Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-07
WORCES TER.
TUESDAY. MARCH 4, 1871.

Ii appears, in the British parliament, that thu
lunacy of the Paris "reds" can be initiated by
other people. That notable gentleman, Sir Rob
ert Peel, denounces Mr.. Gladstone and his asso
ciates because they did not bully and threaten
Prussia while the war was going on. He &C
cuses them ofcowardice; and he has reused con
siderable laughter, in parliament, by quoting
and ridiculing language used by Mr.. Gladstone
in certain public documents. If he and thost
who cheered him meant anything, they mean
that Great Britain should have interfered
threatened, demanded, and stormed sufficiently
to brighten the Prussians, and make Europe fee
that John Bull is still naughty dictator. This
is very much like the reds" of Paris screaming
at their defeated generals and threatening TO
drive the Germans out of France by swearing
terribly in the slums of Belleyille This Sir
Robert Peel knows, as most Englishmen know,
that nobody on the continent cares much for
Great Britain and that she is no longer able to
enforce the terrible menaces which he would
have uttered; but he understands that 1t would
have been popular to do little bullying in Or
der to keep up appearances. lie should be
capable of profound sympathy for Gambetta and
the raging "reds," for they have something in
common.
1t is reported from Washington that the new
house OF representatives desires to adjourn to-
morrow. We hope the senate will consent to
this arrangement, for the subsidy lobbyists are
busy again, and mischief is very likely to be the
result of continuing in session without a definite
purpose But, if the session must go on, why
not take up the contested election cases and get
them all out of the way at once2 There are
twelve or more such cases, it is said; there will
not be so many if it be settled at the outset that
not cent shall be paid to any contestant.
Most of the contestants expect nothing but pay,
and would be astonished to get anything more.
1t is the hope of pay that lures them to contest.
Take this away and they will remain quietly at
home, all save the very few who know they were
elected, and whose constituents demand the con-
test. These cases are becoming a nuisance at
Washington, because the pay encourages a GER
tain class of men to "claim seats" without the
show of an honest reason for doing so. If the
house will change its rules little, and then
take up these cases in committee of the whole
and sit until they are all disposed Of all schemes
of the lobby can easily be excluded, and a con-
tinuance of the session will not be useless.
A bill now pending in the Illinois legislature
proposes that "any woman, married or single,
SHALL subject to the regulations, liabilities
and penalties prescribed for men, have the same
right as men 10 practice medicine or law or any
other profession, and to be appointed notary
public, and deputy or assistant clerk of any
court of record or register of deeds, and for so
doing shall have and be entitled to have di-
ploma, license, commission or appointment"
and also that sex or coverture shall not work
any civil disability" This BILL it is said is like
ly to pass. If it should, woman suffrage could
not probably be much longer delayed. ltwould
indeed be conferred by the terms of this act
unless there is a constitutional limitation which
could not be set aside by statute. Without
yielding the suffrage, however, this bill pro-
poses greater concessions to the demand of
equal rights for women than have been granted
elsewhere except in Wyoming territory, where
the situation differs in some important respects
from that in older and more populous communi-
ties. The progress of public sentiment in this
direction is unmistakable, although the con
seryative preiudices of its opponents and the
doubts of the hesitating neutrals are strongly
reinforced by the extraYagantly loose notions on
the subject OF marriage held by some of the
conspicuous advocates of woman's rights, the
bad character and manners of some others, and
the disreputable political articles employed by
both of these classes.