New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-06
WOMEN AND THE FRANCHISE BILL-MfS-
CELLANEOUS.

INV" ~" LONDON June II.
Mr. Gladstoues speech on Tuesday against the
proposed woman suffrage amendment to the ran
cbise bill is well enough described by opponent
as a speech of passionate ervor tie dec lned 10 ds-
cuss if il tine the general question whether women
oupit TO vote or not But he then went on to de-
scribe if ~ y question of immense difficulty ques-
ton mon which nothing hasty should he done
oucstion which requires absolutely TO he sftcd to
tbe haitian and which ought TO he ASSOCIATED from
any movement Of party and every important poitl
cal consideration. He describes himself moreover
AZ not holding extreme views on this question:
Clearly he does not But he takes q strong COM
mon sense view. lie recognizes "a" zeal ana hohor
able purpose of such advocates of woman suffrage
M Mr. Woodall who offers this amendment. he
.s willing 20 admit that the arguments IN TIE iavor
are wpiphty INT he Ia Obviously not wiling =" soc
women. no matter how well qualified for duties on
school boards and tho like. pat on an equal footing
with men on the stormy aca of politics.
Take the qucatlon ont OF the vortex Of political
strife s his advice 10 the friends of thc fonae fran
chise. By way Of encouraging Thorn 90 do So ho re-
fu.es IA the most energetic manner 30 have 10 mixed
mn win the present measure That IN 10 measure Tor
enf,anchsing two millions Of men, II TX arelhy .
comprehensive bill 10 * bcsct with difficulties. The
Government has its hands full, and IL buTdcnod
with engagements of every kind. It's paramount
duty Is 10 pilot this ship 20 port If It can and the
cargo which the vessel already carries X, IN MI
Gladstoncs opinion, ~ large ~ she can carry safely
70 take woman suffrage on board would be to add
10 the risks of the voyage, already greater than ever
imperillcd similar enterprise. ~ Tor once MT
Gladstone speaks plainly He declines the respon-
sibillty now sought 10 be imposed on him " offer
TO this proposal" says the Prime Minister, the
strongest opposition in my power, and must dis
claim and rcnounce all responsibility for the meas
ure should my honorable friend succeed in inducing
the Committee TO adopt his proposal
OF course after that it was sure TO be rejected by
an overwhelming majority. One of the leading
American advocates OF woman suffrage Mr. Mon
cure Conway, told US not long ago win much
solennity that if defeated now the measure would
pass out of the region of practical politics in Eng
land and be recognized for generations to come as
a mere crotchet. | hope his forecast is true but
am not sure. The Tories have long been of opinion
that party capital was to be made out OF women
They still think Some OF It's strongest advocates
sit ON the Tory side of the House. The Tory press
is for it, The shade of Lord Beaconsfeld has been
invoked to testify in its favor, and Lord John Man
ners comes forward to affirm that he knows Of his
own knowledge that the great lingo strongly ap-
proved of granting votes to women. Was it be-
cause he thought they could be trusted to vote in
favor OF a policy of passion and sentimenti By one
party OF the other half a million votes may be won
The Liberals are alive to the value Of half million
votes. and would like 10 secure them. Many
Liberals and important Liberal journals,
while bowing to the authority of Mr. Gladstone
now, adhere Just as firmly ever to the principle
of the proposal. and proclaim their fidelity in tie
future to the cause which for the moment Is lost
The women who conduct the agitation are very
keen about il, and many of them would be without
a vocation should it be dropped. So that, on the
whole it is to be feared that the snake is scotched
not killed..
The scotchIng however. was of pretty eifectua
kind. For Mr.. WoodalPs amendment 135. against
oil majority 1856, or one more than the total mum
Der of supporters of womans suffrage in the House
of Commons The Liberals who remained obdurate
to MI Gladstones appeal thirty-one in num-
Der. including no man OF first-rate position Mr..
Stansfeld Sir Wilfrid Lawson. Mr.. Stogy and Mr..
Jacob mot john Bright perhaps the most con
spcuOus The rest of the minority was made up OF
Tories and Home Rulers. The ssterhcod has the
vote of Sir Stafford Northcote and other occupants
of the Tory Front Bench. They had also all the
moral weight attaching to the support Of their
cause by Mr. Biggar, Mr. Mccarthy and Mr.. I. p.
OConnor. Perhaps the great names OF Mr.. Ash
mead Bartlett and Sir Edward Watkin, who were
also of the female phalcnx, ought not to be omitted
of winning; less in fact, for change of nine votes
would have given female suffrage majority OF one
the figures then being 1870 to ia.
Whatever else may be sail of the present d-
vision, it shows a good state of discipline in the
Liberal ranks. Many Liberals beside the thirty
one who stuck to Mr.. Woodall are known to favor
this fad. They. however, Loyalty needed the warn
ing of their chief and refused to mperil the Fran
chse bill. If Mr. Gladstone had spoken with equal
decision in an early stage of the Bradlaugh BUSH
ness his supporters would probably have followed
him with not less fidelity. He refused because it
was matter of conscience He now enfoTces party
discipline in a where many Liberals would
have told him. and did tell him, they had couscien-
tious convictions in opposition to his. None the
less they were called upon, and rightly called upon
TO sacrifice them. or to postpone the application of
them TO a more convenient season.
The women who figure leaders in this question
are said TO be furious against Mr. Gladstone. They
held meeting next day, at which Miss Becker and
others distinguished themselves by some rather
shrill invectye. One lady, Miss Beirne or Bairne.
wanted to know how it was that the descendants of
men who had cut of the head of Charles l. now
endured the tyranny of William the Woman-Ha
| suppose by this alliteratve phrase we are 20
understand Mr.. Gladstone is intended. Mr.. STAINS
field was present and picked mp the glove the Prime
Minister had thrown down mot a lady's glove) lie
declared that in defiance of Mr. Gadstone's warning
the question should become of practical politics.
and gave il to Misunderstood that female suffrage is
henceforward TO be propounded to every candidate,
and that every candidate who refuses to pledge
himself to it shall be opposedby the whole strength
of these female legions. Wing and Tory, Liberal
and Conservative are terms which shall hereafter
have no meaning for those who think women ought
to vote. Like the fearless band who devote them