Concerning Women.

White Ribbon, Volume 16, Issue 189, 16 March 1911, Page 5

Concerning Women.

The Needs of China s Women. In tho general awakening of Chinn nothing is more momentous for good or evil than the change in tho status and education of women. Even under tlio old system women had much intlueme; under the new that influence \\ ill he vastly greater. Here the deepest and most lasting effects of the general awakening will he felt. “The twentieth century in China,” says one Missionary, “ will he the women's century.” The perils and the opportunities accompanying this movement are both stupendous. “The one indispensable safeguard at this time is a wisely conducted education and an enlightened Christian ideal. Hut there are two hundred million women and girls in China, and only a handful are as yet under the influence of Christian ideas.”

Woman Mayor. Tlio third Hritish woman to he chosen a Mayor is Mrs Lees, of Oldham. The (’onwisn (tn/xe says: ‘•Only those who have lately been in Oldham can fully realise the popularity of the appointment. Tlio passionate devotion and reverence felt for her by the people of Oldham must he something quite unique. ‘ la>vo isn’t a strong enough word,’ they say ; and all they seem able to express is the inadequacy of any expression to give the least measure of her goodness and kindness “ Her entrance was the signal for an outburst of extraordinary enthusiasm. All sprang to their feet, waving hats atd handkerchiefs clapping, shouting, cheering. It seemed as if they would never have done. The robe and chains were donned, and Mrs Lees rose to speak. Again the applause was deafening Then she thanked her colleagues for the honour they had done her, with a little allusion to those who disapproved of the election of a woman : 4 They have a perfect right to their opinion, and tl icy also have a perfect right to change that opinion!’ Aothing short of a full report of her speech, with notes on local history and allairs, could do justice to its aptness and humour. Suffice it to say that the Town Hall echoed with delighted laughter, and the Mayor seemed to he enjoying herself as much as anyone ! ‘‘Again, when her speech ended, the whole audience rose to their feet to cheer

and applaud. Words are inadequate. There was a beauty in the spirit of the whole tiling which must he felt to he understood. One can only say that she seemed like the mother of a great family, before whom her children rise up and call her blessed.”

Woman Legislators. Four women have been elected to the Colorado House of Representatives— Mrs Louisa N. Jones, Mrs Louise M. Ivei win, and Mrs Alma V. Lafferty, all of whom were elected from Denver on the Democratic ticket; and Mrs Agnes L. Kiddle, Republican, who was chosen to represent the Counties of Adams, Aiapuhoe, and Elbert. Mrs Antoinette I). Leach was chosen lhf sidi nt of the Sullivan County Ind. liar Association at its recent annual meeting. She is the only woman lawyer in the County. Mrs Leach was a candidate for the Legislature at the last election, believing that women are eligible to serve though not to vote. She has been doing organizing work for tho Indiana Suffragists.

Treatment of Suffragettes. Doctor PROTESTS. Mr (\ Mansell-Moullin, Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons and consulting surgeon to the Ix>ndon Hospital, lias written to the press as follows about the ill-usage of tho suffragettes : “Tho women were treated with the greatest brutality. They were pushed about in all directions and thrown down by the police. Their arms were twisted until they were almost broken. Their thumbs were forcibly bent back, and they were tortured in other nameless ways that made one feel sick at the sight. I was there myself and saw many of these things done. Tho photographs that were published in tlio press of November 19 prove it. And J have since seen the fearful bruises, showing the marks of the lingers, caused by the violence with which these women were treated. These things were done by the police There were, in addition, organised bands of well dressed roughs, w ho charged backwards and forwards through the deputation like a football team, without any attempt being made to stop them by the police; but they contented themselves with throwing the women down and trampling upon them. As this behaviour on the part of the police is an entirely new departure, it would he interesting to know who issued the instructions that they were to act with such

brutality, and who organised the hands of roughs w ho suddenly sprang up on all sides from nowhere. The Homo Secretary, who does not want women arrested, is credited with the statement that he has devised a new method of putting a stop to deputations. Is this the method? “Tho women were discharged without a trial »y the Secretary of SLite oil the grounds of public policy. Is it public policy that there should he no trial, and that the evidence which might otherwise have come out should he suppressed iu this way ? ”

Hobbled Women. Much has been written of the limitations put upon women for ages. Statesman have spoken, poets have moaned, patriots have orated, and women themselves have spent their lives seeking to break down tho barriers which hedged them in—which made them slaves, or forbade equal rights in the family, tho church, the university, tho government. Progress has been made. Much has been gained. The rich and the powerful tho educated and the practical, have been won to espouse the cause of women, even to their political enfranchisement. Our hopes for the full equality of tho sexes loci become high. We thought we saw tlie end of the long struggle, hut now—we hate to speak of it—we will not. It is in our caption and that is a sufficient wound to our feelings. We tied a rope around the bottom of our ow n dress one day. We hud several friends do the same and we all performed and experimented. It was horrible! as had as the Chinese hound feet! Carried to perfection it meant stagnation and stagnation is death. It meant insanity—where ono had the requisite mind. It meant insanity in every case. The uiad house and tho idiots' asylum shot into our vision. Tamed and exhausted we cut the ropes and applied restoratives. “ Tell it not in Hath, publish it not iu the streets of Askalon,” let it not go down in history that women were hobbled in the year nineteen hundred and eleven.— Sdected.