A LADY PRESIDENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2272, 5 November 1889, Page 2

A LADY PRESIDENT.

Sir Julius Vogeij is a firm believer m the destiny of woman, and m his curious novel "Anno Domini 2000 "pictures a Government of Britain with a lady as its Premier, and another pettiooated politician as the Leader of hiß Majesty's Opposition. We imagine that there are but few persons who will accept this as other than a romantic dream, or who will soherly contemplate so remarkable an inversion of what we have hitherto been accustomed to regard as the order of Nature as being within the bounds of probable realisation m so Conservative a country as our Mother Land m little more than a century hence. But it may ! perhapsberegarded as not impossible that m the United States which has been, and is, the theatre of many extraordinary social experiments, the highest offices— • nay the highest office of the State may one day fall into the hands of a daughter of Eve. We would have written "of the gentler sex," or « the weaker sex," or have used some such term hitherto generally accepted as fitly characteristic; of woman, but we hesitate to do bo,

because m the coming days of strongminded women (if those djtysjbe coming upon us) such phrases will be bbviously inappropriate. Our readers may perhaps imagine that we are following m the footsteps of Sir Julius Yogel, and indulging m idle speculation m treating cf the possibility of the election of a Lady President, yet it is not so, for at anyrate such an election is seriously proposed by the American ohampions of womens' rights. Ihe fair, or, dark, nominee (for we confess io ignorance as to whether she be a blonde or a brunette) is Mrs Victoria 0. Woodhull, who ran for the Presidency of the United; States m 1872, and who it seems (according to the " New ¥ork Sun") is to be again a candidate at the next Presidential election, and whose claims are championed by the Cincinnati (Ohio) Home ■journ al. By the last mail we received a lot of extracts from articles, and corres* pondence on the subject which have appeared m American and even English papers. To one of the latter Mr Alfred Burnett, editor of the Ohio paper above named, writes : — "There has never been a woman so extensively known, and at one time so thoroughly abused as this lady, but fihe passed the fiery ordeal and came out triumphantly as the winner, and to-day her name is a household one among all who read and love (tee thought. As soon as it is established that Tiotoria will accept the position of Standard-bearer yon may be assured that thousands will flock beneath its folds. You people have a ; Victoria, you people love her ; so our people will love their Victoria, and will do themselves an honor m placing her m the White House at Washington. Clubs are already being formed m every prominent city, and her friends are anxious for her return, for her magnetic presence will be one half the;/. -battle. From Maine to California the great cry of the present time, is reform, and the people are ready now for her advanced ideas, her advooacy of the cause of human rights, and her triumphant success m overcoming all opposition has made her name a power m the land." .We don't suppose for a moment that Victoria C. Woodhull will be succesful m her candidature, notwithstanding the enthusiasm of Mr Burnett and others, but, whether or no, the mesa fact that her cadidature is seriously contemplajfcedt is. sufficiently remarkable, to be worthy at least of p. awg notice.