New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09
VONEN VOTERS IN NEW-ZEAL4ND.
CARRIED AWAY BY PARTY CRIES, JUST LIKE
THEIR HUSBANDS AND BROTHERS
From The London Echo.

From The London Ecno.
The recent New-Zealand elections have produced
results that will surprise and dsmay most friends
of women's franchise in England New-Zealand Is
its legislature is almost sociastic and laws are
freely passed whose very nature would cause them
other ot pS measures. the New-zealand Parliament
passed in 1898. female suffrage and law giving
TO the extent OF prohibition in the liquor trahic
The first Parliamentary and local control elections
in 1884, bore out the expectations OF me rel9rmers
The women electors came strongly to the polls and
lIouor licenses. and they supported advanced Rad
cal candidates. Even Conservative politicians IN
the islands reluctantly admitted: The day would
seem 10 be dawning when Prohibition will come
upon us" Men Of doubtful morals stood little or
noliiicaI progress everywhere congratulated them
selves that New-Zealand had shown the accession
OF to political life to be distinct gain Tor
democratic legislation.
But the second election has disturbed these calcu-
lations The Parliamentary and liquor elections
We're both held on the same day, and the result in
both has been to dismay the advanced Progressives
Pre- sh anS Anee pa
$500 the distribution of one pamphlet alone; most
section OF the Anglican Communion-threw them
selves into the fray; Prohibition councils and sub
visited almost every elector, temperance litera-
ture was circulated with lavish freedom. The liquor
Islands and did hesitate to freely threaten that
II the Prohbi,onists won the result would be
In the licensing ballot papers three issues were
submitted to the electors: % That the number OF
licenses should be reduced 81 that there should
be prohibition Up to the moment before the
declaration OF the poll, the temperance party
felt confident Of carrying reduction almost gem
orally. and prohibition In about twenty districts
The popular surprise may be imagined when II
was known that the vote for license had exceeded
that for license by nearly 30 per cent In no
district was reduction no license carried. The
exact figures were: For license to continue.
1879 249; for license TO be reduced. 9i226. against
the granting license, 9Sl This result has
only been attained by the shifting OF large part
LIQUOR party: and some OF the women's societies
did actually work hard for the supporters OF the
traffic and urged electors to vote FOR the friends
OF license. .
In the general election. which held sfFul-
taneously with the liquor election. the influence or
they going in the main with the men. The Govern
ment of Mr.. Seldom was iercely attacked because
of It's financial policy, because IL was said TO To-
ment class interests and enmitIes; because II
subsidized the press and increased taxation. But
the Government could undoubtedly show that Ii
for the Improvement of the lot of the workers.
and the electors returned 1t with majority OF
about ~ per cent Writing OF the wOman's vote
in this cleo Ion Sir Robert Stout says In the
Ausfralasan Review of Reviews ut cannot be
said tina, purity OF administration or the character
women than In those OF men. The prediction that
party zeal and partisan feeling would not blind
them 10 the defects Of the character OF candidates
has not been fulfilled. a few members have been
returned to the House whose character for
briefly does not stand high, and women found
be said that women were any different In their
voting from their husbands and brothers. They
were carried away just as much by party cries az
the men were and party dominated thorn."