"VOTES FOR MEN."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 12

"VOTES FOR MEN."

WHEN EUGENIA;:WAS PRIME"v; ;://Alb WHEN4MEN;KEPT THEIS■:/■ v !'•■ i .' ; W / .RIGHT :TLACE;;Z.v/;/ ! :/'.;,,U:-.-''' ;_Misa, MaiyZ/Cholmondoley .has.;,i»-<witty / dialogue in the'December'"(torhhill/Men-,:■-■ '■'".-'■ -titled. 'Totes' for Men." It lis;a':6kit : :WV ; the /arguments which '• men' ;use ■to /refuse £c ■'."■,■ the;vote; to; women.':"'-:,'" •■' •'•.• ': ■:;/:■ '■:■ /' '■ ,: - The scene is'.. : hundred' 1 ' yoars.hence; , possibly..- 1 less/- •": [Eugenia,/'V .Prime' Minister, ,is sitting at her writing'..: table ■in ..her library.': She is a' tall,* fine-.":' '■'■• looking .woman of thirty,: lather:-untidy/,, and worn/in'appearance.]'- "-.':;,;'..'..' ;-.'i;'.. ; . _Engenia; (to'herself; taking up a paper):"'''/ -There; isnb/'doubt-that wo must;carry,'-;■'•..■•'• through, this .'Bill' [to! meet • the - alarming''-."' docivno of the: birth-rate]-or :.the future/:*; >; .of_the-country'will be jeopardised.'/. :- :; '/: '•'•.■■'. ?: ; s enry (° nts ide): May I Eugenia; Docome in, dearest.,.;/::,''';; 'n' ?r , Henry (a tall, athletic'man' of.thirty,/-' >/ faultlessly • dressed,' a contrast/ ■ to-' 'her-■ ;v - dusty 'untidiness) :,;I thought I;C0uld/6ee'--';' : /" the, procession best from here.-/.(Goes' to windows and opens them.) It is in' sight / now;-.They-are.coming. down the'wind'at-'/'-a.great pace.,;' .:•'■•'■..'.,;.;. , 'v'-i •.■.'.■.':',,'■/ iAn.vAeroplime;..^^ /:Eugem'a : :(sUghUy: bored) i;/T^^w ; ' ;; i'' ,cession?;•-;•''-vV.>,'. <.vi^, ; /~-;v":':-":'-;;:;:''^T.: i : f ::-'';; : ; ' Henryi.Why.'ithe .Men's Eeihfranchise-V/'/ ment League,'-,:of, course.' j:Tou ; ' : kno».Yv ' Eugenia,', you' j promised '/to/- intemew\a-':/■:-; deputation; of them: at. five. o'clock, •) aid v : -i '/'' they: have ;a- mass meet-/'':• ing first."' -':,":,-: v. /'"' ?::'-; '-/:;!-:.v.i.,:«-- i i :: ; -:;',; -V Eugenia: So' they;did/ I /had^fdrgottenr*'" v -I wish they would not pester me:'EeaDy'.':-" • the' Government 'has other .tol*/'/' ;"-' ;fend i' to :than, male '-;• suffrage at' ; timet '•'• '■:■ l'■ likoiOtlus.'■';'■ i',;,"v'i;,-ri'.■>.-"•.';'.■: : "'-'::;;///;?■! ■I [The procession sails past the ' wiadowi": ■'•' ; '■'' in, planes : decked with ..the: orango-'and-'- ;< * white.'colours;/ of 'the' ; 'league/-/ .The '■ pccu- ; 'i '•"■"' pints .'preserve'': a / dead'; silence,:' saluting-':./'-.; Eugenia;gravely/as .'Prom ;the ; :/ ; '///\ streets farbelow, rises hubbub..:'" of v.-'inen's"'rbices ' v sh6uHrig!.:/ , .'Vote3: for':'-'.' menl"];.';^;;--;,; '::;;,-''r-;,- -\ yv.iv-. V'li^v'^'vi:'•'/.-.- ,;; Eugeiiia::Evo^/profeOTon''seems:to/-be';;/- /' .represented,' but,'.of course;/I/am"well■/,,'// aware.;lthat.it/is/.not'- the; feal,"wish-ofV>:.-.■/■". ; The suffragists .must- do something; to con. .•";"".' vince mei that. the' bulk /of Engiand's'/:/' ■; thoughtful'.