The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1887. FEMALE SUFFRAGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1489, 22 February 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1887. FEMALE SUFFRAGE.

Judging from the opinions expressed by Sir Julius Yogel a year or more' ago at an interview with a deputation of ladies m Christchurch, the Colonial Treasurer is m favor of the extension of the franchise to women, and as the Premier and Mr Ballance are known to entertain similar views, it is not surprising to hear that the latter proposes to submit a measure to that end at the approaching session of Parliament It is not known as yet whether the Bill will be brought down as Mr Ballance's simply, or as a Government Bill, but if the latter it is not to be supposed for a moment that it will be made a vital feature of the Government policy— one which if rejected would mean the defeat of tbe Government as such, and either their resignation of their seats or an appeal to the country. The position of the Bill, if introduced as a Government measure, would, we imagine, be simply that it would receive all those facilities which Government measures enjoy, and would be pushed to an issue, not being eubject to tbe risk of dropping down tbe list and ultimately off thepaper as is the common fate of nine private members' Bills out of ten. If then, as seems probable, the question is really going to be sub* raitted to Parliament as a question of practical politics at a time when m view of a redistribution of seats the whole subject of electoral privileges and arrangements will necessarily come under review, it is time the country began to consider whether the extension of the franchise suggested is necessary or desirable. Although tbe question has over and over again been

discussed m the newspapers and at debating societies m a dilettanti sort oi way, it has never been seriously considered as at all a pressing one, and it is now perhaps for the first time that the constituencies have been asked to regard it as a question of practical politics. And m enquiring whether or not the step proposed should be taken, the first consideration is "Does the country demand it ?" We may, indeed, even narrow the enquiry and ask " Do those .whom it is proposed to enfranchise demand it ?" For until there be such a demand either on the part of the country as a whole, or at least on the part of those whom it is proposed to admit to the privileges of electors, it is obvious that the extension propoied would be m advance of public opinion, and legislation m advance of public opinion is seldom or never a success. Well, then, it must, we think, be admitted that, so far as the country as a whole is concerned, there has been and is no such demand, and so far as

the ladies themselves are concerned, there has been hitherto no expression of a general desire for the privileges of the franchise, the demand , having been limited to a few educated women who take an interest ip political or politico-social questions t such as that of the administration of the licensing system, the education question and, perhaps, to a limited extent, m particular placee, m that of compulsory vaccination, the propriety or otherwise of that to. some exceedingly obnoxious kind of legislation which finds its expression in -what is known as the C. and D. Act, and a few other subjects, including, possibly, that of Capital punishment. Speaking generally, the gentler and better sex take little or no interest m questions of State polity, or m matters of taxation and finance, which occupy the great bulk of the attention of administrations and of legislatures, and we doubt very much whether if they were all electors to-morrow they would be induced, or would have the time indeed, to study suchi to them, . dry-as-dust matters. Nor, on the whole, is it perhaps desirable that they shoutd, as we fear that the general devotion of womankind to polity would lead to a very unpleasant revolution m home matters, the possibility of the development of thousands of political Mrs jcllabys, busy g#ny«sßing for themselves or their friends for $ sgat m Parliament, while the children ps Ipft tfngare^ for at home, is anything but 3 pliant possibility to contemplate. Again, supposing that 00 such unpleasant results accrue from the granting of thojranchise to

the weaker sex, there is the difficulty that logically the right to elect must be iollowed by the right to be elected, and we think that even the strongest,advo--cate for female suffrage Would scarcely go the length of proposing a Parliament of mixed sexes just at present. > : Even that may come, and when it does come it may, for all we know, be found to answer" admirably, still we should

Kesitate to venture the experiment for ail that. This reform, If reform it be, mast if it be a wholesome and a sound one, be brought about like all sound reforms gradually, step by step, and while we . think Mr Ballance does well to raise the question he will have

to be content with — nay, we think, he may regard it as a triumph if he succeed m gaining a step m the direction m which he desires that legislation shall travel. That step, we think, should be to give women the franchise under the licensing law, as has already been proposed m Parliament, and affirmed, so far as the second reading of a Bill to that effect constitutes an affirmation. They already possess a vote m educational matters, and are eligible to be elected to as well as to vote for School Committees and Education Boards, and they have special claim* to a voice m the admtnisttation of the licensing law. And besides this, as every female ratepayer within a borough has a right to vote at a Borough election, so also every female taxpayer should have a right to vote for those.whp have tbe making of the taxes, i.e. % the General Assembly. Justice demands that concession, and we hope it will be made under Mr Ballance's Bill, but we are not prepared to double, treble, or Quadruple, or still further enlarge, as the case may be, the voting power of married men and heads of families by giving votei to their wives and adult daughters. Nor are we prepared as yet to render women, even though taxpayers, and as such made electors, eligible for election themselves to seats m the Legislature.