Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-05-15
WOMEN IN sNousn POLITICS.

The part the women play In an Eng
iish election IL one of the things which
no American can accept as an Improve
ment over our own methods. IL may
either amuse him or shock him, but he
would not care io zee II adopted nj
home. The csnvasslng In the country
from cottage TO cottage he can under
stand; that seems possible enough. u
takes the form Of polite visit To the
tenants, and the real object IL cloaked
with few vague inquiries about the
health of the children or the condition
of the crops, and the trsctlike distribu-
tion of campaign documents. Hut In
town Il L. different. The Invasion of
bachelor apartments by young Primrose
Danes IL embarrassing and un-nicc,
and IL the sort Of thing wc would not
allow our sisters Ia do; and the house
toulouse canvass In the alleys Of White
chapel or among the savagcs OF Lam
beth, which results In insult and person.
nj abuse, is, to our way Of thinking, .
simple imposslbllity. The English, as .
rule, think We ALLOW our women Ia do
pretty much as they please, and u s
true that they do In many things enjoy
more freedom than the British cousins,
but the men In our country are not so
anxious To get Into Office, greedy NJ they
are after u, Asto allow their wives, in
order Ia attain that eud, Ia be even sub
ject Ia annoyance, certainly not to BE-
stoned or hustled on their feet or spat-
tered with the mud of the Mile-End
Road. ANY one In England Who follow
ed the election last year knows Ia the
wife of which distinguished candidate
and To the daughters Of which cabinet
minister refer.
have seen women of the beat class
struck by stones and eggs and dead fish,
and the game did not seem TO me to he
worth the candle. ] confess that at the
time was so intent In sdmlring their
pluck that it appeared To me ~ rather
line than otherwise, but from this calm
er distance I can see nothing In the
active work of the English woman In
politics which Justlies the risk abe volun-
tArily runs of Insult and lndignity and
todlly injury. A seat In the House
would hardly repay candidate for the
loss of one of his wifc's front teeth, and,
though that is putting IL brutally, IL IL
putting it fairly.
II would not be- fair. however, u ! left
the idea In the readers mind that the
women go into this work unwillingly ;
on the contrsry. they delight In Il. and
some of them are ne clever ~ u n the
men, and go 10 S great lengths, from
Mrs. I.sngtry. who plastered her house
from pavement to roof With red and
white posters for the Conservative can
didste, to the Duchesses Who sat at the
side of the member for Westminster and
regretted that Il threatened Ia be an or.
DERBY meeting. Il is Aiso only fair 90
add that many Of the most prominent
Engli.hmen In politics are a. much op-
posed to what they call the Interference
IL women la matters political a they
are Ia bribery and corruption, and
regard both elements of an electoral
campaign withs pronounced dlsfA,or.
The reply of the present President OF
the United States made To those enthusi-
astic and no doubt well.meaning women
who wished to form leagues and name
them after his wife, illustrates the spirit
with which the interference Of women In
politics .. regarded In this country. Hut
then Il IL = new thing with us, and II u
only right to remember tina, from the
days Of the Duchess Of De,onshlre's sen
timental canvass 10 the present, Engllsh
women have taken part In general
elections; that there II q precedent for
Il; aud when you have said that Of any
thing English, YOU have Justified II for
all time To come. The young American
girl Who would not think Il proper 20
address men from = platform and give
them chance to throw things st her, must
remember that the English girl would
not give the man she knew q cup OF tea
In the afternoon unless her mother were
In the room To take care Of her. And
am sure the women In My Candidates
campaign almost persuaded me that
they. ss the political agent declared, did
more than himself TO win the election
llsrper's Magazine.