The Washington critic., 1888-03-26
WOMEN ~ CnrNcIL.

WOMEN IN COUNCIL.
The international Council of
Women, now in session at Albaugh's
Opera-l House, is u distinguished
gathering, not only in quantity, but
quality, II includes most of those
who have been leaders in the cause Of
woman's elevation for years past and
whose impress upon The public mind
in that direction has been most forci-
bly felt.
They furnish in themselves the
best evidence that woman's capacity
aud merits have not been fully recog-
nized' that her place in the social
economy has been more or less under
rated; that her influence has never
been permitted to hold the sway in
public affairs to which it is by nature
entitled, and that broad fields of use
fitness, hitherto untitled and unoc-
cupied, remain to be opened to her no
longer questioned energies.
With possibly the exception of the
elective franchise all the objects
sought to be attained by these cham
pions and standard bearers of what
are popularity known as woman s
Rights have secured the approving
Judgment of mankind, even If they
are slow to secure con1rmatory legisla-
tion.
lsight-thinking men everywhere are
believers in the advancement of
womanhood to a just and equal place
in the sight of the law, in the inaugu.
ration Of all measures and the adop-
ton of all methods whereby un-
walrantable determinations against
women may be permanently done
away with; in their educational and
industrial development to the highest
degree possible, in an adjustment of
salaries and wages irrespective of sex
for the same quality of service and in
the practical admission of all claims
that women put forth for their fairer
recognition and better protection.
As to suffrage, there is q wide lati-
tude of opinion. In the minds of
many universal suffrage is not the
blessing that it is ordinarily assumed
lobe. There are not few WHO hold
that the limits of the franchise should
be cnrtailed rather than extended,
and that the purity of the bal.
lot-box can never be achieved
by multiplying its privileges. Even
admitting the natural right oi
women 10 vote, it is by no means
certain that the bestowal of the
right is generally desired, and it is
very doubtful whether it would be in
The line Of expedency to grant the
exercise of such Alright.
Believing as we do in imposing upor
the franchise certain conditions and
qualifications that do not now exist
and that civil service reform can never
accomplish its perfect work until it il
first applied TO the polls where thu
Civil'service Is created, we are not yet
prepared to advocate the introduction
of new element into the voting
population of the country as mean,
of purifying the ballot-box.
With the general purposes of til,
Council, however, THE CRIrIc i
wholly in sympathy. We would gran
our friends the right of suffrage if W,
felt that it would be of any special he'll
10 the enactment of better laws or th,
adoption of sounder policies, but thu
ballot is a doubtful quantity, 1t can
not always be counted on even undei
present conditions as invariably fo
the right. 1t is the reserve force o
The people that governs and will con
tinue togovern. We should be in nj
hurry TO increase the number of bal
lot-boXes.