, 1879-08-01
FEMALE VOTERS.

Tho Now Law IN Observation-Disclosures
tho gu sstinn, Do Women Want to vntc7
Indlcntl>ps Of a Ncgnsivo Auawcr--Scoucs
In the Asa .nsur's ollce,
corresponaenee lttq York Ecemtna tamt,
DosToa, July 28.-Thcre ts movement In
this city which 1las not yet received ho!f tho no.
ttce It deserves, bit which Is likely to excite n
great deal Of interest, and porllaps have MI i'm.
portant benring upuu our systcu Of State a,..
Municipal Government before II Ia ended. The
latest subject upon which our roformUra have
united Is one intimately connected with the
cause Of womau'suifrage, which il chatnploncd
by anch men as Col. Thomas Wentworth Ilig-
glnson, Wendell Phillips, uie Rev. james Tree
man Clarke, ana manY others; auclt women as
Lucy Stone, Mrs. Ltycrmorc, Edna Dean
Cheney, ctc.; md BY tho 11'o,aau's Journal,
ono Of tho brightest md spsighttscet OF cur
local publications. Tliis subject found ombodt-
n,cnt in aa net of tic Legislature, passed at tho
Inst session, IN which our representatives, who
lavo always been extremely stiI-ncckcd aud In
flexible on the QHcation OF admitting women 10
the privileges Of the ballot, allowed the thin
edge Of the Wcdgo 10 bo inserted into our poll
ty, by granting permission to wotnou to vote
fur members OF the School Committees through.
ont the State, upon conforming With certain
regulations.
The essentials which woman must possess
to be d voter upon tho appointment OF tho gu
perYlsoss Of her c!!1tren's education nra tllesc:
She must bo u citizen Of Massachusetts aud at
least Fl years Of ago with dcllcary which can
not 10 too much commended, our lawmakers
did not insist upon her telling Just how NIL she
ts); must be aDlo to read the State Constitution
in the English language uul write her own
name; must haYc livcd 1.-The city where she
rf Il IN hn md in fl,n
prior to tho election; ntf must Lave paid
State and county tax assessed npon her for 1873
or 1915 The statute IL simple md evidently
fair, uld gives to tho women tho same nd
vantagcs ns to tic men, and under precisely tho
sAlne rcstrictima 1t Eas hecu CONSTANT fcu-
turu Ut our legislative sessions for many ycurs
rast to linyo thu cotHltt ttesro0tns at the State.
Ilousc lnyAlcl by llssatiafled wolnnI,.slltEruc.
lists, md cgery Assembly hosgl them several
hearings. Wllcsl because Of their i.npostunlty,
/ this Inv wNs paasca, they .rcjotgca gtoatly at
see!,'g ,lle first etep accomplished ami tho way
| to final ylettry markcd out.
Tho opponents Of W0mnn.kutErago were In
wnrdly not dfsEeasca With tfIp bill. tft.ey hnsl
| always n,ainsaGc.! that vtry few wonlrl, cared
for tic baIIoi aud predicted that, i thry ever
lad It, they would not usr II; mud sl.oynow nuw
tleiT opinion about 10 be ,cstr,l. 1l,cru was
| ccrlnln class ol agitatura, tlcy held, whom
nothing would pIease 50 little ns to have coI,-
resston mada to all tI!rir dulnands, md they
would probably vote from prtnclpla: but The
innss OF women In the Stale werr, tllcy he!icyed,
not iu sympathy With these, ami would prefer
TO remain a. home on elccin'..dny. sotnu Ut
tic moro moderate OF the snltraEc-advocutts
conceded something 20 this view, They agreed
polls, unl taklnE knowledge ot The teachings Of
history, which chow that whurelcr suffrage Is
granted to nation or class Who have hitherto
beon without Il, to privileges have been ac-
copied slowly, admitted that they .iu not cx-
prct tint the !!rst year would show any won,c,,
taking adyantago u ta's act. the ultra rcforIl.
ers, however, expressrd their eou!leucu timt u
large percontaEo 9t Tho women Ut tho statu
! would tnku immediate adyuntulsa of the puw
privilege; and talat tho publication Of our uoli.
tics by the lnuClt.extoIletsa cnnoollnE tniiurnre
Of women 1T the bollot@bo1 mas na good as ae.
| cured.
Events ut present Indicate TINT tie moro mod.
crate utternnces arc nearer tho truth; ntd Il
now seems prettg cYident tl1at thu womrn oil
| proper point, and DO not fcol the keen prompt.
iuEs OF duty enough to run tho gauntlet Ut as
scssors' aud Registrars ofllces A1d of tlae ward
eanctHua whcru nominations arc tnutle.' Thrrc
Is entitled to vote. she must tlrst 70 to tho
Asscssors' otlco at Ito Cisy-ltall bcfoso Sept.
II, and be ASSESSED for n poll.taxtf II shp tins no
real Or personal property nor nl il!cone OF n,ore
/ than g., OO0 from busltesS, and, u hh9 has anp
property or tneome. sAs must li out blank
furm provided for tho purpose, md taIe ortl! tG
Its truth before tha proper officer; sueondlS,
6lio must pay her tux at tic City.llal! At lcasl
| %huEtEeu QA}A EItf'Vuh ~ tllG GIGlkaoIl uLu
thirdly, ehe tnust 20 to tllc Office OF thv llegis
trars u Voters, exhibit her rccolptcd tnx-bll
aud siyu her pnsne a'la G1yo her place pf resi-
dcnce These proyistons uro similar to thoss
governing the repatriation Of mule voters. A
woman Who has paid tax.blli for lst6 need mol
sako the lEst two steps, but may bo regtste.ct
ut ouce.
How many women aru ayallLng themselves o
this priyileges Ut this law alld conforming 10 IT.
condittoust 1n tlits city, whore the law u mos
popular, aud whers all the ugitatlon which ~
| suited iii lts enactment begun, there arc fs yc
comparatively very few women who Wish to b
voters. Only about l0D nanles appear upon tht
books ot the Registrars IN rcnloertou squire
mud ll.eHc arc almost without exception tn
names of thYse waQ llayc for yeAts been promt