Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-19
TIE PART WOMAN IS TAKING IN PUBLIC
LIFE.

The intelligent London correspondent Of
the New York EUening Post says of the
woman question in England that it
it has passed out of the stage of being
ridiculed. Most sensible people there now
concede that professions and employments
ought TO be opened to women, and their
opportunities for university education
greatly enlarged. The franchise question,
however, stands upon different footing,
and creates greater division of sentiment.
These statements will not be gratifying to
women are more and more taking part in
public affairs, and the significance Of this
fact will not be lost upon the student of
the times. Women are especially prom
inent in the advocacy Of measures that are
addressed to the kindly sentiments, the
humane feelings, the spirit OF justice to the
weaker sex, and to popular emotions. :"
Thus they take active part in all the liquor
questions, the license issues, introduction
of liquor sales on Sunday and on election
days, etc.; the grant of the parliamentary
franchise to woman, the admission of
women to various institutions and occupa
tions, measures for the protection of ami
mails, etc. OF all these, the liquor ques
tions are by far the most prominent and
excite the most active interest. We are
told that nothing has exhibited more re-
markable advance in Great Britain than
the growth of the movement to restrain
the evils of the liquor traffic. That this
growth is manifest in America, though in
less degree, will scarcely be denied, al
though it has taken here somewhat
different form. Instead of restrictive
measures simply, in England the move
ment is in the hands of the teetotalers,
who demand the right of the rate.payers
of district to exercise power over the
grant of licenses, and these advocates are
now actually in majority in Parliament,
and only the precedence of Ministerial
measures restraints their legislation. Here
the high license movement does not en-
anate from the teetotaler element /; it
rather originates with, and is supported
by, the drinking public, the temperance
radicals either opposing on sentimental
grounds or giving but half. hearted and I'M
satisfying support. Here, too, there is no
marked prominence, as yet, of women in
the contest, but that they will soon take
position on the question is scarcely to be
doubted, and when they appear it will not
do for their opponents to hug the delusion
that they can accomplish nothing. In En-
gland women have, by this and other
questions, been drawn into active public
life, and have accomplished much they
have undertaken. For instance. they
have the advantage OF comparative leisure !;
their talents for conducting movement
have been trained and sharpened by expe-
rience; they command greater respect
from opponents than male antagonists ];
they are more bitter in controversy, more
dogmatic, and, it must be admitted, more
unfair at times These recitals will COM
mand the thought of those who have and
are giving attention to the natural history
of mankind and the progress of this age.
They cannot be said to indicate abnormal
phenomena rather they indicate the en-
largement of progressive ideas, the adj
vance OF truth, the bond the present gives
to the future for higher standards and
greater achievements.