New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-24
WOMAN STFFRAGE IN NEW-ZEALAND.
WORDS OF SOME PROMINENT NDw-zEAIANDERs
IN FAVOR OF 1T.

WORDS OF SOME PROMINENT NDw-zEALANDERs
IN FAVOR OF IT.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In last Fridays Tribune an anonymous cor
respondent from NewZealand gives narrowing
account Of the results Of equal suffrage In that
colony He says II has "a demorallzing tendency,
has caused no end of family dIssensions" and has
"opened the door to q system of corruption II
so II Is odd that the New-Zealand clergy should
not have taken alarm. At recent Church con-
gress In England the Most Rev. William Gordon
Cowie D. D.. Bishop OF Auckland and Prlmate OF
New-Zealand. read a paper on THE Colonial
Clergy" in which he said:
our young New-Zealand clergy would also be
able TO show from personal experience now me COIL
ferring of the Parliamentary franchise on al our
of the age Of wentyone years mn nad e sa Of
New-Zealand wondering why me women OIL
the colony had remained so long without the rlght
TO vote at Parliamentary elecuons
Eoual suffrage In New-Zeaand has worked we'll
enough to convert some prominent persons who
used TO be opposed to It, notably the Premier the
Hon. H. j. Seldom. and his wife. Mr. seldom says
that although he voted against 1t in the past ne
is now obliged to acknowledge that IL mas proved
IA complete success" He adds THE best proof or
its success is that there Is not even a whispered
suggestion OF repeating It,
Mrs Seldom. when interviewed on the SUBJECT
said she also used to be opposed but was now con-
WINGED that IT had done the women great deal OF
question whether the prediction about "discord III
families'' had been fulfilled. she answered;
oh there is nothing in that at all. Our mar.
ried women vote. and so do girls living at home II
Hv life is at all what IT ought TO be there is apt
10 be a family opinion. or course IL IS possible that
sometimes the vote is given by husband ana wife
or IN Their and daughter In different ways; but as
rule we find that families work tosether'
p. J. o'Regan. a member Of the New-Zealand
Parliament says In letter to The Toronto
Globe" that even the women who used to be OPP
posed are now "eager to record their votes lie
adds: Despite what was said by sarcastic oppo-
nens OF the fair franchise. there is no record'of
domestic troubles In consequence OF H. - A..
The Hon Hugh H. Lusk, ex-Member OF the New
We md that equal suffrage Is the greatest fam
lily bond and tie the greatest strengthener OF TAM
ily life. Under equal suffrage the family Is taKns
the place OF the Individual People are coming 10
vote families Mr. usk SAYS hat Thss w mfh
them public meetings and have round lnat nnfy
lie questions in which they themselves weie ireI
ested II has often been the beginning OF an ehlltsy
new family life. much richer In common thoughts
and sympa thies He Is also emphatic In assert
ing what your correspondent denies that woman
suffrage leads to the election OF better CLASS Oh
Your correspondent says woman suffrage has not
some years ago instrumental in passing an act
establishing secular public schools to tne w h OF
to that time. divided the government funds among
their denomnatonai schools Mr' husk sIys
land had difficulty for some time IN appearing on
platforms without being pelted That is one side
reason why believe in woman suffrage. NO one
Mrs X. W Sheppard Of Christ Church. Editor
NJ .'rhe New Zealand White Ribbon. writes:
"s,pce the Acknowledgement OF women most OF the
righteousness and horseplay that formerly char
ectsrized elections has disappeared. Since Septem-
her ises / have witnessed two elections In New
Zealand and In England. and must say that
for quiet orderliness the former compared greatly
TO the disadvantage Of the latter"
The Hon. w. p. Reeves, Agent-General for New
Zealand in "A recent address in London, gave
strong testimony TO the good results OF equal sur
frage declaring that II "brightens the ~omens IN.
tellects makes their lives fuller and more useful
TO the country and none the less charming In their
domestic circles" Interesting facts about equal
suffrage will also be found in Australian Democ-
racy" by RI. Der Walker .
When the most prominent men and women OF
New-Zealand testify over their names that
equal suffrage works we'll and an anonymous CORE
spondent asserts that II works badly. on which side
- '"' ALICE STONE BLACKWELL.
Dorchester Mass. April 10. 1893.