The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1913. A FRANCHISE DIFFICULTY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1656, 24 January 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1913. A FRANCHISE DIFFICULTY.

The British Government deserves very little sympathy in the difficulty which tho issue of woman's suffrage has made for it. The Liberal party, and even tho Cabinet, are divided upon the question, just as. Unionists arc, but the Unionists have chivalrously abstained from any attempt to embarrass the Government, and this although there are only a handful anywhere near the front rank.s of those who are in favour of-giving votes to women. It must also be placed to the cre'dit of the Unionists that, although the serious dissensions in tho Liberal party on this question became very plain over two years ago, no leading Unionist opposed to the women's movement has ever done anything but give his cordial support, without any reservation or any demand for a quid qro quo, to Me. Asquith and the other .Cabinet Ministers, who are convinced that to give the vote to women .will lead to national disaster. Since the Radicals in all countries always repay fair dealing with foul'play,- the refusalof the Unionists to take any political advantage of Mr.'Asquith's dilemma is very striking; They care more for principle and for the national welfare than .for those party successes which the Jacobin always seeks at any cost to the nation. On Thursday we were' told that Sir Edward Grey's proposal to make the Franchise Bill a Female Suffrage Bill" has aroused the opposition of many Liberals, and that these objectors "state that to use the Parliament, Act to carry women's suffrage would be a consti-tutional-outrage." But it will be no, greater an outrage than to' use tho Parliament Act to carry Homo Rule, as the Government and the British "people will certainly be made to understand.; The Parliament. Act is certainly coming home to roost. The complaint of the dissident Liberals that the Parliament Act will be an unconstitutional bludgeon if it is' used to give votes to the women will neither help nor . hinder the Suffragist cause: it will merely injure the Government's''lrish policy.. The Nationalists, we are told,' "hold the key, of the situation." Fifty-eight of them.are opposed to. women's suffrage and twenty-five favour it. If they voto, as their conscience directs, the amendment of Sir Edward Grey will obviously be defeated, because a solid Nationalist vote is very necessary to the Government at any.time, as the divisions on the Welsh Church Bill.mado quite clear. Mr. Asquith, however, has taken n6 responsibility on behalf of his Government :\ he has expressly left the matter,to the decision ofthe House. We are inclined to think that he is to take this course, 'for the. reason that he has so little : concealed his '■■ own opinions that ho is tho leader of alj those opposed to: women's suffrage: The Nationalists, of, 'course'; will vote just as they are instructed by Mr. Redmond, who will in his turn issue whatever instructions he finds itmost ,desirable to issue, in the - interests solely of Home Rule. And, of course, Mr'. Redmond is quite, entitled to use any means whatever for. the furtherance of his cause; he has already whipped up his men to vote, against thoir instincts and against their, consciences, for the spoliation clauses of the Welsh Church Bill. It need not be anticipated that the Franchise Bill will split and sink the Government, but it .will at any race, bring out in sharp colours the fact that Britain is at present governed.-by. a coalition ' of parties disunited in everything save their: common anxiety to push forward their own particular ideas. In this system of mutual accommodation,, and mutual self : treacherics, there can obviously only be damage for, tho Kingdom.