The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-22
WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN GREAT
BRITAIN.
[From lie Indianapolig News.l

Prof. W. G. Blake, in the current
North American. sums up the move
ment for women's rights in Great
Britain. It began as early as 1892 with
the publication by Mary WOIstonecraft
of 1.-The Vindication of Rights of Wom-
en- In the 1O4 years since then the
movement is now in a fair way to end
with the attainment of the right of
parliamentary suffrage. The contest
has been along three lines: to secure
higher education in the universities;
to secure medical education with a
view to practice; to secure the fran
chise. The first attempt to secure ad-
mission to the universities was made
in 1856 at the London university by an
application to the medical faculty. 1t
was repulsed with the statement that
powered to admit women as candidates
for the medical degree. Six years
later Miss Garrett offered herself for
naturalization. A motion for the modi-
fcation of the charter so as to allow
female students was lost by the vote of
the chancellor.
After this nothing was done for years
when the managers of the movement
petitioned to be allowed to pass uni
versity local examinations. The Uni
versity of Cambridge allowed this con-
ditionally, and similar concessions
were afterward made elsewhere. But
as there were many women who want
ed to go beyond the standard of local
examinations, an effort for a school was
made that resulted in the establish
ment of Girton and Newman colleges
at Cambridge two years later. In OK
ford in 1873 SomervilIe Hall and Lady
Margaret Hall were opened for the ad-
mission of students. Since then young
women have repeatedly gained ahigh
honors in both of the universities Miss
Philippa Fawcett. it will be remem-
bered, gaining the highest distinction
at Cambridge, which was a certificate
declaring that if she had been a man
she would have been senior wrangler.
In 1895 the University of Durham
agreed to grant degrees to women ex-
cept in the faculty of theology. In 1865
Edinburg opened its local examination
to girls. In Glasgow similar steps
were taken, and since 1892 it has been
lawful for ali Scottish universities to
admit women to graduation.
The struggle for medical education be-
gan in 1869 by application to the medi-
cal school in Edinburgh. It met with
refusal. Similar refusals followed at
the universities of St-Andrews and Dur
ham, while an attempt to start q. medi-
cal school for women in London failed
because none of the examining boards
would accept the schools certificates
The College of Physicians of Dublin, in
1876, agreed to acknowledge the Lon
don school and to admit women on the
same terms as men. About the same
time they were allowed to attend a hos
pitaI in the neighborhood of their school
in London. In 1892 they were admitted
to medical education in Scotland by the
passage of the general act noted above.
The struggle for parliamentary fran
chise, Prof. Blake points out, has not
met with the vehement opposition that
the effort for medical education met
This, he says, is because there is no
particular class of men interested in
opposing the demand, and because it is
not easy to give a reason under prop
erty qualification of franchise why a
woman who owns property shall not
vote, yet why man who does shall
Women in Great Britain now are anti
ted to municipal, school board, board
of guardians and county council suf-
frage, and they are eligible on all these
boards except in the town and county
councils. The last report of the Wo-
mems Suffrage society, published in
June of this year, declares that the re-
suit of the last parliamentary election |
was to increase the number of friends
to the cause in parliament