The Portland daily press., 1867-02-19
The Franchise for Women.

The question of extending the elective
franchise to women is again under discussion
in England The quarterlies and literary
weeklies are taxing up the subject in all its
phases, and the advocates of women's rights
have found champion in the Westminster
Review, which says:
1t seems to us that no abstract ideas of
woman's mission can reasonably be brought
forward as proof of the urgent necessity
for the exclusion OF women from the fran
chise under our existing SYSTEM and that if
the question is asked-What good would be
gained by their admission? ? the answer is very
plain-whatever good is to be gained by the
British Constitution. If that be a good, it is
evident that the carrying it out must be good.
The perpetuatiOn OF an omission which origin
ated in circumstances that have long since pass
ed away, must do as much harm to those who
are omitted as would have been done to their
cOuntrymen If the British Constitution had
not existed. 1t it be an advantage to be able
to protect ones property by the power Of vot-
ing for members of Parliament, the possess
sion of this advantage must be good for all
those who live and own property under par
liamentary government. The good that would
lie done to women themselves is, in fact,
not open to dispute, unless we dispute the
advantage of parliamentary government and
representation OF property; and in that case
we must dispute the advantage of the Eng
lish system OF government altogether.
If, continuing to cOnfine ourselves to a
strictly constitutional point of view, we ask
what would be the advantage to the country
In general of the political representation of
female holders of property, on the same con-
ditions as men, we think, as we have already
indicated, that the reply is equally clear. ii
the representation in Parliament OF those who
are interested in property is a national good
| tending to the preservation and fostering OF
all property interests, to the increase of our
national wealth, and to the handing down to
our descendants OF the national property I'm.
| der favorable conditions, then the distran.
chisement OF any class OF holders of prop
erty must be an evil proportioned to theil
numbers, and their enfranchisement an ad
vantage in the same proportion Whatever
may be the causes, there can be no doubt that
the class of independent women is contin-
ualy increasing one in this country, and then
| admission to the franchise is, therefore, con,
tinualy becoming, by the natural course VI
events, question OF greater practlcai ihpoi'
tance.
Turning now to the question, what harm
| could be done by their admission. weare ell
barrassed by the difficulty OF hndlng any as
swer whatever, unless we 60 out of the bound,
we have prescribed to ourselves, and get be
vond the limits of the constitutional point O
view. Revolutionary violence is out of tn,
question from them, and their numbers ar
not such as to give rise to any of the appre
tensions ofa disturbance of the balance q
power which have been excited in some mind
by the claims of the working classes. Ther
would probably be found some duly qualifie
female voters in every rank of society, an
among them some members of almost ever
] religious system or political party, SO that th