Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1908. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE IN AMERICA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 September 1908, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1908. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE IN AMERICA.

A QUIET BUT SURE MOVEMENT. WHILE the English "suffragette" is truculently pervading political meetings,, and even has to be rescued by the police from exasperated males of the unchivalric male order, her American fellow-worker is also doing some campaigning, although less noisily, and with equal persistency. Last month a deputation of suffragists led by Mrs Borrman Wells, of London, visited Oyster Bay, where President Roosevelt lives, bearing a banner inscribed "Votes for Women," and filled with a resolve to convert the President to their views. That they did not see him was not their fault, but that of a cordon of police who met every question and appeal with the answer, "The President is not receiving to-day; pleaso go away." This was their second attack on tho Republican entrenchments, for a few weeks before they had bearded tho party in its convention at Chicago. There were encouraging promises on that occasion that the political woman was about to justify herself. Women of light nnd leading were assembled, including the President of the One-Million Club, Women in the General Federation of Women 's Clubs, and another stalwart who not long ago collected 75 yards of signatures in favour of women's suffrage. A number of speeches had been prepared and speakers scheduled for tho momentous occasion when the ladios should doscend upon the platform committoc of the Convention. The party managers, however, made no allowance for all this. A suddon summons found the sex's champions taking tea at the Women 's Club, hustled them over to the committee-room, and gavo them a few minutes. The committoo gave them no more, but dismissed them after blandly inquiring whether any anti-suffragist desirod to speak, and never mentioned tho subject again. • • • • « The difference between the agitation for female suffrage in England and in tho United States ie defined by Mrs Blatch, the President of the League of Self -Supporting Women in America. . She recently remarked that while the English movement has been rnn on , political lines in America women have found "least resistance along lines of • Vnnm?rci_.l and professional develop- I ment." In England many professions are cither explicitly or impliedly closed I to woman; in America practically all •ire cp;n to her. But in the United States there is no national franchise, ""litical citizenship having l>een left in the jurisdiction of the States, except i that certain broad lines, merely intended fo prevent abuses, are laid down by tho , Federal Constitution. A few of the Ktates have, enfranchised women ; but the fact that the matter is a State right partly accounts for the seeming apathy of Women in comparison with 'he. English methods. That is to say, the movement goes on sectionally, and has no national headquarters whereon lo focus. • « • • • Another reason for the less militant character of the American campaign -for tho general enfranchisement of women is that in the United States, where man is certainly more polite, he is certainly less tolerant of the suffragists thSn in England. For instance, the "suffragette" j at New York who attempted to make a | demonstration would be "moved" on be- 1 fore she was able to say anything worth mentioning. The American political party manager, with a 6uave bow, politely waves the political woman aside. He is aware that, except in some States, she has no vote, and therefore no "pull." The average American citizen tood-humouredly passes on. says "Nay, ray Eileen !" nnd has no time for her i". noHtioi. ■' The rougher and baser sorts are certainly not even polite, and the mobs are rampant'v hostile to political women. Mrs Wells, the visiting English suffragist, is reported to have had to face ''brickbats, bad eggß, and other missilee" during her tour, and generally speaking the party has been treated- to all the inconveniences of equality while being deprived of its advantage^. . * * * * » But those who aro fighting quietly for universal female suffrage in the United States are not hopeless, even with regard to the outlook of the near future. Both Mr Taft and Mr Bryan, the candidate, for the Presidentship, one of wlrotn will be the future occupant ci the White Honse, are ardent supporters of womanhood suffrage, and

in the past 'the United States - Congress has shown signs of a desire to have a i larger share in the regulation of its I own franchise, a consummation which i female votes may help to achieve, hlnallv, while it may be difficult to control" tho female vote or to govern it and calculate on it as may be done with the male, the political gain from <*«franchising the women of the Republic 12 so great that at any time it may tempt party "bosses" at least to try to reap it for their sido. Accordingly, womanhood franchise throughout the Unit; cd States, that is to say, for FeSera; election purposes, may be regarded as ir sight, to be gained with lese difficult,) and with less noise than in Great Bn tain.