The sun., 1896-10-29
Women in Public Life; an English
mans Plea Against Them.

Ccnturu Mr.. CHARLES SELBY OAKLEY OPP
poses the admission Of women to parlta-
mentary assemblies. OF course, IL women
are to vote for members of the House OF
Commons or for members of the House OF
Representatives, they cannot be long barred
out of those bodies; but Mr.. OAKLEY insists
that to let them in would be dangerous to
the men and to the community at large.
What Is the source of this danger? The
source Is the influence exercised by woman
over man, an influence so incessant, so
egregious and so unacceptable that man, in
| self-defence and in order to secure freedom
Of discussion. Is compelled to shut her out
! from those council chambers wherein laws
are made and administrative measures
determined According to Mr.. OAKLEY
there is and can be no such thing as bold
and searching freedom of discussion in as
semblies where men as we'll women are
disputants. He recalls with q word of ap-
proval DR.. JoHNsoN's saying, that the
influence of woman over man was so
superemnent that the law had wisely
deprived her OF all the legal rights which
could possibly be withheld from her. But
| how would this sexual influence be mischicv-
ously exercised where women took part in
! debatess Mr.. OAKLEY undertakes to show
| the harmful effects of it in the mixed dis
cussiou clubs, the Parish Councils, the Mu
ncipal Councils, and the Boards OF Guar
| diaus of the Poor, to which women are
already admissible in England. He contends
| that in mixed-discussion clubs the argu-
| ments of the women are not really met and
answered the men are conscious that they do
not dissect and answer them rs thoroughly
| as they can, or as they would answer their
| fellow men. What one sees is simply an
other phase Of the usual social game; the
| mixed debating clubs are like mixed lawn
tennis the real, unapproachable serve"
does not get delivered by the man to the
! woman, not even to the prOfesscd lawn
tennis playing woman. II the masculine
| server has had nice father and mother, his
| instincts prevent him from delivering it.
| In the matter Of physical rivalry, women
are more ready to recognize this, but al
though in mixed debating clubs precisely the
same thing happens, it is not SO readily ac-
knowledged by the sex. Now, why are not
the feminine arguments fairly met and
stoutly answered Because the man fears
loss OF favor. The retaliation Of fair argu-
ment he does not fear, but something else,
nesses to come. The consequence is
that the women are apt to 60 pressing on
with measureless belief in themselves,
innocent of the sturdy interruption
which would be administered to males
Aside from the principal objection
that truth is never thrashed out in
this way. there is mischief even in this self
deusion cultivated in the females. 1t leaves
in them the sense that the thing which is
not is, and this is n sense TO which, as a sex,
they are already prone. 1t leaves in them.
moreover, a sense of having vanquished
males and left them behind. from which
comfortable platform the females step forth
to other and more practical conquests.
Mr.. OAKLEY goes on to say that in parish
councils, the village hind, who for CEN
turies has possessed no initiative, does in
time pluck up courage to assert some OF his
newwon rights, provided only men are
present. There are parishes, it seems,
where peasants and small tradesmen can be
brought TO vote one of their own number
into the chair in the presence of the parson
and the squire. But put woman or two
among them and the peasant and the small
tradesman will stand tongue-tied in her
presence. She herself will rise with easy
nerve and will perhaps speak an hour
or two: but If, as more often happens. her
remarks are on the Tory side the case OF
the uuintluential will never get presented
If the lady happens to be titled one and
it happens very frequently then her ntlu-
ence in silencing discussion and in manag-
ing to get things decided in her own way
will be out of all proportion to the position
which she would have held there rs a man
of whatever station. In word, the pres
ence OF woman or two may make parish
councils imperative on the side of the peasant
forever. But, il the mischief of woman's 5
presence owing to the unfair influence
which she exercises in debate, can be more
distinctly recognized on the small but i'm
portant stage of parish council, it can,
according to Mr.. OAKLEY, be recognized rs
harmful over wider area, and as injuri-
ously affecting more general interests, in a
municipal council. AS to her participation
in debate among the Guardians of the
Poor the effect of this has been, it
is alleged, to stop the free play of
rational remark and contradiction, and
to secure for her own share Of asser-
tion and discussion n far larger immunity
from criticism, by reason of her sex, than
her influence and position could give, were
she male, Thus, in spite of n woman s
special aptitude for finding out certain fucts
of public import, Mr.. OAKLEY holds that
the license Of uncoutradicted assertion,
which by reason of her sex will almost al
ways be conceded to her. must outbalance
the advantage of her sitting even on boards.
To sum up his paraduxical position Mr..
OAKLEY maintains that the radical rela-
tions of man to woman We're settled by ma
ture long ago; that these are incompatible
with an uncompromising sitting of truth
in public debate; yet that this public de-
bate, whether in the large field Of legisla-
lures or in the lesser fields OF parish and
municipal councils, hospital boards, boards
OF Guardians of the Poor, and especially
boards concerned with education, is OF
more importance to n nation than any other
thing. What is here meant by the rad-
,a1ot ti.,V,.y - L.,