Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-04-19
WOMEN IN POWER
Nineteen Have Been Elected
Members of the Diet
in Finland.
FIRST NATIONAL LAWMAKERS
Farmers Wives Sit in Legislative Bod
ies-Said to Be Unusually
Bright.

The message has hummed alnng tht II
cable over the great ocean plains thai Il
in the little country of rivers and fO- Il
estS over which not so long since the Il
wings of the Russian eagle spread Il
their sinister shadow women have oh
tanned Il voice i'll the government. This |
is the message colapl2tc as it was
flashed from UciSingforS:
THE returns of the elections for |
members of the Finnish diet show that
nineteen women. of whom nine a"C |
Socialists. have been elected. This is |
the first occasion that women repre- |
scntativcs have been elected to any |
national legislature"
That Finland. with Darkest Russia" |
only Il step away, where certain dis |
gruntlcd gentlemen have developed = !
fondncSs for casting bombs nj noble !
heads which meet With their diSap-
prevail. should lie the first country to
discover that women have right to
have Il hand in III" government if they
want to was quite the most surprising
news that the cable had carried in Il
| long time. says the New York Evening
sun. 1t was to find out. therefore,
about this truly wonderful thing that
| an interviewer started out.
The first objective point was the Of
| fca of the Russian consul in high
| building overlooking Battery park. Tic
spread eagle of Russia was over the
door. and inside was press of immi-
grants The Consurs assistant paused
| Of
flee. from which Il little man with Il
white beard dartcd out with an anN-
ious expression. as if lie had suddenly
been called upon to receive Il Japanese
general. He was courtesy pCrsouilicl.
He knew nothing about the election.
but the Firms were Il bright peoplc-Oh,
an exceedingly bright people. He talk
ed great deal with his hands. using
gestures expressing apology. regret and
genuine sorrow as he explained. 1T is
not that | have an intention TO oncAd.
but that it is impossible | should
know"
Editor Talks.
Tne interviewer was finally directed
to Editor l.. !. Nntcu Of the I'iu ',l
AmCrikararrn at rs Fourth street
Brooklyn. as the man who would knew
more than any other Finn In Tie city
about it, MI AHtcll was nj home
-.''G have read Shc Dispatch" he said
Il have no confirmation of it yet ana
| do Lot suppose / shln hear li,c,t Il
OIL tally until Wednesday or Thurs
day. Socialism has advanced with
great strides in Finland duriu" TIC
last two or three years. There ;ji'' FIVE
!, Socialist newspapers in the country
nov. IT is not the result of any alb
normal conditions. The lot Of the
Finnish women is a happy one and
they are confronted. There X not 50
much club life is there is here. but
the womCn have played = prominent
part in the affairs of the land in school
matters ana other things.
"FOrmCrly tie common. people had
very little to say in the diet. b'It nov
every man who reaches the age Of
: twCnty-four years and against whom
there is no black past has right TO
> vote. Last year tie women won the
right to vote. They can now vote on
any subject Farmers wives may he
elected To the diet. The Finnish wo-
men arc very bright-very well c1tl-
Gated"
What is the politics of Finland?"
''fhcrn are many political parties.
The Socialists are a quiet lot It is
not so long since Finland had turbulent
times - You may remember reading
: about the shooting of Il governor gen
cral-hut this turbulence has disap-
pcared."
L How do the Finnish men regard This
success Of the women in winning the
right to take part in the government of
l affairs through the diet?"
POLITICALLY there is nothing said about
Z It. but in their hearts don't think
l many of them like it. The diet is body
i of some 200 members. Its actions are
subject to review ny the grand duke
who is the present ear of Russia. In
. other than state matters the right of
the diet is not intcrfcred with. but al
: state matters voted on by the diet must
l. go before the grand duke for final dis
/ position. If he vetocs it the diet can
{ do nothing"