Woman's Topics.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 994, 20 March 1891, Page 4

Woman's Topics.

There was a striking feature about that memorable day the 17th. ulto. which does not appear to have been commented on as yet, but which was remarkable as giving an Irrefutable answer to one of the chief arguments of those who are against admitting

women to the franchise. This argument, oft repeated, declares that if women had the right to vote they would leave their homes too long and neglect their families and generally sets forth a lamentable picture of the husband coming home and finding him. self unable, poor helpless mortal, to get a cup of tea, whereupon he seizes his hat, makes off to tbe nearest hotel and takes to drinking. The 17th. February, as everyone will remember was polling day for Egaront, and on that very day the ladies of Stratford held a Bazaar from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m., so that for eight hours more or less they wera working hard for the church and were away from their homes, yet we do not hear that any of their husbands took to drinking on account of their absenoe or made any complaint or suffered any material inconvenienoe. There is no objection made to women working as hard as they choose in favour of church or hospital or elections, the only objection is to their having any say or vote in these matters. Now this is manifestly unfair. Seeing how willing men are that women should work for these matters they cannot with any pretension to reason or justice deny their right to vote. It is Bimply cultivating the worst qualities of artfulness and cunning to force a woman to resort, to wiles, bribes, blandishments, in short, influence as it is enphemiatioally called, to induce men to vote as she likes, instead of giving to her the right to go in an hoxesfc and straightforward manner and record her own vote herself.

It is not sufficiently known that in Wyoming (U.S.) women have had the franchise for over twenty-one years, and all, even their former opponents have been obliged to confess that they have voted with admirable discretion, and with excellent results. Mr. H. S. Fish last October wrote that it was his opinion that the majority of women would not vote even if they had the right, but that if they wished for the vote they ought to have it. He suggested that a paper should be sent round with the Census papers to ascertain the wishes of the women of New Zealand. But the Registrar General objeoted that this would cause expense. Now it is well known that of men who have the right to vote two thirds refrain from doing so. The above argument contends that women ought only to have the right to vote if a majority of them wish for it. According to this the remaining third of those who now have the right to vote ought to be deprived of their right because the majority do not care to exercise it. It is not justice to refuse the franchise to those women who are fully capable of understanding and performing the duties it entails because perhaps a large number of women are not as yet so capable. It is safe to say that all the thoughtful women would make use of the right to vote and that ought to be sufficient to obtain it for them. Indeed it cannot be withheld much longer. The arguments of the Bismaxckian kind that women’s place is in the nursery and the kitchen is no longer tenable in these Colonies where practically (in the country at all/ events) there are no nurseries, and women turn the hands to everything except perhaps, butoheriDg. Women contribute to the revenue, they have to train the future legislators and Statesmen of the country, and it seems strange, unlike what we are accustomed to oall * British fair play,’ that they should be paid less for equally good work, that they should be placed under many disadvantos and denied their right to have a voice in thß election of their representatives whom they help to maintain, and whose laws they will be stringently bound to obey. The advantages of co-operation are really beginning to be understood, and are now to be°brought to bear on some grievances that have hitherto remained unremedied for the want of it, A gentleman has lately written to the Sydney Morning Herald to all men to co operate and refuse to take to the theatre or other place of entertainment their sisters, their cousins, theiraunts,their mothers, wives and daughters, not to speak of grandmothers, neices, and bast girls, (with which latter perhaps they will wisely not to be too authoiitive to begin with) unless they promise beforehand to take off their hats 1 The above mentioned ladie3 have only to reply to tho would-be extractor of promises : « Very well, then, if you will promise to hold it.’ Rather than have their t onnets on their knees all the evening, I fancy the men will prefer those articles to bo on the women s heads. And then some women are so given to abstraction —absent-mindedness I mean, not ‘ taking what isn’t ’isn.’ The man might promise to take care of the bonnet, and then when they wanted to go they might find it on the floor, crushed beyond recognition, or they might find it nowhere—vanished apparently from all human ken. Then it would be a question which of them ought to walk home bareheaded. Talking of careless, ness, and losing things, here is a curiou3 case. A box containing £4OO worth of jewellery the property of Mrs Wilson of Trafalla Station near Beaufort (Vic.) was lost some 12 months ago. Mrs Wilson’s son-in-law in charge of Trafalla station, was notified by the Railway Department a few weeks ago, that a box for Mrs Wilson was lying at Spencer street station. It proved to be the missing box. A Miss Ackerman is lecturing in Australia on various subjects. A lecture on her travels and experiences in Alaska, and another on the * Women of India,’ were attentively listened to by very large gather. ing * Excelsior. Mrs Fenwick Miller, a well-known London journalist and lecturer, wan lately asked by a correspondent whether she really thought that women could, if they liked, do all that men oan do. She replied as follows ; * Speaking for myself, there is at least one thing that many men have done and now do which I know I should never have_ the conrage to do, J have studied medicine, . contested elections ; written political leaders all like a man ’ —but though I have never yet in my life worn on my head a treßS of hair which had not grown there, lam sure f never, never should have the courage to go about with a bald head,'