The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE. OCT. 20, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1917, 29 October 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE. OCT. 20, 1906.

The conduct of those fanatical women in England, who aro making such an exhibition of thomselves in the misguided belief that they are doing some good to the cause of extending the franchise to women, affords a solid argument against the extension of the franchise at all without careful discriminations. Like too many other people, those women look upon the privilege of exercising the franchise as of far more importance than the way in which it should be exercised when

they have secured the legal right to do it, and they have shown by their peculiar conduct that they are incapable of exercising it properly. Yet by their agitation they have done some wood in a direction which, perhaps, they have not thought of, for they have afforded an example, hitherto almost unbelievable, of the oxtont to which fanaticism may lead otherwise sane people when they let themselves go in furtherance of a cherished hobby, So if many people really

recognise the seriousness of exorcising a vote, or who stop to think what the effect of that vote may bo ? Certainly uiose peoplo who ‘' go tho whole hog” on a particular hobby cannot reason ably bo suspected ot so doing, because their votes affect other and perhnps I more serious questions, yot tho hobby I governs them all. Tho hobby may bo a good one, nevertheless; but if it

excludes all other considerations its gooduoss may provo to bo tho opposite quality in its effects Tho example before us to-day of those othorwiso rospectablo womon who are pestering tho British Government and refusing to obey tho law of the land, shows clearly that the good object they have in view is the very means oi doing mischief, because it sets up au unhealthy agitation that is anything but edifying to others, and one that is certain to have an increasing number of votaries until it may some day come to bo regarded as the proper thing for people to misbehave themselves in order to gain their ends. Wo have seen many agitations that have come perilously near that undesirable condition of things, and everyone has I noticed the excitement which election contests invariably engender, and all that is but the milder manifestation of the fanaticism which political strife gives rise to. Votes are cast by thousands of peoplo more or less affected in that way, and results accrue from it

that a calmer public opinion would not endorse. In a healthy condition of socioty, therefore, the tondency should be in the direction of minimising public agitation and checking any undue display of public excitement ; unless wo live under conditions that would justify almost any means to gain the end in view, such ae those that exist in Kussia, or those that have I existed in other countries at no very remote period. Evidences that the tondency is in the right direction are not altogether wanting, for many cld colonists who remember election contests in England and Ireland forty years ago or so will notice the difference between then and now in that respect People got excited then over political differences, and sometimes literally hammered their ideas into others with destructive force, but the differences then seldom arose out of a single insignificant detail of policy, for everyone ranged themselves under a party banner and fought for the broad principles enunciated by the leaders of the respective parties. The battles were fought on the broad principles of policy. Shortly put, it was always a question of Whig versus Tory. Then thero were but two parties ; to-day there are a number, and every leading question of policy is becoming a casus belli with numerous sectional parties. It may be that this result is due to the extension of the franchise, or it may be due to other causes; but whichever way it is it is not an improvement upon the old method with the faction fights omitted. If a few women, or men either, had attempted to stir up an agitation on a single item they must do so as mem-* bers of the party organisation or hold their tongues, to-*day any half-dozen fanatics can attract attention by making themselves ridiculous in public under pretence of upholding any alleged principle. In other words, communal organization and the corns mon recognition of mutual help is giving way to individualistic ambition and its concomitant political chicanery, and yet there are numbers who think that the world, or the British portion of it at any rate, is becoming more socialistic, and that the extension of the franchise to every individual, male and female, will hasten that result. We do not believe a word of it-, and wo have yet to discover the socialist preacher who is willing to do more than to pretend to make a martyr of himself in a noisy fashion, or the one who attempts to live up to his professions by sharing what he has got with others. He will talk about doing it, but he will not do it, and if he did other socialists would question his sanity. But those women are apparently going to make martyrs of them** selves, so that their sanity may well be questioned also.

Tbo chargo of breaking and entorirg the dwe’lieg house of Cbarloß Yates with intend to commit a crime, preferred against Robert Hamilton, laborer, was brought before Mr Barton, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court on Saturday. After hearing the evidence of the principle witness, the aeoussed was discharged, the police refusing to prooeed further with the case,

Splendid weather favored the opening of the Whataupoko Tennis Club on Saturday afternoon, There was a large gathering on the green. The courts were in very good order for the beginning of the season, and some interesting games were played. Afternoon tea was dispensed by the lady members of the Club, A string band added much to the afternoon's enjoyment.

The adjourned annual meeting of the P.B. Cricket Association was held on Saturday evening. The Mangatu Club was affiliated to the Association. The meeting was further adjourned until tomorrow evening. Judge Jones returns to-morrow evening from the Coast, whero he has beeii holding sittings of the Native Land Court. The following are the results of the weight-guessing competitions at the A, and P, Hiow: Sheep (correct weight 409 jib): Ist, G, S. Kemp, 4101 b ; 2nd, divided between H, Cooper, 4091 b, and P, B, Caleofc 410.J1b, Next nearest: A. Clement 4111 b, E, L. Livingstone 4111 b,

IV. P, Coop 4081 b, F. B. Calcot 4071 b, Pig (correct weight 24711 b): Ist, Livingstone 2471 b, and E, Roberts 2471 b, first and second prizes divided between them. Next nearest: A. Whiting 248.11 b, Robert Scott 21301 b, David Scott 2501 b, D, Muir 2:301b. Beef (correct weight 78711 b) : Ist and 2nd divided between J, O’Grady (junr.) 787, P. Taylor 787, and W. Richmond 788. Next nearest: F, James 788.1, S. Kirkpatrick 780, W, O. Sheet 789.

The following results in regard to the Challenge Cup competitions at the A. and P. Show have been supplied by Mr 11. M Porter, secretary :- The cup for draught horses was won by Mr 11. G. Tucker, with 10 points, and the following were the runners-up : Mr J. Clark 12 points, J. and G. Jones 0 points. The fat cattle cup resulted in Messrs John Clark and O. IF Seymour tying, with 9 points each. The runners-up were : Holden Bros. G points, Barker Bros. 4 points. The dairy cattle cup was won by Mr A, Fordo Matthews, with 7 points, the runners-up in this ease being Messrs N. A. Coster 0 points, H. Wilson 0 points, R, Cameron 0 points, W. D. Bell 4 points, and G, R. Moore 4 points, The Wolselcy cup for long-wool sheep was carried off by Mr J. C. Field,

with 87 points, with Messrs I), Kirkpatrick 2(3 points, J. Tombleson 20 points, and W. D, Lysnar lb points, as runners-

up, Messrs Barker Bros, were awarded the fat sheep cup, with a score of 10 points, Messrs Holden Bros, 8 points, Hutchinson Bros. 0 points, and J. Ferguson G points, following, The fat ltunb cup was won by Mr AY. Jobson, with 1:3 points, the next in order being Messrs J, Robson 18 points, and H. Ford 8 points, For Shorthorn cattle Mr AV. AVitters carried off the cup, with 29 points, the runnersup being. Messrs J. Clark 14 points, and Holden Bros, 0 points,