THE PAGEANT OF WOMEN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1011, 29 December 1910, Page 9

THE PAGEANT OF WOMEN.

•Opinions are raging on the question of •the Pageant of Groat Women at Sheffield (says an English .writer).. One lady writes to say that the Pageant of Women, far from showing the necessity for the vote, shows how well they have been able to without it. Mrs. Pankluirst enters the lists by pointing out that women have not waited to obtain the Parliamentary veto before entering politics, and that Mrs. Humphrey Ward, by going upon a platform to explain, that women are incapacitated«by nature for political work, is herself actively engaged in .it. A male journalist joiiis tho chorus by declaring that Boadicea is delightful on Westminster Embankment, but that the nearer women approach to that ideal the loss likely men will be to admit them to a share *iir the government of tho-coun-try. Heaven help any woman who wants to be a Boadicea. The first essential is lacking, namely, the Romans. Slie. would embroil herself inevitably: with the War Office, and be almost- as out of place in modern, life as. would Joan. of r Arc.- -Butnone of these, objections and counterobjections really touch the nuestion of, the vote, and/historical examples do very little to further it. If there was.Joan of Arc there wore-also Catherine da Medici and her namesake of Russia. . If one begins, to enumerate great women, one is sure to be met by a catalogue of wicked ones. St. Elizabeth of Hungary is paired with Jezebel, and Queen Victoria'with the geiitle Jari; whoso particularly vigorous method of- removing: her political enemies seems to have been overlooked owing to the fine literary quality of her rejoicing >at their, death.