Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-02-13
WOMEN In POLITICS.
In England They Enjoy More Privileges
as Voters Than They Do n
America.

/
+ Women enjoy many more privileges in
! England than they do in America, AMI
1 take much more active part in politics.
( Writing on the subject last week, Mr.
/ Stead said.
! 1T is one Oh the advantages OF mon
/ arches that they afford women an OPP
/ p0rtunity of displaying their capacity for
/ the direction OF the affairs Of state sell
/ dom possible to their republican sisters,
/ Queen Victoria was signal instance OF
this. She was, during the latter years
Of her reign, the most experienced mem
Der Of the groups which govern the en-
pire.
''N0 male sovereign ever took closer,
more constant, more conscientious parr
in the direction Of the state than did
Queen Victoria. who. oddly enough, nj
though exercising political functions alb
sorbing her life. had crazy horror Of
any other women deYoting even a frac-
ton Of her time to the study of political
questions.
she was a most brilliant example OF
what woman can do in the realm of
craftsmanship, and the most ruthless OPP
ponent of the interference of woman
excepting herself--in political affairs.
Queen Victoria was not alone among
capable women who sit on thrones. The
Dowager Empress of Russia, the Queen
Regent of Spain Queen Natalie of Ser
via, Queen Carmen Sylvia of Roumania
form a distinguished group of women
whose political capacity was at least
as good as their husbands.
TO mention only one instance. it is
an open secret that if the Dowager En-
press of Russia were but allowed TO
have had her own way there would have
been none OF that interference with the
constitutional liberaties of Finland which
aEs, IL In saf.t
reign.
OF reigning sovereigns the King of
Italy is probably the only man who is
not inferior to his Queen, and his wife
is distinctly superior to the average Ital-
Ian statesman. Nevertheless, in Eng
land there is no denying the fact that
the rise of jingoisr has conceded with
the retreat of women-the enforced re-
treat from some of the advanced posi-
tions which had hcen won in the Nine
teenth century.
Women dozen years ago were elected
to county councils, to the London YES
tries, which have now been replaced by
municipal councils, and to the school
boards. They We driven from the
former by a judicial decision in which
sex bias was only too conspicuous.
They lost their rights OH the yestries
when these bodies were converted into
borough councils, and the education act,
which has abolished the school boards
has placed the schools under the control
Of councils exclusively male,
The right of women to be elected as
members of the boards charged with the
relief of the poor still remains. But if
the passion for manifying local admins
tration is not abated the last vestige
will disappear when the guardianship of
the poor is transferred to the town or
the county council ON which women may
not sit.
There are. however, signs that the
tide of reaction mas spent itself The
recent national convention of women
held in London decided upon making a
vigorous appeal to the women of the
United Kingdom to bestir themselves not
merely to defend the remnant Of their
rights, but to demand the recognition of
their right TO full citizenship.
series OF great meetings IL to he
held TO demand the Suffrage, and Il de-
termined effort made to induce women
to refuse to canvas for any candidate
who refuses to vote for women's suf.
frage.
More remarkable still is the appear
ance of the FIRST parliamentary candidate
for any English constituency who bases
his appeal for election not upon party
ties, but because he is an advocate of the
mi political enfranchisemen of women.
His name is Mr. Sweeny and he is a
teacher ~ London school and is stand
ing for Wigan.
He will be supported by the London
party and by the Liberals, and it is not
impossible that he may succeed The
working women of Lancashire form the
majority of the trades unions in those
parts. OF every $500 subscribed by the
trades unions to the campaign chest of
The London party $500 in contributed BY
women. only 5000 by men. Under these
circumstances il is natural TINT tboSa
who pay the piper should wish to fix the
tune
There is another circumstance that
tends TO bring the suffrage question TO
the front. The sudden demand brought
forward by Mr.. Chamberlain for the
taxation of bread has excited the keenest
interest among women. They are among
the most active and useful members of
the free trade leagues. The Cooperative
women of Lancashire crowded the great
Free TRADE hall in Manchester to pro-
test against the reimpostion of the corn
laws
Among speakers against the proposed
tariff war women are not the least elo-
Quent 1t is not surprising that in view
OF the proposed increase of household
expenses in order to obtain some moro
or less shadowy and prohlematical po-
litical advantage women whose budget
this affects mt every turn should insist
on having voice in the matter.
IL is not improbable that this may
CRYSTALLINE into the adoption of general
demand that no revolution in the fiscal
system vitality affecting the price of the
bread of the children shall b. ATTEMPTED
until the mothers of the nation have been
permitted by the law To express their
opinion Oh the subject in the ballot box.
New Orleans picayune.