Evening star., 1898-12-03
In New Zealand They Have Equal
Rights With the Men.
REACHED BY SUCCESSIVE STEPS
The Results So Far Attained Have
Been Very Satisfactory.
STEADY IMPROVEMENT

The extension of the electoral suffrage 10
| women may be looked at from two distinct
| points of View. or these the most usual
| is the alleged right OF women 10 enjoy tho
| privilege; the least common is the advan-
| tage which men. well as women. should
| derive from the change. These poiuts Of
| view are not really at all antagnuistic vet
| it may he an important question which Of
| the two ought most 10 be insisted upon bv
| the advocates of reform. The question in
deed involves the stiH larger one. whether
| In all such proposed changes individual
rights OF social benefits are the more i'm
! portant 20 society at large. on the on.
3and, it may be said that the recognition
II rights lies deep at the root Of all prog
cess, and therefore that # is the thing To
| be chiefly regarded in all reforms. bur. en-
the other hand. IT may be urged that even
| the abstract rights of individuals must
| be subordinated 10 the we'll being Of society
at large. From this latter standpoiut the
recognition OF any alleged political right
WhateVer-including the right Of voting by
men as well as womeH-should be tested hv
Its advantage. not to the voter. but 10 the
| community at large.
Social Claims First.
| The question of womanhood suffrage !u
| New Zealand owes most of its real interest
| for the rest of the civilized world to ,hc
| TACT that II Is the first instance Vet known
! In which the social rather than the iudi-
Yidual claims Of the movement have been
placed first. Womanhood suffrage i'm Naw
Zealand was never largely advocated either
by men or women Oh the ground of abstract
right. Throughout the successive steps by
Miich the reform was gradually brought
ABOUT there was an almost total absence. OF
the features which have most generally
chardcterlzed the agitation elsewhere. ana
not least in this country. Appeals through
the press or from the platform. IN tts
name Of justice, resting on the alleged il
aAenable rights of all human beings TO
nave a voice in the legislation and poyerr-
ment which affects themselves had up
place IN the New Zealand movement u
may be doubted, indeed, whether il would
nave been more effective in that country
thah II has been in this ii based on sls.b
appeals. as the people, being almost wholly
ol British race. are little moved by any
pul what they regard as practical corsrF-
grations- l,- The question there from the first
wa not Does abstract justice demand ,ll8J
women snail have the electoral franchise
out rather, What will be the effect or
giving it,
by slow Degrees
The people Of New Zealand. like ms.
Englishmen. lean toward a conservative
view Of matters: and while they are ready
to give new ideas a trial they are ltspo=,6
to give things as they are the benefit of ia.
douot as long as a doubt exists IL va.
therefore. only by slow degrees thai -aa
men OF New Zealand came to admit mat
women ought to be intrusteI with ta,
electoral franchise. and the only cra.Ii.
lildt can justly be claimed Tor them a. tIat
MheH convinced lhey were prepared 10 ACT.
IL TOOK nearly seventeen wears 10 lty,l...,
pubic opinion to the point OF LeSiov,-r
the complete franchise upon women in \ "a,
Zealand and II was the result Of successive
experiments TO test the utility of rha
change. The first step was taken Ub,u IN
lSlt, women who were themselves ho!Ie.-
Eodlers were intrUsted with the right nf
Young Tor the members Of district school
committees, which in their turn t.leCr tba
education boards that have the control OF
educational matters in the country. The
result was so satisfactory that in 1852 the
parliament granted TO WOmen-nr at east
10 such women as were ratcpayerS-th.
flSht to vote equally with male ratcDaycrs
1of the election of the licensing buaroS 10
Whlch the law commits the entire control
OF Issuing licenses to sell Intoxicating 5u-
u0fs within their respective districts Tas
innovation also was successful. aud in 1NSi
'ne general law regulating the goyerum mt
OF municipalities was amended 50 as n
enable all female ratepayers not only 10
take part IN municipal elections. but also
TO be themselves candidates for election.
either as mayors or councillors.
Final Enfrnnchisement.
BY these successive steps which at the
same time educated the women of Nrw
Zealand and demonstrated their entire 1T
ness 10 profit by political education. the
way was paved for the final enfranohise-
ment of the sex in that country. Fav per
sons doubted that women cou.d ana vy.utd
use the complete electoral franchise a. ia-
telnSenuy as the average man and ,rob-
ably fewer still doubted that il world t.ua
10 the good government of The country
that women should take part IN tH,. elec-
tons. when, In 1898 Mcmanhord s yeU
as manhood suffrage was made The law OF
the land. Results have justired The ex-
pectation, founded. il should perha,,S he
admitted, upon something more soIfI han
arguments based on theories of government
or alleged natural rights of individuals
Steady Improvement.
Two parliaments have now been elected
by the united male and female suffrage Of
the inhabitants; and while no revolutionary
changes have taken place, there has been a
STEADY improvement in the personnel of
parliament. The proceedings. both before
and during the voting, have gained ~ cr-
derliness from the presence of womea. and
the character of candidates has counted for
more, while their more SNOWY qualities
nave been less regarded than wher li.en
alone held the franchise. Other s1yan-
tages, too, are claimed for the system II
has increased the influence of the family as
distinct from the individual in po..Ics
Ihere Is a tendency to make the Vot.. of
the family the result of nome consultation
and of a family council; and this. il is said.
increases the bond of family union and
renders more strong and effective hat fea-
ture of Anglo-SaXon life which throughout
its whole history, has been the chief
strength and safeguard of the race Mo-
body in New Zealand alleges that women
who vote are less womanIy than they We're
before they possessed the franchise, and Il
may very safely be said that few if any.
citizens would today wisl that
the reform could be annulled.
Different Conditions.
The conditions of this country undoubtsd-
y differ widely from those of New Zealand.
and it would be rash to assert that the
course pursued there would be The most
effective here; and yet It might be well IL 1t
,ould be tried. However excellent he nat.
Iral gifts of women may be, IT can scarce
y be doubted that few of them ave as Vet
themselves to look upon politics
Is any part of their business or TO taEe -
hem that interest which is necessary Id
ore they can be intelligently dealt with.
For the rest, however, it can hardly te
doubted that the objects aimed az IN New
Zealand are equally desirable here, OF that
he results so far attained in that distant
country would prove advantageous In
america, where, 1t must be confessed the