WOMAN SUFFRAGE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 138, 7 March 1921, Page 3

WOMAN SUFFRAGE

MOVEMENT IN SWITZERLAND

A SLOW AND CAUTIOUS EVOLUTION

It is interesting to witness the slow and cautious evolution of Swiss people toward woman suffrage (writes a special correspondent of the ‘Christian Science Monitor”). A strong and eager group of active pioneers (ire busy educating the masses, but they ’meet with an undercurrent of conservatism, prejudice and indifference broken only by the great national events which how and then stir the public conscience. Too many women are still satisfied to leave the management: of the State entirely to the men. though they are loud in their criticism when they feel any unwelcome effect of government in their own family life. Switzerland is. so constituted that progress becomes “difficult and checkered. The cantons are so jealous of their independence that the play of national poditics often -reverses the efforts of the Federal Government to cen’iralise while each canton tries to retain its independence as much as possible. In each canton, the “Commune” (township) or smallest political unit has also a certain amount, of local independence and. privileges which it is ever striving to maintain. The Power of the Commune.

To have a legal and civic status, citizens are obliged to belong to a "Commune” which must provide for them in case of utter destitution. This "Commune” is under direct cantonal government and control, the canton imposing, for instance, a programme of all public schools. Cantons submit in their turn to iffie Federal Government, which disposes of the army, the Customs and similar matters. Taxation is communal, cantonal, and federal. Each canton, which has its cantonal constitution, has also its own civil and r,?nal laws. It took years and Tears to unify civil law in the present “Civil Federal Code of 1912.” The new penal federal code, which will unify penal law, is to be submitted to the popular vote and if suffrage be not granted the Swiss women in the near future, they may have no submit, without their own consent, to a penal code which is not entirely free from a double standard o> morality and justice. On Mny 6, 1920, when Switzerland had to vote for or against its entrance Into the League of Na’Hons, the Swiss women were stirred to their depth and for once unanimously and sincerely brined they could record their opinion, ihe whole "of that day it was uncertain whether the "yes” or the "no wou.d ga lher the majority of votes, and there VLAS a thrill in the air. Tn the stiee in the curs, women would glance at each other, shake hands even, united in the bond of an invisible sisterhood which stood for an ideal of peace and good ivill toward nations and sren.Inferiority Acutely Felt. This time they acutely felt the inferiority of their political status, twid understood why they should have it. removed. They are perhaps less anxious fo have ihe political vote than to have a voice in the referendum to which great and vital issues are ultimately entrusted. This'll the most complete expression of self-government. The Federal Chambers hart a debate on woman suffrage in the air.lumn of 1918 for the first time. This debate! was forced upon them by the "cominitfee~of action” of Olton, representing the advanced Socialist Party which had made itself the champion of woman suffrage. The Swiss Association in favour of woman suffrage and the Alliance of Swiss Feminine Societies, representing some 25,000 women, endorsed this claim by presenting petitions and sending delegations. Some able speeches were made b_v those members of the Federal Council who were in favour of woman suffrage and the council decided to consider the maf-'er. Position in Geneva. Several of the cantons have had private bills brought before their grand council, but none have yet grunted thorn full political rights. In the Canton of Geneva, in May, 1919, il deputy presented a bill for the- enfranchisement of women. It was well received, and it seems probable that Geneva, the seat of the League of Nations, will be the first canton to grant its women the vote. In November 19,17, the Upper House of the Canton of Neuchatel took up the. study of woman suffrage; it reported agaifist it! A heated discussion followed in the Lower House with a majority against the adoption of the report. This obliged tho Upper House to present a- Bill to the Lower House to introduce woman suffrage in the cantonal Constitution. This Bill was adopted by a strong majority, but it rested with the electors themselves to decide in the last instance. The voting which took place shortly after gave 5346 for and 12,017 against, the Bill being defeated by the people, after it had been accepted by its representatives! The Grand Council of Tessin has granted the women a restricted vote in the administration of communal property. This innovation gave some representatives the. opportunity of pleading in favour of an extended suffrage. Iho Grand Council of Fribourg, whilst discussing a law on the opening and closing of public houses, came to the conclusion that it was but fair to give the women the “right of initiative in matters communal, as this would ena r e them to' have the law modified. Modern Ideas Winning. In the Canton of Vaud, the Bill presented' in 1917 was handed over to a special commission which .reported unfavourably on it a year later. In November, 1919, a delegation sent by tne Suffrage Society was received wi(h sympathy if not with full approbation—a sign that even such Conservatives are not impervious fib modern ideas. In the Canton of Zurich a proposal was made to grant the communal vote, but the Social-Democrats asked for equal suffrage and equal eligibility to the offices of th* canton, the district and the commune The women’s unions warmly support the proposal to grant cantonal suffrage. After much discussion the Gin eminent decided to leave the initiative of this reform to the elector recommending its acceptance. The voting took place last February and the Bill was defeated 'by a majority of four to one, the Socialists being responsible foi the .1 women sent a petition to the Grand Council in 1911 urging that they I* "ranted municipal suftrage-this remieZt was refused by a large mapority, ‘T n ' 5> l ™ n olh"r ™ towards political emancipation lias only bo much valour,. tm hes i ta .t e eager to secure n 1 91. thyy s f I f* suffragettes is steadily little band know lt 1S nn . Br ° W To’nluck green fruit from the. trees X ?o?TX»lv th. rip. Ml fall to the ground m its season.