The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-16
WOMEN IN NEW ZEALAND.
Carried Away by Party Cries, Just
Like Their Husbands.

The recent New Zealand elections
have produced results that will surprise
| and dismay most friends of women S
franchise in England. New Zealand is
without question the most advanced
British colony; it's Legislature is al
most socialistic and laws are freely
| passed whose very nature would cause
them to be regarded with dismay in
| England. Among other measures, the
New Zealand Parliament passed, in
1898, female suffrage and law giving
| localities the absolute right of local
control, even to the extent of prohlbl-
ton, in the liquor traffic. The first Par
| liamentary and local control elections,
in 1894, bore out the expectations of
the reformers. The women electors
came strongly to the polls, and were
almost altogether in favor of limi-
tation of liquor licenses, and they sup
ported advanced Radical candidates.
Even Conservative politicians in the
islands reluctantly admitted: THE day
would seem to be daWning when prohi-
bition will come upon u.s." Men of
doubtful morals stood little or no
chance in that first election, and the
friends of political progress everywhere
congratulated themselves that New
Zealand had shown the accession of
women to political life to be distinct
gain for democratic legislation.
But the second election had dis
turbed these calculations. The Parlia-
mentary and liquor elections were both
held on the same day, and the result in
both has been to dismay the advanced
Progressives. Prohibitionsts and pub
licans made great efforts for the fight.
The New Zealand Alliance spent over
$500 on the distribution of one pam
phlet alone; most of the churches-the
principal exception being a section of
the Anglican Communion-threw them
selves into the fray; Prohibition coun-
ellis were formed in every direction
canvassers visited almost every elector,
and temperance literature was circu-
lated with lavish freedom. The liquor
sellers also formed Liberty Leagues all
over the islands, and did not hesitate to
freely threaten that if the Prohibit
tionists won the result would be
bloody revolution
In the licensing ballot papers three
issues were submitted to the electors
% That the number of licenses should
continue as at present; 90 that the IL
censes should be reduced; 81 that there
should be prohibition. Up to the mo-
ment before the declaration Of the poll,
the temperance party felt confident of
carrying reduction almost generally and
prohibition in about twetny districts.
The popular surprise may be imagined
when it was known that the vote for
license had exceeded that for no license
by nearly 30 per cent. In no district
was reduction or no license carried. The
exact figures We're: For license to con-
tinue, 1879 249; for license to be reduced
81, 226; against the granting of any Ii
cense, SO, 103. This result has only
been attained by the shifting of a large
part of the women's vote from the tenn
perance to the 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 was
held simultaneously with the liquor
election, the influence of the women
voters was felt comparatively little,
they going in the main with the men.
The government of Mr.. Seldom was
fiercely attacked because of it's finan-
cial policy, because it was said to TO-
ment class interests and enmities; be-
cause it subsidized the press and in