The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-06-02
Two Interesting Papers Presented
at a Woman's Gathering.
NOT AFTER OFFICE, BUT REFoRM
Two Convincing Arguments In Favor OF
Extending the Suffrage to Women
They Want Chance To Suppress FOL
fsfcians OF the Breckenridge School.

The following interesting papers
were read at the meeting of women
held short time since to promote
the cause of woman suffrage in Ha-
wall. They are, of course, both
written by women:
L have been asked to give, briefly,
our reasons for making our request.
I will try to give few leading rea-
sons in very few words.
The anti-suffrage women of New
York, in their protest against change
in the Constitution, striking out the
word male from Article H., Section 1,
make their first objection, because
Suffrage is to be regarded not as
privilege to be enjoyed, but as a duty
to be 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 be fully
alive to the duty involved. We rise
to a point of privilege, and wish to be
DcfllILIcu W w OA. W Y pAAO 90
deeply interested in good government
as men are. Our children are as dear
to US as they are to their fathers, and
we are anxious that the land should
be 30 governed that it shall be "A safe
home for them to grow up in-mOraily
safe as we'll as safe in other respects
Must it not be morally safe il it Is safe
in other respects?
q The educational influence or the
ballot. Comforting a new right and
new duty on broader lines. she will
talk with her husband, if she has one,
on something besides the latest diff
Guilty with the cook, or the gossip OF
the last lunch party, and 1t will give
new subjects of conversation when
women come Notwithstanding
with more thoughtfulness-and con-
seauentIy more developement in it
than the ordinary topics at present
furnish.
8. We are interested in certain re-
forms which we are anxious to see
well 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
spite of all that is 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 for
awhile-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. 1t is the right principle To with
hold the ballot from woman, because
she is woman, is wrong. She has
right to hold property, and, holding
property, she is bound to pay taxes.
It is therefore only common fairness
to let her have q voice in making the
laws under which she liz taxed.
Woman is patriotic and self-sacrific-
ing, and il sometimes she makes
mistakes and lets 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 Mr..
Breckenridge But I did not mean
to say anything snappish. Thank
God, this is al exceptional case, and
we trust such an exception will never
again come before a long suffering
public.
5. Wherever it has been tried, sta
tistics prove that it has wrought inn
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. L tell this as a secret If the
men want to think us angels, let
them, we will not worry over
it; but it is generally admitted
that women have, gu the whole,
keener consciences than men. don't
pretend TO say that the admission is
just, however, though we see thena
often acting on the principle that the
thing is right, when men set it aside
because they say il Is not eXpedient.
The fact already mentioned, that
women care less for office than men,
would often give them clearer view
of q 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, it is pre-eminentIy woman
ly and pre-eminently Christian. 1t is
no longer considered msnnish to adj
vocate woman'S suffrage; at least, 1t
Is not justly so considered. If you
look over the list of names in favor OF
the movement in New York alone,
you will see there leading women In
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:
'sThe wonaan's suffrage movement
has not heretofore been treated
seriously. The time has come when
it must be treated seriously. Every
woman is under sacred obligations TO
herself and her children to ponder it
carefully and weigh well the argu-
ments, pro and CON- We ask, there
fore, that the women of Honolulu
look upon the subject in this light
seriously, carefully, prayerfully. 1t is
q 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 to more faith
fulness in their duty.