Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-02
more so. They think it is too easy already.
cannot predict which will win. but the
tendency is toward a relaxation in the d.
yOrce laws"

tendency is toward relaxation in the d.
vorce laws"
Woman Suffrage Expected.
do you expect to secure woman suffrage
in France?"
I'VE certainly do. We want universal
suffrage and are encouraged to expect 1t.
We have limited suffrage now, but It Is
very limited. Every woman shopkeeper,
every woman who is engaged in CONNER
cial pursuits, can vote for the judges of
the commercial courts. That law was
passed about ten years ago. We are now
carrying on an agitation in favor of uni
versal suffrage. At the general election in
tiative and demanded that all women tax
payers have the privilege of voting. They
went from one polling booth to another.
carrying banners and making speeches. and
did a good deal to wake up public opinion.
" hich is rapidly growing in our favor.
am quite confident that the moderate party
will give municipal suffrage to women tax
payers at an early date. They have prac-
tically- recognized our right to share in the
responsibility of spending the money we
pay as taxes, and 1t only remains now to
formulate that recognition into law. The
strongest opposition comes from the priests
Curiously enough, we meet the religious
question on both sides. The priests still
control the majority of women. who are
not only more devoted to the church than
the men. but are easily frightened by
threats Of accommodation, by the refusal
Of the priests to baptize their children. by
the fear that they may not receive absolu-
are with us on the general proposition are
doubtful whether 1t is expedient to give
women the ballot lest the priests may con-
troll them in using it. Several of the liberal
leaders have declared that with woman
suffrage the church will have more power
than now. On the other hand the church
is opposed to woman suffrage in order to
retain its control over the women.
o1iUin 10 at lou OH, In no oo
1t is gradually dying away. There is less
and less piety with every generation. and
you will find that atheism and agnosticism
is making greater progress among the
are becoming free thinkers also. The church
is losing it's control over them. They are
taking less Interest in religious feasts and
are neglecting the confessional Those are
two of the most significant evidences of
the change. A few years ago every peas
ant went to confession frequently, but now
year, and half Of them do not go at all.
Formerly on feast days every farmer and
mechanic left their work and Joined the
procession. Today very few of them do so.
airy attitude of the church toward the re-
public and to the spread Of socialism. So
cialism and atheism are practically the
same thing in France
Women in Other Countries.
| what progress are women making in
| other countries Of Europe?' I asked.
I'VE had the very best of news at the re-
cent meeting in Copenhagen. We had rep
| resentatives there from the United States
England, Australia. Canada, Norway. Swe-
den. Denmark, Switzerland. Germany
France, Holland. Belgium. Italy. Hungary
and Russia. and encouraging reports were
| made from every country. Mrs. Carrie
Chapman Gait was our presiding officer
| She Is a splendid woman. The delegates
| from the United States all made a fine i'm
preston.
| 1.-THE best news came from Finland
where, strange to say. although it is par
| Of the Russian autocracy, women are nov
eligible to every office and have the right
] to vote at every election for every candi'
| date. 1t is remarkable fact that poor
downtrodden, oppressed Finland Is the mrs
country in the world to adopt universe
| suffrage. On the LIST OF July the car ISSUED
a proclamation placing men and womer
upon an equality in all respects. 1t Is tht
most surprising fact Of the century.
Finnish delegate sns rnn this
you are coupled to a bear you don't know
what will happen.
I'm Italy very interesting contest is II
progressive women. have given the govern
ment a terrible shock The constitution o.
France confers suffrage upon all adult citi
women. The Constitution of the Unitet
States contains the word male The con
stitution Of Italy excerpts only criminals
insane persons and minors. It does not con
tain the word male nor the word won
an This fact was recently discovered b!
a school teacher who. with nine friends
applied to court for an order compel
ling the election officers to accept thei
votes. The judge decided in their favor
He declared that he could not find anything
i in the constitution OF the laws of Ital.
prohibiting women from voting. 1t is
great triumph. The government has ap
/ nG4lod the and IT will have to h
carried through two higher courts befor
the question Is finally decided"