The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-25

Democrat.
FUTURE OF FEMALE SUFFRAGE.
In proof that the new woman wave
has not receded into the calm surface
OF the past with no ripple to mark the
place it sank, comes the word that pub
lie meetings everywhere are being at
tended by an unusually large number
of women
While it is true that they cannot vote,
the fact that they are exercising such
an earnest attention in the campaign
means that they do have influence and
will use it.
A party which called upon Major Nc
Kinley Wednesday last was addressed
by him with the words: Il am espe-
cialiy glad to make suitable recognition
Of the women who have honored me
with their presence today. They are
mighty factor in our progress and CIVIL
ization and they have been most poten-
tial in every crisis of American history.
l am very glad to know that they are
interested in the party Of good morals.
good policies. good government anu
public and private honesty.
But McKinley's assumption that the
women are all on the side OF the Re-
publican party in this campaign Is not
true by any means. Bryan has great
following among them, many choosing
him as a favorite out of sympathy for
him in his hopeless fight regardless OF
the issues and their purport. This re-
newed interest in public affairs on the
part of the women indicates clearly
that the question of female suffrage is
not to disappear. And where Will 1t
come up? Not ON Mr.. Bryan's side
lust now at least The Populist plat
form at ST. Louis ignored the female
suffragists, although the Populist party
had been up to that date the one ma
tional champion of female suffrage.
But the Populist omitted it this last
time for the express purpose or hold
ing the southern Democratic and north
ern conservative vote for Mr.. Bryan.
The Democratic party OF the country
has been conspicuously the anti-suf-
frage party of the country. TO have
made its candidate stand upon female
suffrage plank would have been more
ruinous to him than any of the planks
he is defending today.
Consequently the Populists dropped
female suffrage. But female suffrage
is still to be agitated and advocated
and it is a matter Of some curiosity 10
know which party will take 1T for a
tenet. The next election will tell to
degree. When the figures are all In,
in November, Bryan may find it neces-
sary to choose for the future between
the Populist and the Democratic party.
The Palmer vote may be so large or
so located in the south that Bryan VIII
take the Populist party as his future
political field. His speeches In tone
and subject matter indicate that ne Will
end up in the Populist camp before he
is through. 1t is hardly possible that
the Democratic party will again ally IT.
self with the Populist party in 1900.
1t may be that no Democratic party OF
magnitude will be then in the field.
Those who have studied Populism
know that it will not die out In the
next four years, and just as it is today
more united and more powerful than
the old Democratic party, so In four
wears in all likelihood it will be the Re
publican party's leading opponent. IL
then. that is the case. the Republican
party will in the nature OF things be-
come the conservative party OF the
country and will avoid female suffrage,
while the Populists of 1900 will surely
indorse it, throwing in the south and IN
the north a tremendous conservative
vote away and welcoming few agita-
tors of the fair sex who are pinlng Tor
publicity.
If there is to bew alignment or par
tics in this country it will take more
than four years to consummate II. But
when it is consummated the anu-he-
nublican element will be the advocates
of female suffrage.