Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-12-08

Women and Politics.
The newspapers Of this country repre-
senting all classes and all parties are 10
clined TO ridicnle Mrs. Leases ambition to
he elected United States senator from Kan
sas, and under the circumstances this is
only natural. The discussion, however, is
preparing the public Tor what to all appear.
ances is soon to take place-the formal en-
try of women into politics Women may
not be given the right to vote but nature
has endowed them with the ability to talk
and they generally succeed in demonstra-
ting their right to indulge in this pastime
to the complete satisfaction OF all concern
ed. That women eau successfully compete
with the lords of creation in politics and
especially in political discussions Is not to
be doubted. Women have now entered
about every field of activity and usefulness
formerly occupied exclusively by the male
sex aud they have almost invariably been
able to hold their own in the general compe-
tition, while in not few callngs they have
crowded cut their male competitors to a
marked degree. As clerks, as typowriters
and as employees i'll a great variety of indus
tries they are in many cases preferred to
men, and their list OF employ ments is con
stantly increasing As proprietors OF vari-
Gus Kinds Of business, women have been
very successful, displaying q shrewdness
and executive ability which has enabled
them to equal if not to excel their male
competitors. Women have not entered the
professions so numerously they have the
humber pursuits, but wherever they have
done so they have generally scored salts
factory if not a brilliant success.
There is every reason to suppose. there
fore, that women would make successful
politicians and in many of the arts of per-
suasion of which the politician must be a
master a woman is mans acknowledged
superior. That women are capable of poll
tcn work is well shown in the Forum for
December by Mrs. Fawcett, who quotes ex-
amples from history as follows:
at is not u little remarkable that nearly
every country that admits the right of a
woman to succeed to the crown has had
female sovereigns in the highest rank as
patriotic statesmen and skifu admnistra-
tors. The names of Isabella of CASTLE and
Maria Theresa will rise ut once TO every lip;
a,
where the general position OF women is so
degraded, many native States have been
governed by able and devoted female
sovereiGns. But the most valuable historic
cal evidence of tine capacity of women for
political affairs is TO be found in the names
Of the English queens. Mary, the wife of
! William Ill, is hardly to be counted for
/ though in name a queen rsguant, her po-
litical influence was hardly more than that
of queen consort. But il we take the
other four queens reGnant, three Of them,
/ Elizabeth, Anne and Victoria, occupy the
highest position ON the rol-ca Of sovsreigns
who have been successful in building up the
. strength and glory of England, developing
| her power and resources al homo and abroad
in frugal domestic administration, and in
| subordinating private desires and inclina-
tions to political duties. The high percent
age of first classes and the small percent
| age of failures among women who have
reigned appear to indicate in pretty de-
cisive manner that women have at any rate
no natural incapacity to grasp the import
of political affairs"
But whether or not women can success
fully compete with men in politics, it is very
evident that there is strong disposition on
the part of some OF their number to make a
trial of the experiment. Woman sutfragists
have been more or less successful in all parts
of the Union and their champions have fire.
| quently taken this field as candidates for
office but the successful female politician is
d product of our Western civilization
| There is growing disposition in the Western
States to place women upon the same plane
! as men as regards political rights and al
though it may require years, the Western
idea will gradually spread to other
sections, as has been the case In other mat
ters. Mrs. Lease is an extreme type of the
Western female politician, and the public
will undoubtedly prefer to choose as rep
resentatlve type Miss Ella F. Knowles, the
young and attractive lady who has lust
been elected attorney general OF Montana,
and Of whom the highest praise is spoken.
The appearance OF these and other
women in Western politics is not
the result of dlstinctively woman suffrage
movement, but 1t is one of the features OF
the general movement in the West which
has eliminated in popuism 1t will prob
ably DO only question of time when
women in other parts of the country will
enter politics, but the example is not likely
to become popular for many years. Women
may be successful politicians, but there will
probably not be many OF them even with
woman suffrage In force until there has
been q revolution in our political methods.
Preserve the Forosts.