Enrolling the Women.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4765, 4 October 1893, Page 2

Enrolling the Women.

The course of eveat3 since the passing of the Electoral Act has given the lie to two statements made by the Conservative opponents of the enfranchisement of women, the assertions that the women would not take the trouble to enrol, and that the Government was not sincere in its wish to enfranchise them. The skilful manner in which the Government forced the Bill through Parliament, when it could easily have found a plausible pretext for dropping it, should have convinced any reasonable being of its sincerity in the matter, but even after the Governor assented to the Electoral Bill some of the Tories repeated the old accusations and insinuations. These are now receiving further refutation by the fact that the - Government, which, has bestowed the suffrage on women, is making extraordinary efforts to induce th<*m to accept the gift. Not only have all possible facilities been given for the registration of those women who desire to claim the franchise, but a houae to house visitation throughout the Colony has been initiated in order that no woman Bhall be excluded fram the roll through not having had the opportunity of placing her name thereon. This last action of the Government proves its sincerity and disinterestedness in regard to enfranchising the women, the more strikingly as the number of women who came forward to enrol has been much greater than many, both of the friends and foes of woman suffrage, anticipated. The ladies have registered their, claims literally by thousands. It may, perhaps, have been true that many of them did not want the franchise, but they have shown considerable readiness to take it as soon as they could get it, and had the Government not wished to see them exercise it, Ministers would have had a very good excuse for taking no extraordinary precautions to secure their registration. The women, having falsified one prediction of the opponents of their enfranchisement, bid fair to falsify another — that one, to wit, which foretold that the advent of female electors would inaugurate the rule of the faddist and the fanatic, who, by the aid of the "shrieking sisterhood," whatever that may be, would upset things generally and make matters intolerable for the community in general and the male members of it in particular. There ie, however, not the least indication of anything of the kind. It is true that during the struggle for woman suffrage some nonsense was talked on both sides. The predictions above mentioned are specimens of that which was uttered by the enemieß of the reform; and a few, fortunately only a few, of its supporters indulged in language which would probably lead an outsider to conclude that the women of New Zealand were in a Etate of intolerable bondage, and that the men were tyrants whose power must be overthrown. Now that the fight is over, however, the women have accepted their victory in a manner which has done them the highest credit. They have not given way to hysterics; they have not called for vengeance on the "hateful male man." Those of them who have written or spoken* on the subject have, as a role, done so admirably ; and some of the best and wisest counsels addressed to the women of New Zealand at the present juncture have come from the lips and pens of their sisters. To suppose that our women will allow them* selves to be used, as a body, by the advocates of ill-considered experiments or the enemies of the people's rights, is an ineult to their common sense.