The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-06-05

The following interesting papers
were read at the meeting of women
held a short time since to promote
the cause of woman suffrage in HA-
wall. They are, of course, both
written by women:
I have been asked to give, briefly,
our reasons for making our request.
I will try to give a few leading rea-
SOS in very few words.
The anti-suffrage women of New
York. in their protest against change
in the Constitution, str king out the
word no lie from Article IL, Section /,
make their first objection, because
Suffrage is to be regarded not as
privilege to he enjoyed, but as duty
10 he performed"
We believe it is both. No man who
has held this right of suffrage would
be willing to forego that right even
though he may not always he fully
alive TO the duty involved. We rise
TO a point of privilege, and wish To be
Dermitt-d to do our duty. We are a.
deeply interested in good government
a. men are. Our children are as dear
to Us as they are to their fathers, ann
we are anxious tina, the land should
be so governed that it shall be n safe
home for them to grow up in-m"rdily
safe a. we'll as safe in other Respects.
Must il not be morally safe if II Is sale
in other respects?
> The educational influence OF the
ballot. Couferriug a new right anu "a
new duty on broader lines, she Will
talk with her husband, if She has Que,
on something besides the latest diti1
Guilty with the cook, or the gossip of
the last lunch party, and il Will give
new subjects of conversation when
women come Notwithstanding
with more thOughtfuiness-and con-
sequently more developement IN 1t
than the ordinary topics at present
furnish.
8. We are interested in certain re
forms which we are anxious to see
we'll developed. We have tried var
ious influences on the minds and con-
sciences of legislators, but have not
prevailed as we feel we should. In
suite of all that il said as to the super
iority of persuasion over force, We are
forced To the conclusion that we have
little power of persuasion, and would
like to try the force of the ballot Tor
awhils-and one thing we would be
glad to reform would be the ballot
itself. We are less anxious for Office
than men, but We are interested In
seeing the best men in office.
4. II is the right principle. 10 with
hold the ballot from woman, because
she is a woman, is wrong. She has
right TO hold property, and, holding
property, she is bound to pay taxes.
II is therefore only common fairness
to let her have voice in making the
laws under which she Is taxed.
Woman is patriotic and self-sacrlflc-
ing, and if sometimes she makes
mistakes and let's her heart run away
with her head, is she more liable to
let her evil genius run away with
both head and heart than the oppo-
site sex? Witness the case OF MIR.
Breckenridge But / did not can
TO say anything snappish. Thank
God, this is an exceptional case, aud
we trust such an exception will never
again come before a long-suttering
public.
5. Wherever it has been tried, sta
tistics prove that it has wrought i'm
prOvement in the moral atmosphere
Of the community. | am far from
claiming that women are angels with
wings only chained by their basques,
ready to spread as soon as the slight
bond is removed. We are awfully
human. / tell this as secret. If the
men want to think us angels, let
them, we will not worry over
il; but it is generally admitted
that women have, on the whole,
keener consciences than men. ldon't
pretend TO say that the admission Is
just, however, though We ste them
often acting on the principle that the
thing is right, when men set it aside
because they say it is not eXpvdient.
The fact already mentioned, that
women care less for office than men,
would often give them clearer view
OF measure than the men would
dare take 1.-THE office-seeking men, |
mean, fearing to affect their chances
OF election To the office sought.
Finally, il i pre-eminenuy woman
ly and pTe-emiueutly Christian. 1t Is
no longer considered mtnGish to adj
vOcate womau's suffrage; at least, 1t
j. not justly so considered. If you
look over the list of names in favor Of
the movement in New York alone,
YOU VIII see lntIt ltdhluB NOu1cl III
society, as well as in the work-a-day
world. The very -Four Hundred are
moved to consider the subject serious
ly. The Outlook says, and you know
this paper opposes wOman's suffrage:
"rhe wOmans suffrage movement
has not heretofore been treated
seriously. The time has come when
il must be treated seriously. Every
woman is under sacred Obligations TO
herself and her children To ponder il
carefully and weigh well the argu-
ments, pro and con-" We ask, there
fore, that the women of Honolulu
look upon the subject 10 this light
seriously, carefully, prayerfully. 1t is
a matter that should interest every
one.
One more reason is just offered. 1t
Is that the active interest of women
IN politics stirs the men 20 more faith
fulness in their duty.