The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-22
SEASON IS AT HAND
FOR WOMEW'S CLUBS.
Ren<1oed Interest Is Being Manifested
IN Skaters Political.
Sd's. St. John Gaffney e4eadn States the
arguments IN Eapor of Women
IS CXisens With Complete
Rights.

a 8 the opening Of the club sea.
~ son Is at hand not one of the
~ women's organizations shows
more activity or greater ear
nestness than the club whose purpose It
Is to instruct It's members on matters Of
political import. There is growing
interest among women" says one club
member, Ito know what their response
bilities are from the standpoint of citizen
ship
This important question has been an
swered in comprehensive paper by Mrs.
st. John Gaffney Fannie Humphreys,
who has been an ardent advocate for the
privileges that she says by right and
Justice belong to her sex.
Mrs. Gaffney 10 president of the Ma
tional Council OF Women OF the United
States. representing loco. 900 members. and
the youngest woman who has filled that
important Office. She Is president of the
Society for Political Study. Of New York;
IL a member OF the Society of Authors.
the Professional Woman's League and
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union. and Is a graduate Of the womens
Law College.
Political and Natural Rights.
organization. attended the international
congress held In London last June, and
addressed the assembly on 1.-THE Posi-
bility of Women as Citizens" On this
same subject she says in the New York
Tribune:
Political rights and natural rights
must be considered separately In our
argument. however closely they may
seem related in our minds. Natural
or human rights exist for the individ-
ual, while political rights. though
granted to individuals. do not exist for
him, but FOR citizens I'm general, or the
massed interests OF the public. The
government Is not the personal prop
erty Of any one. neither Is II caste
privilege. as might seem. being so
largely exercised by males: nor is II
hereditary right. Political rights
can be and are conferred by the law
interpreting the general interest suit
ably to the ideas. needs and, we must
also admit the passions and prei,i,iices
OF the place time and age in which
they are conferred Thus locking upon
political rights as always conferred
we will see clearly that the concession
OF political rights will always be de-
termined within the horizon and out
look Of country. and these political
or electoral rights given or withheld
as the sentiment OF that country OBJ
tasus
Never Accorded Equality With
Men.
With this point clearly before our
minds. we must admit the fact that
no sweeping concession In any coun-
try has ever given woman full and en-
tire political rights In the same sense
as IL has accorded them TO man
There are individual instances as
states or localities. where such SEEM
ing sweeping concessions may have
49,
the broad sense. remains true The
municipal vote 50 largely extended 20
women here and elsewhere ans. such
other advanced rights as have been
given her have never yet reached The
broad significant sense Of full. unex-
planned, unrestricted political rights
and their attendant reeponsi hllittss.
which all goes to prove that man pre-
serve the pretuaices ~ their childhood
their country and their age long after
they have recognized AL the truth
necessary n destroy them
Yet Not without Inauenc~.
Notwithstanding nti this. we ard n.
intervals, like golden thread woven
In the WEB Of political power. woraan's
ins1uencet bat small indeed 81 the
proportion. With or without the au-
thorfty of responsibility as women to-
day We are responsible. and The ,7ues-
tifS Tor Us "a answer ts How shall we
exercise this responsibility In our
cagernsss - - zap and doing so make
Up fer the centuries during which we
as women have seemingly beer blind
TO our responsibility. we rust row
move carefully ard think deeply tits
n1t our duty nor privilege 10 turn
everything ursaGs down In the hope %
getting something right SIDE NJ, LIT
ax 10 The hing our hands flna 20 10.
and exercise patience and moderation
true C;o<sli<e patience wfth she mfr
mites ~ the age ard moderation In
our a~r desires and ambitions: 70.
tire moderation ~ inertia ard letting
sssrws alone esit the moderation that
always Is the hsnfu2i6 % high i-n-
pulse ard noble goal
Aetuas Power Il Enormous
There La male and female side q,
al great work. which win not be car.