The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-27
The WOMEN OF AUSTRALIA
MISS VIDA GOLDSTEIN SAYS THEY
ENJOY SUFFRAGE.
Lecture at the PropyIaeum Under
Auspices of the Political Equal
ity Society.

Men cannot legislate for women" said
Miss Vida Goldstein, of Victoria, Australia,
who lectured in the Propylaeum last night
on ''Women's Work in Australia" She
continued: 1T is absurd to argue that they
can. They are so different in almost every
thing. Their habits of thought are differ
ent and they cannot enter into a woman's
point of view. Suppose women were ruling
and men should be without franchise.
There would be piteous pleas and long ar
guments to show how unjust it was to as
sumo that women could make laws for
men,"
Miss Goldstein is native Australian, and
a leader of the Australian women of adj
vanced ideas. She came to this country
last February to attend the international
Conference of Women that was held in
Washington in that month. Since that
time. by the invitation of womens suffrage
societies, she has been speaking in many
cities. At the request of the Political
Equality Society she lectured here last
night. Miss Goldstein has q clear-cut per-
sonality, a vigorous platform manner,
pleasing voice and is free from the ranting
habit.
'At the recent conference in Washing
tom she said, II beheld women from coun
your lawmakers to grant the women of
the freest country on earth the right to
vote. The irony of the situation was APP
parent. Your fathers died to perpetuate
the principle of No taxation without repre-
sentation,' but that same principle has ad-
vanced much farther in other countries
than in the United States.
PROGRESS IN ENGLAND.
Women have made much progress in the
suffrage movement in England" said Miss
Goldstein. Things are so shaping that we
will soon be granted national suffrage,
am confident. Not so very long ago, four
women were elected to the London County
Council They were received pleasantly by
their fellow-members, their services were
recognized 10 be valuable and things ran
along smoothly until defeated candidate
brought suit TO contest the election of one
of the women on the ground that in law
women were not recognized persons
when it came TO holding elective offices.
People laughed at the argument but they
laughed the other way when the courts
upheld the plea, and the women were un-
seated. All that created a great deal Of
sympathy for the cause, and L am assured
that a bill, giving us a measure Of suf-
frage, will be passed by the House of Com
mons at the next session.
Women have suffrage in Australia, and
Miss Goldstein told how satisfactory the
arrangement is TO everybody concerned.
said they give universal satisfaction with
perhaps one exception. The poorer people
do not like the women members because
they require all children TO go to school
and TO remain there until they are of the
right age to quit. These people want their
children 10 stay at home and work, and
they used TO attain their object by putting
up a fearful talk TO the masculine men,
bers Of the board and working "A sympathy
game. lou know you can do anything
with a man by working on his sympathies.
But the women members were untouched
by the pleas and made all children go to
school.
You would be surprised 10 know how
differently you would be treated, had you
suffrage" continued the lecturer. When
| used TO want 10 talk TO candidates be-
fore | had a right TO vote. they used TO
bow very politely and say that they really
would be glad 10 hear me, but that they
had not time since they had to see the
man next door. Then l would retire in