RED LETTER DAY

White Ribbon, Volume 13, Issue 159, 15 September 1908, Page 1

RED LETTER DAY

( September 19th

Anniversary of the Ciranting of Women’s Franchise in New Zealand. Ai the Auckland < onvention, all New Z alaml Unions w»*re requested to hoM a meeting on or as near tin* above date as possible, to bring ‘before women the responsibility of enfranchisement ami citizenship. The following article, prepared by Misn McCarthy, will be foulttl most useful in arranging a programme for that meeting: : The following 1 e\tfa< t> from “ Peerless Women” have been selected in order that those Unions who wish to do so may use them as readings on September P*th, or at tin* meeting that falls nearest that date. The chapters of this hook would form tv*i excellent series of subjects for educational meetings fur small Unions. Though written for girl>, it is suitable for reading at any meetings for women : “ Klizaheth Fry, “ the prison reformer, was an honoured “ guest at the courts of Kurope, and “ perliaps no commoner ever received so “ many royal visitors in her ow n home as “ dill this simple Quaker lady. . . . “ She had a spec ial interview w ith our “ late beloved Queen Victoria, and dined “with the Prince-(’onsort some time “ later, and on each occasion she pleaded “ her cause as only she could plead. So great and wide-spreading was the “ belief in her judgment of prison mat•By Je&uie Ismjflai* CtH.liraiie, 2 .

“ t» is that ii *»* adx ice was sought by the “ leading (ioverninents of tin* Continent. 4 ‘ She travelled many thousands of mih*s. •* visit***!, nuinhors of jails, ami had the “ happiness »»f seeing her suggested im- ** proveuients carried out during her lih- “ time. “ Although Klizab»*th FYva<compli>h«*<l “ s<, rnuch outside her home, it must not “ b*» >ii| po>ed that she neglected those “ within it. She had a large family of “ and daughters, whose home life “ and education she supervised with “ great’care and discrimination, and who “ loved her with more than even the “ usual affection of children for a good “ parent.” Frances Power Cobbe. “ While quite admitting that woman’'* “place is at home, Miss Cobbe argued ** that sle* woidd he much more useful “ even there, if her mind were broadened “ by more freedom of education nml “ thought. She therefore wre-te a j am- “ phlet on 4 FVmals Education, ’ in which “ strongly urged the right of women “ to obtain University degrees. Not “ content with wielding thep«*n in behalf “ of her sex. she mounted the public “ platform, and lectured most forcefully “ on the subject of 4 Woman : her duties, “ her rights, her advancement.’ It “ seemed utterly absurd to her that a “ well-educated, sensible, shrewd woman 1 “ is not considered capable of judging as “ to the fitness of certain men to repre- “ sent women in Parliament, while a “ totally uneducated leilow, with possibly “ not more than sufficient i rains to carry 44 him through life as a labourer, is given

44 a vote denied to her, simply because lie “is a man. This being so, she has “ striven with pen and argument to “ bring home the absurdity to tie* minds “of our legislators. Florence Nightin- “ gale, Mary Carpenter, Kli/.abetli Fry, “ and other notalde women >.i ntioned in “ this hook, have all held the same 44 opinions, and have done their best “ towards obtaining for women the right “ to a voice in the government of tie* “ country.” Mrs. Isabel Penney wrote an article to which was given the title of “ Slave-driving by public companies.” and sent it to the ( outnuporanf /!friar, She tried to talk a member of Parliament into bringing tin* question I before the House of Commons. Ford Roseberrv took up the calls-*, but all to in* pur|H>Ne; from fifteen to eighteen hours’ work a day was still exact**! from the long-suffering men. One day, however, Mrs Heaney revdved t*» make herself heard at a meeting of directors; so sin* per severe* l in spite of unmanly efforts to drown her voice. Finding that she w as not to be put down, one of them remarked. 44 Hear her out, gentlemen ; it is the shortest way to the end ! ” But, alas, all her energy enlisted but tin* sympathy of >ix of tin* seventy members present. Mrs. Heaney had, however, siicce***led in making tin* men’s grievance public. The subject was taker, up and discussed in several large towns, both at home and in Australia, and she had tin happiness of seeing her labours crown* d by some measure of success.

It remarkable that women like Ague- Weston, Florence Nightingale, Elizabeth Fry—not to mention Frances Willard should be'placed in the position of even asking for a vo„e. It would seem a national calamity or them to be denied any avenue of usefulness. Net generation after generation we limit the powers of just such women as these.

Mrs. Reaney s work is a tine example of Christian citizenship, and her treatment by the dim*tors of the company, of which she became a shareholder in order that she might plead the drivers’ and conductors’ cause, reminds one that the treatment meted out to the women of England to-day is not confined to clamourous suff i agettes.

It was not a desire to forsake home ties that led women like Klizabeth Fry into publicity. (hi the contrary, such women perform their home duties with unusual skill and care, and it is the wish to brighten other homes and lighten the burden ( f other lives that forces them into a position they would not willingly .seek.

Miss Cob he was led to take up the position she did advocating the enfranchisement of women —hv assisting v n Marv Carpenter in h«*r work among neglected children.

Flor rce Nightingah by her work among soldiers, and Kli/aheth Fry, arrived at the -aim position in \et another sphere of action. Surely one is justified in thinking that they came to a right conclusion.

Shall we let pass this opportunity of honouring tie' pioneers of the movement that has had such happy results, bet us show to our sisters still struggling to attain what we have obtained that the prize is worth all the effort they are putting forth.