Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-04
OUR LONDON LETTER.
WoMLA's SUFFRAGE IN THE TwI.
LIGHT OF SUCCESS.
Money not Brains Determines Who May
Vote-The Social EviI-Its Cause
and a Remedy adopted.
LONDON. July u, 1883.

LONDON, July II, 1883.
"a reign of omnipotent fads." Such
was the expression used by Mr.. Beresford
Hope in the recent debate on womans suf-
frage to characterize the tendency to inno-
walton and change which has 60 frequently
asserted itself during the present session of
Parliament. The phrase, however, was
overdrawn, for many Of the so.called fads,
far from proving omnipotent, have been
successfully resisted and squeiched. Such,
as your readers are aware, was the fate of
the particular proposition that called forth
this remark, though the small majority of
16 against It, out of total vote of IA.
shows how nearly irresistible it was, and
makes it certain that ere long it will come
before the House again with increased force
and prestige. The movement for confer
ring the electoral franchise on females in
this country must not be confonnded with
that going by similar name in the United
States, for the two are materially different
from each other, as, in fact, they could not
help being, owing to the different social
and political conditions existing in the two
countries. Where all the men are allowed
to vote, as in our country, reform which
proposes TO admit women TO the same priv
ilege naturally asks for the enfranchise.
ment of all women, but where, as in Eng.
land, only portion of the males enjoy the
suffrage, it follows inevitably that only
limited franchise can be demanded for the
females. The qualification for voters in
Great Britain has always been . property
one.
QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS.
At the present time man to be eligible
to vote for member Of Parliament must,
if he be registered in county, be either
freeholder OF the oceupier of premises rated
for taxes on the basis Of yearly rental of
$50. A freebooter can vote if the land he
possesses be worth only $40, but as little
land ever Lasses from it's original owners,
who are usually large proprietors, and as
$50 rent is D very high one for person
living outside OF the large towns, the coun-
ty franchise is, as a matter of course, very
limited, only the few voting aud too many
being debsrrsd. In populous boroughs the
case Is different. There every householder
can vote, If be is rated for the relief of
the poor, be his rental what it may, and
even dodgers can exercise this privilege if
what they psy for their apartments amounts
to $50 annually. These conditions, how
ever, exclude the majority Of dodgers and
shut out not few of the very poorest vo-
ters, so that the suffrage is limited even
among the male residents of the large
towns. To ask for universal female suf-
frage would, therefore, under these eircum
stances be gross absurdity, and to confer
it grave injuetiee 70 the IoTis OF creation.
The most that could bs done with any
show Of reason was what has been done,
namely, to ask that those women shall be
admitted TO the franchise who possess the
property qualifications which are at pres
ent required in male voters. Such was the
limit of the proposal made in the House of
Commons on Friday night by Hugh Ma
son. and that gentleman answered MS fell
low members that rather than ask for more
than this he would wash his hands of the
matter entirely, q sentiment afterwards re-
lterated by other advocates of the measure.
LIE LIhAAE4 CdANAClEIS Of HE Dt1MANO
Had, doubtless. not q little to do in bring
ing the motion 60 near its passage, just as
Che sweeping nature of the change asked
IN the United States has always of neces-
sity initiated against il. In England, how
ever, many other circumstances peculiar to
the country have added strength TO this
movement, Not without effect mas it been
urged again and again by those who
wculd fain give woman voice in the
election Of members Of Parliament that
this country mas long been governed by
woman, and well governed. 1t is not
known that the Queen personally favors
the woman suffrage agitation, but certainly
her position and character have given it
dignity and strength. Then, cogent rea-
scn for the conservative change asked IS in
the comparatively large number Of females
here who have financial interest in the
good government of the country, but who,
uuder existing conditions, are allowed no
Parliamentary voice In determining how its
affairs shall be conduc. ed. OF the 800 SAT
land owners in England and Wales, 81, S06
are women, O proportion Of oneinsevep, while
in Ireland the proportion is one In eight.
Assuming the same proportion with refer
eDce to householders, there are between
500, 900 and 400, 900 women in the United
Kingdom rated to the relief of the poor
paying the same taxes as men, having the
same responsibilities and mourning the
same penalties, who, nevertheless, are ex-
alluded from the Parliamentary franchise
kxED AND RATED WITHOUT BEING REP
RESENTED.
Baron De Worms, one of the Jewish NJ.
P's, who brought out these points, also
called attention TO the fact that in the
event of borough being corrupted and an
investigation following, tGe expenses of
such investigation would be assessed indis.
criminately upon all the rate.payers in the
place, and he instanced case, that of the
borough Of Macclesfeld, in which this had
recently been done, the women who owned
or held houses, though they had no vote in
the election at which the corrupt practices
occurred, having to pay an equal share of
the damages with the men who did vote.
Naturally such facts as these have great
weight with persons given to reflection,
and they doubtless have won friends
among this class TO the cause of woman's
acknowledgements, That, however. which
has given the greatest strength to the
movement for allowing women to vote for
members of Parliament, is the fact that in
municipal affairs they already enjoy this
privilege. They can vote for guardians of
the poor, and also for school trustees, and
indeed they are eligible to serve as mem
bers of those Boards. So admirably, too,
have they used the electoral power within
this restricted sphere that what was at
first only an experiment is now admitted
by those even who most strenuously op'
posed it to be grand success. Their votes
in these local elections have had salutary
effect on the constitution of the bodies
concerned, and SO we'll have they acquitted
themselves wherever they have become
members of these Boards that their pres
ence and services in this capacity ara said
to be in demand everywhere. The argu-
ment from all this is plain, and with many
members Of Parliament, though not with
sufficient number, it proved irresistible.
In the
DEBATE AND VOTE ON THIS QUESTION
There was mixing up of parties such as
seldom occurs here. Mr.. Gladstone voted
in opposition Co the motion, but other
prominent Liberals gave it their support
G. - IL, .kro,cazt sreaobaa l., a. e.,-o-