THE DOCTOR, THE ‘POST.' AND THE ‘NINETEENTH CENTURY.’

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XII, Issue VI, 10 February 1894, Page 127

THE DOCTOR, THE ‘POST.' AND THE ‘NINETEENTH CENTURY.’

The autocratic idler, of Wellington, writes :—‘ The Evening Post to-night devotes a portion of its somewhat limited, and, of course, valuable, space to the article of Dr. Bakewell, of Auckland, in the Nineteenth Century, on the Female Franchise movement (and ultimate accomplishment) in New Zealand. The Post appears to be startled at finding the irrepressible doctor in the pages of this magazine, and wonders ‘how the d 1 he got there.’ He—the medico—has been theie more than once before, however, and although Mr Gillon thinks differently, one may be quite sure that the editor of the NincteenthCentury knows perfectly well who Dr. Bakewell is. Anyhow, Ido—and that’snearly.if not quite, the same thing. It is safe to take it for granted that Dr. Bakewell would not get into the pages of one of the first of London peiiodicals unless he deserved to be there ; nor do I for one moment believe—as the Post suggests —that any English editor cares twopence for anything conrected with the article under consideration, save and except the merits of the writing under review. Dr. Bakewell, at all events, does not write twaddle ; but sometimes—as in the case of this Female Sutl'rage deliveiance—he makes stat.ments of a somewhat unlimited character. It is not true that 95 per cent, of the population of these Islands were opposed to Female Franchise. Had that been so, the measure never could even have received attention, to say nothing of passing into law. The exact truth of the matter is, that a very large proportion of the women of New Zealand—perhaps the majority—were opposed to their own introduction into the political arena, feeling that their proper place was the home, while a crnsiderable proportion of the remainder wereutterly indifferent on the matter, and hardly understood it. The men, on the other hand, were in complete doubt as to the result. Sir John Hall’s party Bought that any change might possibly benefit them. The Liberals thought that, on the whole the change might strengthen them — but there was no confidence anywhere on the matter, except among the enthusiasts who, in all questions, are in the minority. And the outcome has left things pretty much as they weie. The Conservatives took their women with them to the polls, and the Liberals did precisely the same thing, and the general result hasn’t shaken anybody, or any thing, very much. It was supposed that the churches would sway the ladies to a very considerable extent. They did not do so -although they tried—for the simple reason that a woman’s husband or sweetheart has, after all, more influence over her than any parson or priest. Had there been no Female Franchise the same representatives might not have been elected—in some instances it is absolutely certain they would not. But the Conservatives would have been annihilated all the same. In any case the election of 1893 must have made an end of that paity.'