The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-04-23

IL VOMAN ucTc Is 10
contemporary event more remarkable than
what is clumsily called the Woman Move
ment. 1t should hardly be thought a novelty,
for woman has been always moving, and to
some purpose, from the days of Eve down to
those of Maria Mitchell, Elizabeth Fry, Mary
Somervil,e, ana Florence Nightingale. From
Helen OF Troy to Katharine of England and
Mary Of Scotland, she has been the causa
causans of great epical and historical events.
Fiattered. idolized, worshipped. with the
widest hyperbole OF poetry, and at last SOL
emnly deified as ''The mother of God,' her
voice is latterly heard quietly asking. "Are
you also willing to be justY'
Every where equality of opportunity is now
demanded for her; fair chance at all kinds
of employment, the highest education,
place in the pulpit, at the bar, in medical
practice, and, as the security Of all, political
equality The demand is constantly made,
and in the way that it is made it is entirely
new. Women, under the English law, have
voted in local aud municipal elections, but
they have never been equal members Of the
state; they have never had voice in making
the laws that govern them. And this is now
the exact demand. This is that fearful
''Woman's Rights" which is symbolized to
so many innocent minds by scrawny female
figure with spectacles upon large thin neee.
and wiry hand resolutely grasping baggy
umbrella.
The signs of this feeling are everywhere
visible. The voting and jury duty Of women
in Wyoming Territory; the voting of women
in Utah; the resolution of the Ohio Consti-
tutional conventicn that they may - elected
w serve uaon school commit,ees, their
election to serve upon such boards in Boston
the public meetings of protest when their
seats were 1efused; the unanimous decision
of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, that
they are constitutionally eligible; the inces-
SAINT appearance in Constitutional Conven.
tions and in State Legislatures OF the de-
mand for political equality; the steady re-
fusal of Miss Hunt in Boston for many years
to pay taxes levied upon her property with
out representation OF her wishes; the sale of
the cows of the Misses Smith in Glastonbury
to satisfy the tax collector; the refusal of
Mrs. Foster and others in Worcester to pay
taxes without representation, and the gen.
eral public attention called to the subject by
these incidents; the opening of many col
leges to women rs well as to men; the Ok
ford examinations for women in England,
and those of Cambridge in this country; the
curious excitement occasi0ned by DIR. Clark's
little book upon sex in education; the medi-
cal schools for women; the calm and power
full appeals to Parliament for their enfran-
chisement in England; and the public ad-
hesion to their cause OF shrewd politicians in
America-all show the strength of the cur
rent. - 4H5
As all the force and energy ofthe movement
proceed from women themselves. it is very
amusing to hear the wise remark that it will
be time to consider the question when women
show that they are themselves interested in
it. In England both Mr. Gladstone and Mr..
Disraeli are in favor OF theicounty franchise;
yet the number Of petitioners for that meas
ure during the last session of Parliament was
1889, while for the Woman's Disabilities Bill
there were 329, ,206. Regularly every year
delegation of women appear before a commit
tee of the Massachusetts, Legislature, and
urge the ever-fresh argument. But Scion
still says, Certainly, when women show
that they are interested" Undoubtedly
there are very many who are not, and there
are some who before the same committee
plead earnestly that such direful new respon.
sibiities may not be thrown upon their over
burdened shoulders. But i: is an extraordi
nary argument that intelligent persons who
ask a responsibility which they demonstrate
to be necessary to their welfare, and for
which their capacity is not seriously denied,
should be refused it because others, for any
cause, do not wish it. And Solon's bland re-
ply that it will be tim> to grant it when wo-
men show that they wish it is intended, not
for argument, bnt for evasion.
Meanwhile the decision ofthe question rests
with men, and they hold generally one of four
attitudes. They are wholly Indifferent or
contemptuously hostile, believing with Paul
that the man is head or master ofthe woman;
or, with Mr.. Gladstone, they are friendly to
every step of progress not Inconsistent with
the fundamental particulars Of their condi-
tion as women; or, Win Chief Justice Chase,
they are passively favorable to the absolute
political equality OF the sexes or, with John
Stuart Mill. they are actively favorable to it.
The shrewd politicians of whom we spoke,
however friendly, do not feel that the ques-
tion is pressing They see that there is a
question, and they know that the generous
side is the popular side, and they therefore
speak words Of comfort, signing petitions and
writing letters to conventions of women. But
in conventions OF men these brethren are not
vehement upon the subject; they do not even
refer to it while the convention itself, ifsore-
ly pushed, makes polite bow in the form of
a resolution, and, as in France, passes to the
order of the day.-EDIToR's EASY CHAIR, in
Harper's Magazine for May.