WOMEN'S FRANCHISE AT GORE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7406, 5 July 1892, Page 4

WOMEN'S FRANCHISE AT GORE.

stupidity and heartlessness have allowed the shackles to be knocked off the limbs of our enslaved sisters. If it were only for the rich and fertilising powers it would impart to our political vocabulary, the trial is really worth making. Another sweet advocate of liberty, fraternity, and equality assured the audience that if the franchise were granted to women " election day would be robbed of its present unlovely aspect and would be made a joy for ever." "They had given higher education," she continued, "'and were now reaping the fruits," at which not very clear declaration some of the audience laughed and others applauded. Towards the end, the chairwoman engaged in a I controversy at close quarters with an old gentleman whose boast was that " he had occasion to talk to the Premier." After having been recommended by the audience to remove his coat and boots, he proceeded to say that those who had thrown out the Womens' Franchise Bill in tho Legislative Council last session had since passed away to another land. He was immediately called to order by the chairwoman, and reminded that the noble measure had been strangled by two degenerate members of the Maori race, who were still, unfortunately for herself and her sisters, somewhere about in the flesh, and having thus shot away the last fragment of opposition and error the meeting dissolved.

(Tuapeka Times.)

The lady champions of the women's franchise having cleared the ground sufficiently in Dunedin and floored all opposit on are now cirrying the agita tion into tbe country dis nets Last Wednesday evening, Mrs Hatton, described as the lady president of the league in Dunedin, opened lire at Gore on b"half of the cause. During the course of her speech, which was of a pirticulaily vigorous order, she referred to Mr H. S. Fish in terms the reverse of complimentary, and predicted that both he and all oihers who opposed the righ ful aspirations of women would by-and by find themselves in the dust. " Who stole the apple,' interjected one of the audience. •' Who was mean enough to eat it," promptly retorted the chairwoman, at which the meeting was convulsed, and the author of the uncomplimentary nterrogatoiy put to confusion. Further on it was demonstrated that there ■wa-j a number of •' hostiles" among the ! audience, and one of these taking objection to some remarks from the plaifoim, he was promptly met by the , imperturbable chairwoman with, "If you are a gentleman, as I suppose I must call you, you would know that a gentleman never interrupts a lady." This was an unexpected lesson in manners, and, from the nature of the c.rcumstances, left no right of appeal, nothing but passive submission, how. ever unwilling, to the unalterable dictum of the fair but resolute chairwoman. Another lady described those who had been working up the opposition tickeb in Lunedin as *' Mr Fish's touts, the scum of the public-houses, street loafers and vagrants." This was forcible and fiee, and shows what an inexhaustible reserve of vituperative vitality will be tapped when masculine J