-' and- ■ intelligent/ men'"are not / opposed,.tb/.it before,-! move ' iii ■ 'the' '/''.■' matter./'j,'-./;;-'■ :/;//.,':■: : : ': : /^h-. : ,'.S;Ki?H.■.■')''■ j, ■■■ -Ton must remember;that:men'';were'iis. ; ''' i ',■ , -':' ;franchised : . after '.the "general '.election, '.of './;//, 2009;,, :;It;! was./the wish/of . the^.couhtry,''■' ■> We. must/bow ■.to/that;:;///'/ ?:;/■ ■.:?-;;■:.:•;/ ;; / ,' Henry:,:Tou- r mean-, it; was : the-'msu'r-of■''!/','.■'■:■;:' ;ths'.';Tromßn-.of;;the'/c6Mh7;/wl'o.'/'were.:is:;/:?.':': million'stronger. ntim'e'rically'..tliaiiVmen',-, ; .i',.-i,..-.''f' ///Eugenia:; It : was; the ".'.wish:/of':' the'/--''" majority.'inclu'dihg./many^thousahds'/'of:'-'/'/ enlightened' men,:-my' grandfather' among/ ':'■■'■•■. them, /who. saw.,the,.-,danger/■'to-Jitheir.:;•;.-,country in /continued; male-suf-':/.'//; frage.i-After all, ;Henry;/it was'iineniiwho'ViV".'' wore: guilty/ of: /the/!' disaster':;of •■va'dult■-',y:\ suffrage: .'Wbm'en'nbver asked for it—they /'J'/ ;', were/deeply/.opposed^to'it: ;i-They/only///;':' demanded, the: suffrage *"on the'.'same .terms/','' -":/'. vthatimen-hadit in' Edward the Seventh's.';/::/'/ time./,. Adult :-su9rage/'was,; r the;/. Jast/im-y.':'».':: pbrtant: phactment of, men,' /and ibne^which/;..;/ ' ought,:to : ; prove/- to .!:'you,/'considerihg/;the'],//;';: incalculable:', hirm''it ; did,. that'./meri,>;iii ,:•':: spite,of .their, admirable.qualities).are not-'('/--: '.sufficiently;far-sighted;to he'.trusted';'witii' ; - L a ''vote.;:.-';/,;"': ; . y^: '-(-' : '' ; , i/'V J/'//''/,; //, / :'i.\Brains' /arAßrrtf>Rates7-^ / -i''Vff:7-/ >; '.';Adult,suffrage lost.'us-India,}.Jt.anient ;,/,' lost/us'/ourj'colonics,/fbf/the •corner-men-. / ;an'd.'':'^astTels'.;-r:Vaiid';i'' : ; momehtarily/ 1: became;.. our./ rulers'.: saw; n0...;;; :■: use ifor: them. 5. The: only.-;good [ result; of .-.'■ /"';. adult. l suffrage:;was;.'that.'.women,.'by;,';the : 'v ' happy: chance; Of their numerical maiority, it.//; and with,the help of Mary..the Man-hater,:, , ■were/able I .to combine,' to' outvote, the.men -'. '•'-. and; so to/seize-/the r,eins ; and,:'abolish /; ./■■Eugenia,, (sententipusly) :./ThereV day;: and v a'. very:. short; day,; it.'.was, i when -.'•' /' . it/; was- said';- thai/brain'.ought-- to : 'nile/-\/ : Brain•;did-imako/-the; attempt, -but-..could Z' r,:• . no; more' rule; this planet than: brutaf orce:■:: / « couldi continue' to dbA6o",^;:You';.knbwi.and..','.-:-/; I.know,-., and every? schoolgirl:Kows,that.; ; /:'' what rules the\birth-ratoirules-the.world.;//' /WneVe: ! MensFaji,,:/:'M',/:;;;"/,fe U.Henry''.preserves "'■'. a^^:paralysed"'sUeiiie.-/'.- '''' "dignity): ! ,-IV' s;.; ; am: all,for the equality, of the"sexes within:-: : : :, certain ./limits,': ■ the 'limits', 'imposed 'i by ;'•', / ; nature.: Bnt./the-.long.;;and/.short,-of;'-it.;?!