The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-11-08
THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE.

P"PSis Vh Tie penulni
; question OF extending to womer
municipal suffrage, which are O
! interest as affecting similar oues
tions of rights and expediency il
the Hawaiian Islands. At the No
vember election in Massachusett,
; all present male voters and a.
many women as are now entitled
) to vote on the election of schoo
committees by previous legislation
sixteen years ago are now asked by
balloting Eyes" or mo- to answer
the question: as it expedient that
municipal suffrage be granted tc
women?"
An active canvass has been in
progress, meetings held and ser.
mons are preached urging all to
vote the affirmative of this cues
ton. 1t has been submitted to
popular vote, previous to legisla
ton, much on the same principle
as the Swiss referendum submits
finally to popular vote the ratifca-
ton Of legislation proposed. The
demand is based on the idea of the
perfect equality of man and woman
in all the rights and duties of life.
1t is put forth as the logical last
step in the advances toward such
equality made in these recent years
in technical industries, the learned
professions, the higher education.
Self-ownership and self-direction
is the goal towards which all these
efforts point. Man goes limping
along while he might be striding
forward. The superior authority
claimed for the male sex is as dis
astrous to the one who exercises it
as to the one who submits to it.
The manly man is he who wants
woman at his side as counsellor,
helper. and guide, with her finer
instincts, stronger attachments, up
ward look. Woman's suffrage is
coming as sure as day follows
night.
Then comes the statelier Eden back
to men;
Then reign the worlds great bridals,
chaste and calm:
Then springs the crowDing race of
human kind.
But on the other hand some of
the foremost citizens have united
sending out a circular letter to
Massachusetts voters, advising
against this extension of the pres
ent right of suffrage. The United
States Supreme Court has rend-
cred a decision, endorsed by all
sound, logical, judicious thinkers,
that no man, nor any woman
either, has a natural, in
herent title as such to the
exercise OF the right of suf-
frage. The preamble to the consti-
tuition of Massachusetts embodies
this statement The whole people
covenants with each citizen, and
each citizen with the whole people,
that all shall be governed by GER
tain laws for the common good"
That expresses the distinction be-
tween the people and the citizens,
which obtains in the Republic OF
Hawaii as well in the State of
Massachusetts,. The incapacity of
women for all the duties of citizen
ship is fact of nature, not a con-
dition created by legislation. 1t is
illogical, unnatural, inexpedient,
that the power which makes the
laws should be vested in a body /
different from that which has the
power to enforce the laws. Equality
of opportunity does not mean
identity OF function. The offices
which women fulfil in the organ
ism of the State are different from
those of men, while, at the same
time, they are indispensable in
their normal conditions and rela-
tons. There is evident disadvan-
tage in merely doubling the num-
Der of votes without increasing
proportionally the power
of the State. Such an extension of
the suffrage would not promote the
welfare of women nor the we'll
being OF society. 1t would be in
imical to the highest development
sf that family life which is the