The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1918. THE POWER OF WOMAN.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 January 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1918. THE POWER OF WOMAN.

(With which la incorporated The Tai* hape Post tmd Walentlao Nqwb).

It is reported from England that women who have been creditably and satisfactorily filling the places in British post offices and in other public services of men taken to squelch the Hun hordes of the Kaiser, are making themselves' look ridiculous, making themselves objects for derision for even vulgar minds. That when giv.en notice that their services were no longer required they appealed to their others, saying that if they were dismissed • they would have to sell fur-coats which cost them forty guineas; would not be able to continue

buying grapes at sevctoshiilings -apound, and such-like twaddle. This is scarcely -worthy of notice, because it is obvious that the brave, capable women who so splendidly filled the places of men for four years in post offices, other government departments, banks and other private institutions, have intelligence and dignity above saying anything of the kind. These statements about women are cheap sarcasm by men w’ho should express appreciation for the good work accomplished, during the great crisis. Such contemptibly disparaging remarks about women workers suggests the question whether women, in all ages, have shown capacity inferior to that of men for attaining to the highest ideals. The purveyors of mean levity about women workers have the spirit of ancients, who embodied all their vices, and sometimes their virtues, in women. We are not going to enter upon a panegyric upon what women have accomplished towards winning freedom and liberty for mankind generally, newspapers, pamphlets, books and publications of one kind or another have for four years kept the wmrld well-advised on that score. It is difficult to imagine any means whereby greater loyalty and devotion could be shown, land yet there are men who can at this stage belittle the grand and glorious part women have played in the greatest victory for freedom in history. It will be noticed that nationally, and even internationally, the emancipation of women from the thraldom of man is nearing culmination. Woman, in the' leading civilised nations, is being fi-anchised equally with men, and it is not reported that their votes have been less intelligently east than the vote of the male. In the future development of peoples woman is destined to take a very prominent part, and we may rest assured that her vote will always be against the barbarous wars and usuages the world has inherited from barbarous [times. Even in iSTcw Zealand where woman suffrage has been in vogue for many years, men arc disinclined to realise the effect woman’s vote has upon some of our most vitally important social, political and industrial questions. There may be super-affectionate mothers who are led to vofc for the man who gives a Judas kiss to her baby, but there arc also many males who swap their souls for much worse. The vote of woman is something that has to be taken into very serious account when computing political strength, as well as in any endeavour to map out the course in Which the world’s destiny lies. The rise of any people in the scale of civilisation is indicated by the condition of woman. We realise from, its treatment of women what a terribly appalling retrograde movement Balshevism is. In the country where Bolsheviks rule, woman has been nationalised, been treated as a boast,

as something •without ttightp, ■and she is even denied the right to natural affection. In Russia, under Bolshevik rule, women are periodically horded in public compounds where modern types of the stone age go amongst them, select any their fancy may dictate, and the woman of their choice must go, must become the property of these men however revolting their attentions may be. Under Bolshevik rule, everything in woman’s nature is entirely suppressed excepting that which the lowest animal in nature is possessed; of by the mere fact of living. And yet there are some women who support and assist in Bolshevik propaganda in this young country. While women have been made the equal of man in New Zcaland, all her oldtimc political disabilities removed,' in Russia, under the Bolsheviks, she has been thrust

back and is nothing more than a mere animal, at the caprice of man. We urge upon all women to realise the incalculable value of tiro political right they enjoy, for it is the mightiest weapon for good or ilf 'that can be lawfully used. Woman has an equal voice with man in determining what the future shall be, will she choose the condition of woman under Bolshevism, in wdiich she sacrific.es everything, even her very soul, or will she cast her vote for the prosecution of peace in which her position improves as civilisation advances? In spite of all her disabilities in the past, in which she had no political existence, woman has profusely specked the history of mankind with many glorious ail'd heroic achievements. It is well that it should not be forgotten that Britain owes its very independence as a nation to a woman. Elizabeth rescued Britain from Spain and France, rather by a policy of peace, which is far mightier than war. The Queen of Spain pawned her jewels that Columbus might discover America; iu genius wit and mental power few have excelled Christina of Sweden. r ihe world has had its Joan of Arcs, its Maria Therisas, its Zenobias; yet, on the other hand it has had women equally powerful in crime as in genius, and - it is this very fact that emphasises the unanswerable necessity for educating woman equally with man. The destructive passions must be educated out of woman as they are being educated out of man; the law for man must be the law for woman, there must,- with woman suffrage, be equal right and equal responsibility. The fact should not be overlooked that in the large cities of this country are being coaxed and cajoled into joining Bolshevist organisations, what encouragement is being offered to women to combine in the attainment of a political education calculated to equip them for using the highest civil right any man or woman is entitled to in the best interests of humanity; iu the banishment of war and force; in favour of humane . campaigns of pci?c:e; to link together in bonds of friendship all peoples and nations; to establish Tennyson’s ‘‘parliament of man, ” his peaceful•' “federation of the world? ’’ Woman’s power in guiding the destinies,,' of’the world

is no less than, that of man;' her vote is the equal of ’his in number and effect; to neglect this fact, to belittle its importance now may have fatal results. It is at this . stage for man to decree whether woman shall drift towards Bolshevism and that which is inimical to highest human attainments or whether she shall intelligently take her place in the van of all that counts in the betterment of human conditions in all lands. It ill becomes man to sneer at what women have done in saving the world from Gorman domination.