Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1906-08-25
Half n Loaf AFT the Polls.


One of the last acts of George Jacob
Holyoake, the famous English radical,
who died recently, was a vigorous at
tack upon mans monopoly of the bal
lot, coupled with plan for the extern
sion of the suffrage to Englishwomen.
Mr. Hoyoake's paper, which appeared
in the Independent Review, may have
melted some of the recent demonstra-
tons of the suffragiSts, which led to
the expulsion of a delegation from the
visitors gallery in the house of parlla-
ment. One woman, imbued with the
spirit Of the hour, refused to pay her
income tax because she has no repre-
sentative in parliament, recalling the
protests of the Smith sisters and Of
Susan h. Anthony in this country
against taxation without representa-
ton
After sketching the political and lie.
gal status of woman in England, Mr..
Holyoake observed that Harriet Mar
tineau and Emily Faithful whose ideas
influence British cabinets, never took
part in any woman suffrage move
ment. He thought that women of ca.
paCity for public service should have
u voice in public affairs and in view
of the prejudice against equal political
rights for women suggested a compro-
mise eXpedent by which women would
have representation and perhaps ac-
quire power ut the polls. To quote:
Why should not women who desire the
suffrage form an electoral college in ev-
cry borough and ask that every hundred
women members of the college, should be
legally entitled to nominate one of their
order to vote in the election of members
of parliament for their borough This
would give every thousand women ten
representatives at the polls. In populOus
and intelligent boroughS their local rep.
resentatives might amount to a hundred
or more, and candidates would have to
reckon with them. They would become
one of the electoral forces of their con
stituenCiCs. They would no longer be a
pariah class, without recognition or rep
resentation. Members of these colleges
would acquire experience in political af-
fairs. BY such an Arrangement no inter-
electoral agents be perturbed, no danger
Gus control exercised, and men would not
be alarmed lest the fortunes of the state
should fall exclusively into the hands of
women. But the political influence of
these colleges in every city and town
would be greater than their polling power.
In the meantime they would train in
political and social subjects those who
would inspire confidence, instead of mis-
givingness, as now, in the minds of the
governing class.
To some ardent suffragists this pro
posal to give the ballot to one woman
in one hundred would seem like a
Cowardly compromise but Mr.. Holy
cake evidently looked upon the scheme
as an entering wedge He said that the
prejudice against equal suffrage is due
to the jealousy of men, who think that
women would eclipse them 1t is expe-
dent, then, not to challenge the pre-
dominance of men in public affairs
simply let women claim the right to be
heard In a reasonable way whenever
their special interests are up for con
sideration. Having partial representa-
ton at the polls, women would gradu.
ally train themselves for the exercise
Of the highest civic and political func-
lions.