TO THE GENTLEMANLY LADIES. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9314, 25 September 1893, Page 3

TO THE GENTLEMANLY LADIES. WOMEN'S FRANCHISE.

Dear Misther Editor,—l'm in great disthress intoirely since the women, the craturs, got the franchise. Me and Biddy (that's my ould woman) have pulled along this twenty years beautifully, barring occasional ructions that all married husbands has to enjoy ; hut since Biddy got registered as a voter it has turned her head, and she's not herself at all, at all. The airs she puts on and the way she talks to me is onchristian loike. The divil a bit of notice she takes of me, and she says she is aqual and above me or any other gintleman now that she has got the franchise, bad luck to it. At night, after my work, Biddy and I would sit forninsed the fire and talk of ould times when she was a colleen aud I just a gossoon, but now she must read the paper to know aU about _ politics, and she murthers me be axin' me what is the manin' of things 7 never heard of and can't find in the dictionary. Biddy says to me, "Pat, my jewel, what's the maningof the single tax? I scratched my head to give me toime to make up an answer, as I did not want to let Biddy think I was so ignorant, or the divil wouldn't stand her. " The single tax," says I, why, Biddy, you omadhaun, don't you know what that manes ? Why, to be sure, it manes that all the bachelors are to be taxed." " Well," says Biddy, "I'll vote for that. ( There's Mary and Kitty, both of them over 30, and some of the mane spalpeens rather than be taxed might marry them." "What is the unearned increment, Pat? " says Biddy. " The unearned increment," says I. " Biddy," says I, " You are as ignorant as a kish of brogues. Because," says I, " that's the money paid to Government officials that get paid for what they don't earn." "Are you in favour of one-man-one-vote Pat, ?" says she. " Yes," says I. " Well, then," says she, " according to the laws of dacency you will give the women two votes." " Biddy, ' says, " I am thinkin' of lavin' New Zealand and goin to Australia. I'll pack up my swag and lave to-morrow." Biddy's lower jaw fell when she heard this. " Why would you lave New Zailand Pat, darlin'? you have done well here." '" Because it's bad enough to be undher petticoat government in one 'a own house, but it's the devil ontoirely when the whole country will be undher petticoat Government." Afraid Biddy would axe me any more questions I gammoned to be sleepy and went to bed and dreamt that all the men in New Zealand formed " The Men's Protection League but the women were too strong for us and we all left New Zealand for Africa, and the women were left to govern themselves. One thing plazed me, and that was that they would soon die out, as all the men had cleared out of New Zealand.—l am, etc., Pat O'Flarty.