Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-11-14
VICTORY FOR WOMEN.
German Government Tacitly Admits
That They Have Political Rights.

III lHe chicago hecOrd-Herald.-An
unexpected and novel feature has
been introduced into the campaign
against the new German tariff which
contains possible sensations and has
n SiSniicance that reaches so far in o
oeher fields of Importance thai 1t is
difficult to predict the consequences.
Notwithstanding the laws which pro-
hibit women from taking part in poll
tics. the opponents of the proposed
tariff have invited their aid. and they
are now holding public meetings and
organizing clubs of their own and ad-
dressing mass meetings of men in
dlHerent parts of the empire. in de-
nance of police censors and prece-
dents. 1t is true that during a poll
teal campaign four or five years ago
several women who attempted to
make public speeches and organize
clubs in behalf of the social demo
cratic party were arrested and
thrown into prison, and the agitation
commenced by them was suppressed
without the exercise of the courtesy
usually extended to their sex. But
the women engaged in the present
movement are of an entirely differ
ent character. They belong to the
upper classes-some of them to the
aristocracy, and even the nobility Is
represented among their sympathiz-
ers.
| The German government never
fears to do whatever it thinks is ne
cessary to be done to carry out its
policy and support the laws, but 1t
is serious question with the officials
how far to go in repressing the
present activity of women In politi-
| cal afairs. The women have not en-
tered the campaign by their own mo-
tion; they have been invited and are
being encouraged and supported by
one of the strongest political ele-
ments In the empire, and appear upon
the same platform with some of the
ablest and most influential of Ger
man statesmen and scholars. They
use the same arguments In opposl-
ton to the same propositions of the
government, and any attempt to pun
lsh or even restrain them would
doubtless meet with storm OF In
dignation from people who support
the government on other Issues 1t
is evident that the police are too wise
to make maryters of these women
orators, because the effect OF such
step would be to demorallze the
government party and bring to their
defense and the support of the free
traders public sentiment that could
not be resisted.
At the same time certain members
OF the social democratic party are
complaining of the partially shown
to women of social distinction, who
are permitted to do what their moth
ers and wives and sisters we're pro-
hibited from doing They are threat
ening to create an agitation which
may compel the government to pro-
hibit the further appearance OF wo-
men as active participants In the
campaign. If the social democrats
were not also opposed to the tariff
bill the situation would be more com
plicated, and the cooler heads among
them are trying to demonstrate the
folly of interfering with their allies
They are furthermore urging that an
important precedent ia being estab-
lished for the police canot prohibit
women of one class from engaging In
politics unless hereafter they apply
the same rule to women of other
| classes
| That the police are not entirely in
different to the situation Is shown BY
the presence Of government censors
at all of the women's meetings, but
they have not yet attempted any In
reference or made adverse reports
At one OF the early meetings Frau
Schulerath Cauer, leader of the pro
gressive women CT Germany. attempt
ed to draw their ire. In the course
of her remarks and in a most respect
full manner she said that she OBJ
served two representatives OF the po-
lice department among her audience
and assumed that they had come for
the purpose of ascertaining the object
Of the meeting. AS no concealment
was intended or desired. and as they,
the women, were proud of what they
were doing, she would permit no
doubt to remain in the minds OF the
police; she would inform them frank
ly that the audience had assembled
for the purpose of hearing discus
sion of certain pending political ques-
tions by women, although they were
all aware that such things were for
hidden by law. II the law was to be
enforced, and II the women were to be
prohibited from discussing questions
of vital interest to themselves, she
hoped that there would be prompt ac-
tion. 1t would be only honest and
just to remove any doubt and relieve
all anxiety. The police censors, how
ever. did not take the hint They
were not to be smoked out In that
way II they intend to prohibit wo-
mems meetings they are not yet
ready to do SO. and the popular no
tion is that they are waiting until
they can Judge public sentiment more
accurately on the subject.
The indirect consequences of the ad-
mission OF women to the public plat
form, as I have said, can be pre-
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