The San Francisco call., 1896-07-02

TINS afternoon declare itself to be an advo-
cate of woman's suffrage.
L'Italla, as its name implies, is pub
lished in the Italian tongue. 1t is stanch
Republican organ, and considers it the
duty OF Republican newspaper to uphold
the plank which was adopted at the Sac
ramento convention. In addition 10 this,
Its editors are also personally in sympathy
with the suffrage movement. Something
OF the papers influence may be gathered
from the fact that it recently started a
subscription for the widows and orphans
of soldiers who had fallen in Abyssinia
Most of the subscribers were laboring men
who sent their mite, often small as 1ocents,
but the money poured in from all parts of
the State and the Minister of War has
already acknowledged the receipt from
L'ltalia S fund of $4,000.
Most of these contributors are voters
and there is little doubt but that many of
them viii be swayed to vote for the amend
ment by L'Italia's action.
The following is a translation of the
manifesto which Italia will publish this
afternoon on the suffrage question::
I'm the programme of the great Repub~
lican party, accepted at the convention of
st. Louis, prominent part is devoted to
the rights of women.
After the progressive movement which
IN these latter years has been manifested IN
the feminine ranks, and especially after
the Chicago Exposition, it had become i'm
possible, or at least impolitic, not TO keep
calculation of the movement, and there
fore, according TO us, the Republican
party did well TO extend the hand to the
feminine committee that was marveIously
organized TO obtain those rights, civil
and political, that have hitherto been de-
MED to women. In the aforementioned
programme it is said: We favor the ad-
mission of women into the vaster spheres
of utility and well-being, and appreciate
their cooperation in liberating the coun-
try from the bad government of the Dem
ocrats and Populists.'
without entering into the merits of the
somewhat partisan considerations of this
paragraph-to use women to liberate the
country from the bad government of the
Democrats and Populists-because it reads
like rhetorical phrase, and nothing more
we entirely accept the idea that woman,
when she has the right to vote and be
elected TO office, can become most precious
element in the municipal administration
in charitable work, and in time also in the
legislative halls OF both State and Nation.
"One can understand that in old Europe.
where the higher studies are almost ex-
ciusively conducted by men, it is a very
difficult problem to give suffrage to
woman; but here in the United States,
where doctors, lawyers and professors of
the feminine sex abound; here in this
country where woman has known how to
acquire Offices and employments before
held exclusively by men, it is becoming
an absolute necessity to keep count of
feminine demands.
"The St. Louis convention well under
stood this, and from the support of the
feminine societies much force is already
being acquired toward the definite, ulti-
mate victory of the party, even though
that support is at present only indirect
ITO delude one's S self with the belief that
the feminine movement can be arrested
is a blind idea, because the movement
grows each day, and woman lit is impossi-
ble to deny III is endowed with tenacity
and force OF will stronger than that of
man.
't-rhe sacrifices of which she is capable
as mother, sister and wife, her attachment
TO home, the domestic economy of which
she is master, are facts that cannot be de-
MED and that give safe assurance that also
in wider field, such as public admins
tration, she would be o. incalcuJable
benefit.
Corruption, the fretting moth of every
form of government, would find restraint
in her because woman is more moral than
man.
Socialism is much under discussion to-
day and SO many high intellects are con-
verted to the new faith that it becomes
idle to dispute whether one should con- |
cede the right of voting to women. He |
who does not fear the greater should not |