SIR WILLIAM FITZHERBERT ON MANHOOD SUFFRAGE.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1291, 9 May 1878, Page 3

SIR WILLIAM FITZHERBERT ON MANHOOD SUFFRAGE.

["New Zealand Times."] Mr John Rush asked Sir Wm. Fitzherberfc what his views regarding manhood suffrage were?

Sir Wm. Fitzherbert, in reply, said—Well, I do not know a prettier sounding form than " manhood suffrage." Why confine it ? Why be so illiberal as to say that only men shall exercise it ? Manhood suffrage ! As if the only human beings on tho face of the earth were men ! I do not Bee why the right to vote should not be held by women. The truth is this: the cry of manhood suffrage is a catchpenny, but I will be the last to turn the cry into ridicule. If it is the creed, honestly believed, that a man, whatever he has been, may be allowed to climb up to the highest position on the ladder, I shall support it to the best of my ability. That is what I have always advocated, and I do not believe there is any one who has stated that to be his creed more thoroughly and clearly than I have done. It is a mere catchpenny to say, " let us havo manhood suffrage," while you do not want it. I have always gone in for democracy. I say that any man who is honest in his behaviour should have the chances of rising to the highest point. I believe in true manhood suffrage, but I do not believe in " loaferhood suffrage " in conjunction with manhood suffrage. I say that the rich and overgrown {jeople are those who, if they could only get oaferhood suffrage, would rule you for ever. Avoid as long as you can any of these high sounding terms which are unaccompanied with the reality. If the manhood suffrage cry is a reality I support it, but if it is a sham I do and will denounce it. If it is meant to apply to men such as Burns the poet referred to when he wrote " A man's a man for a' that," I will support it. A man is a man who does the work of a man, and who in trying circumstances shows himself to be a man. A man is a man who abhors cruelty, who does not beat his wife, and who is at the bottom a man. I say that every intelligent, honest, and conscientious male being is a man, and he should have the right to vote—aye, even though he were osly eighteen years of age. I should like to see the franchise extended to those only who have proved themselves to be men, but until they have proved that I do not want to give them any voice in the government of the country. I would not give tho right promiscuously to claim the privilege of voting. No less than twenty-two years ago I -was asked by Mr William Allen what my opinion about manhood suffrage was. He asked me whether I would support it, and I said, " Certainly not until a man has resided for a certain time in a place and proved himself to be a good citizen." two venri n ™"¥ P l- V.S w „H ed about that twenty-A^«ni-n an ?°r d V 1 P™ and simple. A man will not live for any length of time in i-efc l , he , c T ot e efc ■ u ™« there - As proper I say it is a reason why women should not If a woman be intelligent enough to give counsel to her husband in regard to the ordinary affairs of life, she is intelligent enough to have a voice in the government of the country. But I ask of you not to allow yourselves "to be blindly and thoughlessly led away by a mere catchword to give votes to unworthy people.