The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-07

those who want to agitate for suffrage first OF
all. and those who maintain that there are
other privileges more needed by women than
the franchise. The interests OF the latter are
mostly educational. They insist on keeping out
OF politics. Frauiein Helena Langc. who l. a
director of the Girls Gymnasium in Berlin, and
Frau Schrader, who Is at the head Of the Pesta.
lozzi. Froebel Haus,and is herself n grandnicce OF
Froebel. might stand for representatives OF this
class. These more conservative women seem TO
have the larger following in the Framework.
Those German women who want TO vote are.
necessarily, allies OF tho Social Democrats, for
1t is the latter alone that espouse. In the Reich
stag. the cause OF woman suffrage. The Social
Democratic party put a woman's rights plank
into It's platform several years ago, and In Feb
rnary. 1888. August lIebel. one of It's leaders.
introduced the Woman's emancipation bill into
the German Parliament. As the Social Demo.
cratic PARTY Is composed mostly OF working
men, ultra-liberals. and Missionaries, IL follows
that few of the women of higher social position
IN the empire are interested in this movement.
II Is the women Of tho working class, or, nj
best, of the great middle class who want to be
emancipated. Tho wives and daughters OF
MOBILES. military officials, and university pro.
fessors are satisfied With kinder, Kueche. and
Kircho," the gospel OF the three KS, which the
Emperor declares should he enough for any wo-
man. Bebel, in speaking OF the rapid growth
among self-supporting women OF tho desire for
the ballot, said: "A Few years ago II n %petition
for woman suffrage had been circulated. IL
would have received only n fow hundred sigma.
lures: to. day It II signed by $1,000 women from
tho hest circles of the middle class
About the time that Bebcl was pleading their
cause advanced women In Germany were much
agitated over the proposed anti-socialIst bill
| which thu SncIulIata ,ysra urh,In, l. ,..I
have forbidden any one To speak publicly
against any German laws pertaining to family,
moved many women to discuss certain oh.
nnaious laws resarhlng the family and mar.
opposing the bill, That circumstance ii"mtinrd
them still more with tho Social Democratic
party; A. this time women ran a double dan.
ger III puoliclN. COnfessing their allegiance
to tho Social Democratic party. ior
Al old law prohtolts women, scholars,
and apprentices" from belonging 10 any
political society, or speaking publicly on polit-
zeal themes, But women like Frau .Minna
Boehm did attend political meetings every
night and did. discuss the political situation,
They were criticised but not molested for their
temnrity. Their social position was in a meas
ure a safeguard for them. But several months
later six working women were arrested f0r
before a magistrate and fined, They were Frnu
Agnes Fnhrenwald, wife OF ~ currirr: Friulein
smith; Frau Maiwine Frohmann. a Ip'nIisher;
h,ran Marie klotrch, II COml-makcr'- wife. and
IAu Emma lhftf, an NpCtntCaty IS wife.
Three years before, at a public meeting o,
working women In Berlin, Frau lhrcr had urged
them to seek to gain equal poIitical rights and IL
ally themselves with the SOyiH! Democrats, who
Ind put u women, rights p.hnk into Their plat.
form, The Berlin Women Agitation Com,
mittee was the outcome. When in efforts lpgnn
TO le felt, the Authorities took tho trouble to ar
rest. these six women, VIII had been leaders.
or the women who desire suffrage Frau
the. best known. They are joint editors of a
little fnrtniEhtly PAPER called Die FruusnbcIre.
guhy CTho Wonan's Movement. which In the
first paper published In germany IN the in,
tsrests OF women. Frau Causr 10 the widow OF