The Washington bee., 1894-03-17
WOMEN IN NEW ZEALAND POLITICS,
How They Worked and Voted for Their
Candidates, and Elected Them, Too.

How They Worked and Voted for Their
Candidates, and Elected Them, Too.
In the recent general elections for
members of the New Zealand House
of Representatives, for the first time
in any British colony every woman
over twenty-one years Of age possessed
equal voting rights to those held by
men. Women Of the colony, says a
Wellington correspondent, developed
a remarkable keenness for politics.
They registered in thousands, and
throughout the whole election cam
paign displayed a most laudable de-
sire to learn their new duties. After
noon meetings for women only, at
which the more social side of politics
instructed how to use their votes, be-
came part of every candidates work.
Heckling there often was, and that of
the keenest description, so much so
that some candidates are said to have
declared they would sooner face dou-
BILE the number of men than be hauled
over the Goals as they were by these
gentle electors.
With all the impulsiveness Of their
sex, the women became almost more
partisan than the men, and lucky was
the candidate whom they favored. For
him were crowded and enthusiastic
meetings, ovations when he rose, and
often showers of bouquets when he
sat down, while in many cases the
vote of thanks and confidence was
moved or seconded by some blushing
elector who heard her own voice for
the first time in public. Women
thronged his committee rooms, and
canvassed for votes with a charming
persistence which would not be denied.
The whole battery of women's argu-
ments, personal and theoretical, was
brought to bear On the recalcitrant
male elector who was suspected of a
leaning to the other side, and, as has
been said, throughout the whole of the
campaign the newly enfranchised took
a deep interest in the questions at is
sue and in the result of the contest.
1t is gratifying to be able to say
that, as was expected would be the
case, wOmen'S influence was wholly
for good i'll the conduct of one Of the
most keenly contested elections that
has ever been held in New Zealand.
and in no case, so far as can be ascer-
tained, was a candidate subjected to
the indignities which have at other
times disgraced political meetings Dis
sent and disapproval were, of course,
frequently expressed; but such tangi-
BILE forms of disapprobation of the
speakers remarks as rotten eggs were
but very rarely resorted to; and. con-
sidering the length and bitterness of
the contest, it is a pleasanter one to
look back upon than any previous one.
The election day was a typical New
Zealand November day. The women,
as rule, cast their votes early, so as
to avoid the crushing which always oc-
ours in the afternoon and evening, and
they went about their tasks with a
gravity which betokened their sense of
their responsibilities. They showed, it
is true, some degree Of nervousness.
and good many, when the eventful
hour arrived, displayed some slight re-
luctance to enter the booths; but that
was soon overcome as they saw their
more self-possessed sisters safely
emerge from the ordeal, and receive ,
their assurances that it was very easy.
The result was that when the polls
closed it was estimated that one-third
Of those who had recorded their votes
were women, and it is to the credit of
the latter that the number Of informal
votes was surprisingly small.-Bir-
mingham Daily Post.