SOCIALISM IN PETTICOATS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 220, 8 November 1880, Page 4

SOCIALISM IN PETTICOATS.

Socialism in petticoats does not seem to be apt to justifying its existence. The Committee of Women of the Social Commune, founded in September, 1870, held a field-day in Paria recently. Thirty citizenesaes met, and fonnd only the one citizen who had called the meeting. The citizen delivered a lecture on the history of the committee, and a citizeness was proceeding to unfold her views on female labour when the meeting was strangely interrupted In a corner of the room jumped up- a eitizenees in a flaring costume of a hundred thousand colours, and with a hat, on which samples of ribbons were mixed with the products of a botanical garden. Prom the mouth below the hut flowed forth a sonnet; When the sonnet was finished, she commenced an oration. Women, the apparition, insisted, ought not to work. When they worked the men did nothing. The grand vice of the age waß that the men, the proletariats, had not enough money to give to the women. It was not for herself she spoke. She. lived in Auteuil. , She made verses. She kept seven dogs. She also studied animals. She was a proprietor, Here the citizeneas whom the keeper of seven dogs had interrupted managed to make her. voice heard, and a conflict seemed to be impending. This, however, was avoided by a discourse from the citizen on Darwin's theories of selection, which he satisfactorily refuted. Before the meeting separated, arrangements were made for a conference oh the servitude of women from the earliest ages, the opinion' b.em g venture^ ;by ; .one of 'the petticoat j orators present that they wanted a hundred years yet io get women .properly educated. Judging from what had; juat; passed, some would be disposed to echo this opinion. '