■'•■;! is,,.to'put; it bluntly; ho- dear'^-''•■-■.' Henry,' caii/'give/;.birth a"cMld,''/and'':: .'; until lie' caii.he/will be : ineligible:by-the' ;/ laws of ■' n'atrire,;. hot by/- any /woman-made•','.,'; >/: edict,':,to//govern;:'and/the' less";hb/talig"';■.;•, about; it the/better.,,: Sensible; men-, and' ■-./■ older,'Then;know,. that;/and:r: ! hbld:/':their:;/.-.,;'.. tongues,/ and' women' respect/their .'silence."'/."';': ;Manhas:his;spher'e,'ahd:a : ,very important: : ;'■/:.'. 'arid useful /sphere; in/life ■it Hs.' The do-; *:';/' fence of, the:-na'tioh/.is s entrusied/to-hirii.,";/ '•;/ should-we, be':without'bur-trusty ;:''.',■,, 'soldiers" and "sailors,/ ; and;-y as you'.'hava'','»: .] , ust.i"-r^inded:^m'e,^oittvatoirable'; ; polica'!:: r /-;'i ; force? men.' are';• paramount.- ;,When=.'l- ttlnk'"of \'-' [tho;;Tfo*t.fflm'-aM , :b^i^''.to::.the;Vworld > ';,-I-'';: ; ".--:-,. assure: you,': Henry, /my / respect'and : ad-/-Z''.''; miration ,for',: them., ',-knbw. ~'no,',/'bounds.',,/./i. ■-Bnt','!if'-:they'.vstep''^TOtside''-.-.-.-ttto.:-''7o^ !; sphere "of - labour: then—r- /; '~-T~ '.'-■■'"'"//":/:':: : ; ■Henry: .But /if iwould/look/;.:,-: ,4nto''the"', old/records,.''as'. rj'haTO'.b'eea ;'::/:': doing; you 'would' see?:that"Lord and .Lord..'James and-'l^rd&omer:.'and''/''.' many; btliers .employed/these same : 'argn-;;: '~ ' :ments'.in order,:to'iwithhold'■ ; :frbm:woinenv:/,' y V;:'/--;,;://::i/'J/;/:';:'':;//;-,/';.;/; . : :'.:■. Absurd' Single :i -V^^-''v ■■■ i-Henry: And there ; , ;thin)f''';.,.:" which dbes/nbt/seein,to.me fair.:;; Men a™-.•',,/: ;.sb-s ridiculed/ if.::,they./'. are/.STiffragists.;,;;■•,".■: Punchinella. always .draws /them :as. obesß';:[. ;.;' disappointed 'old: bachelors,/and,/ there, are". :..'. many earnest: young married, men;among "■?- ■ the.-. ranks •/ of the ;suffragiste..■":;Look ,-■ at. ,'; the/'procession: which has - -.just.', passed.'; /;:. Our:best men were in it. And/to.look at:. '; •Punchinella'or to; ; listen to? the 6peeches.,;'/ , ; in',the' House:you, would, think/that th«,-'/ ,1 men-who want. the' vote; are .pulsive/.'lbld -'bachelors-.i.stung^-' : Vf. ;. the':-:, I ;':,' .neglect of, women. Why;only 'last, week ■;■;' :.'. the /member for -Maidenhead,'; Mrs. ? ,Col-. ; ' :..■■•.:. thorpe /it/ was; got up and "said.that, HZ; i ;.; only,;,this! '7^brawling.:;:brotherhood'':.;;of,;;.-: : . "single gentlemen,;who had missed'domes-:'•'",. /;, tic bliss,' could find wives -■'-:/; troiible \ their ..heads /about, rcinfranchise-' -..■ '.■,:: m'ent;/://:''-.';-'i w ■ '•[ -./;"///:' '/:'-*:';//'■ ■'■;:';}■'''. . "Eugenia: ;There is/no; doubt/that'there '" /'■;:; •is an 'elementof/sex: resentment lih'the '/ : ■■< 'movement, .'dear :Henry.V-: That,is'. why'/I. •: ■.: have always■ congratulated: myself/on the -■','".- fact;tliat/yoii,..as' ;;- :posed to .it._-.-.;/,,':,: ; '--::/