their support in placing his Bill on the Statute Book. They have now unmistakeably shown “the cloven hoof/' since the postponement of the operation of this Bill until after the next General Election—presumably, that is, for the years—which appears to be imminent, is almost tantamount, to shelving the question altogether. If the principle is right, why the delay 1 ? If, on the other hand, Ministers consider it unsound, their clear duty is to round up their majority and throw the Bill out. This is, we are convinced, what they would like to do ; but they have not the pluck, knowing that the country is against them. Mr Ballance certainly — we cannot speak for his colleagues—has sense enough to realise that many of his most esteemed supporters would be nowhere on the polls if women had votes, and has readily caught at the chance of postponing, under the feeble pretext of submitting the question previously to the constituencies, what he must know is sooner or later inevitable. Moreover, there is the immediate advantage of securing within the Ministerial fold two almost lost sheep—distinguished supporters from Otago—honorable gentlemen who held very strong views on the subject of their respective constituencies beingleavened by woman’s bright intelligence. The franchise thus extended, the material influences not altogether unconnected with malt liquor, which rumor bath it did such good service last would be minimised; and certain cliques —which, if the word were not open to misconstruction as offensive, we might term “ pot-house ” —would be nowhere. The opposition indicated is hardly, indeed, to be wondered at. The struggle is one for political existence. As for the Government, they also are, beyond doubt, acting on the instinct —invariably strong in lotver organisations —of self - preservation. Should such a calamity oppress New Zealand as their retention of office until the General Election, which, in the ordinary course of things, will not take place until the end of 1893, their doom, according to their own conviction, would then be sealed if woman’s franchise should be an established fact. We give them credit for being wise in their generation; but they are open to grave reprobation for acting a part in this matter —endeavoring to make political capital by loud-mouthed expressions of liberality of sentiment, which are entirely foreign to their real character.

The country generally, it is to be hoped, will realise the position, and not be deluded by the specious argu raents of the Premier, his colleagues, ai'd supporters, whose object simply is the indefinite postponement of a constitutional reform demanded alike by justice and expediency. Public opinion should be brought to bear in a very distinct and direct manner; and it shout d be borne in mind, espe cially by women themselves, that if the hold on the chance of political emancipation is now relaxed it may be difficult to get such a grip again. The House has approached the subject with the definite intention of practical legislation. The majority of members are, beyond doubt, favorably inclined, although they may swerve under the Ministerial whip There is nothing like striking when the iron is hot; and members should be given to understand that they play fast and loose with this question at their peril. The crafty move of the Government will not deceive the people, although it is hopeless to think that, under existing circumstances, it will not be successful in the House.