CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8220, 12 July 1893, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Woman Suffrage.

TO TUB EDITOE.

Sib, — Eegardod in view of the probability th-»t at the next general eleotion the women of the oolony will have the right to vote, the recently elected of the Wanganui constituency has already made an faux pas. "Women bare been so often deceived on the subject of the franchise that they are getting eomewhat suspicious, and they no longer regard it as perfectly satisfactory for a member to promise them his vote in the event of the measure being brought forward, if they find him endeavouring to damage tbeir cause by misleading statements. Bat this is exactly what Mr Willis has dose, and he may find that no matter hovr he may gloze it over, that faon -will be held iv remembrance. The majority of women are conscientious, — much more conscientious than men ; and though in minor matters, and for pure fan, they, like their brothers, sometimes exaggerate j they rightly expeot men in a high and responsible position to be absolutely truthful, and scrupulously aoourate in their statements. It is no use mincing the fact that, apparently, save in exceptional cases, a very few sessions are sufficient to destroy in our legislators that fine discernment which enables its possessor infalliably to distinguish betwixt the true and the false; nay more, in many cases the moral sense appears to beoome so perverted, that the false is held to ba true, and the worse invariably appeoro the better reason. The process, however, of tnrning a fairly honest straight-speaking men into that thing of subterfuges, sophistries, and self-seeking, the average Parliamentarian, usually takes some little time. It is not common for all sense of proportion, all regard for aocuracy to vanish immediately .on entering the Parliamentary arena. But this is what seems to have happened to Mr Willis. So strong was the feeling in Wanganui on the subject of Woman Suffrage, so many its advocates, that Mr Willis, spite of his often expressed conviction that the measure would be detrimental to the interests of the Liberal party, found himself constrained to pledge his support— a pledge ha will scarcely risk breaking. His own feeling was opposed to the reform, as was that of many of his most influential supporters ; but he was warned that if on that particular subject he spoke with any uncertain sound he would immediately find a large body of women banded together to oppose his return. He did not risk encountering that opposition, but surrendered unconditionally, though again reiterating his fears of consequences. BuS to sooner does he enter the House thun, ia his very first speech, he assures members that he believes women themselves are opposed to the suffrage, beI cause, bafore he left Wanganui "a very large number o£ ladies oame to him to protest against it." Opponents of the concession were of course delighted, for none thought of questioning a statement so unhesitatingly and positively made. But mark the sequel. The V.P. of the lately formed Wanganui Franchise League subsequently saw Mr Willis, and, after considerable oross-questioning, elicited the fact that no female opponents of the Suffrage had waited on him as indicated in his speech ; but that io his social and bueinees relations he had met with a number of ladies — he believed as many as twenty -vrho had expressed themselves »b opposed to women suffrage. Now considering that the population of Wanganui exceeds six thousand, of whom eight hundred^ and twenty nine women over twenty one years of age have just signed the Franchise Petition ; remwnberine the League, with its influential membership; and recalling Mr Willis* own action in view of the influence whioh he knew was ready to be exerted against his candidature if need woro ; what are we to think of the reokless inuoouraoy whioh de< tocibes twenty women as " a very large number " when, relatively, it is such a email one ? And, in view of the facts, what are wo to think of the ingenuousness of one who could solemnly assert that this " very large number came to him" to protest against the suffrage, when, as a matter of fact, he canio aerons thorn in the ordinary course of social and business life, and in conversation heard their " sentiments. It would bo strange, indeed, and Wangunui would prove itself an altogether exceptional place if there were no opponents of the suffrage among the women there. But the suffragists are are as four to one, and, in vieir of their regards, A.D.W. will find ifc safest to go straight down the middle of the road. — I am, etc., M.B.