The herald., 1894-08-29
is WOMAN SUFFRAGE ON THE DEAD
HALT2

the situation in California there can be
very little doubt OF the result of the
impending election, which, by the way,
embraces q great variety of offices, rum
ming from township constable up to
Judge OF the supreme court, and taking
in the governor and all other state Off
cials, as a matter of course. The DEM
ocrats, in their minds, ore so uniformly
successful before the polls are opened or
closed that it looks ridiculous to ques.
tion tneir claims.
And yet sometimes they clip up, and
that most disastrously. Most people
would think that Governor Hsight,
alter having been triumphsntly elected
for q first term, would have been sue
cessful for another term. And yet this
quite natural result did not follow. Gov
ernor Haight, after having been tre-
mendously successful for first term.
was disastrously bsaten for a second. IL
really seems to be impossible to re-elect
any man to the gubeInatorial chair in
this state for the second term. In the
whole range of California history it was
only done once, and that was in the case
of John Bigler, OF happy memory.
Fora little while it appeared that light
ming might possibly have struck Cover
nor Markham for a second term, but
the whole episode was illusory. The
governor failed to throw out angles sutici-
emily acute to act as facets to the guber-
Material lightnings. He permitted the
opportunity to pass; aud whether it
was intellectual paralysis or paresis, no
body will probably ever know. The cpl
sode. at all events, was distinctly indi-
vidualized. Sufficiently go to dismiss
our Pasadena governor to private life
without any immediate prospect OF his
resurrection. Hereafter, to secure prom.
inence to any one in public life, here or
elsewhere, he must dive in early, and
chow that ne is with the masses up to
the chin.
Why should not the American voter
demand and receive the most elaborate
assurances before exercising the great
privilege Of the franchise? 1t really
seems to US that both the Democratic and
Populist and Republican parties dealt
with the issue OF female suffrage is a
spirit of persiflage. The Populists were
doubtless in earnest in conceding suf-
frage to women. They undoubtedly
thought that the easiest way out OF the
difficulty was to concede suffrage to the
fair sex.
The discussion Of this matter has ad-
vanced to point far beyond where il
was left by John Stuart Mill and Other
original advocates of woman suffrage.
That great English thinker was origin
ally in earnest, and when he perempto'
rily and absolutely dropped the propo-
sition it meant great deal. John Stu.
art Mill and other English thinkers
were followed by Prof. Goldwin Smith
and many others OF the most Intellectual
people OF the age. With singular con
! sietency, as preserving the chivalry O
the male sex, all these gentlemen, wht
have been foremost in the front, have
announced that they would stand up fol
female suffrage if the higher type OF the
society woman would also do 30.
Under the circumstances, the Demo-
Gratis seem to have been lacking in cour'
tesy as compared with the Republicans
and Populists, both Of which organiza
tions have INDUCED in grea: deal oi
lip service devotion to the fairer and
softer eex. And yet it by 10 means fol-
lows that the Democrat is less gallant
parties. He is simply waiting till the
higher types of the women with whom
he affilates shall demand sexual equal
ity before the law, and our word for il
be will be even more ELUSIVE than either
of his rivals, ii it is so demanded.