Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-10-20
KEEP BEFORE PUBLIC
IS METHOD FOLLOWED
Women Have Adopted Advice Of
Former Premier of Great Brit
ain and Will Keep Them
selves in the
LimeliQht.

before the National Woman Suffrage
association, which Is meeting in an
nual session here, Katherine Read
Balentine gave a review of the prog
ress made by the suffrage movement
and of the methods by which 1t has
been accomplished in different coun-
tries. She said in part:
"Now that women are voting ia
Russia, 1 have the courage to hope
that we shall sometime obtain the
suffrage in New York, Massachusetts,,
and Maine.
I'm England the last and final ar
gument that women do not them
selves want the franchise has be-
come ridiculous. On June 18th 49,
900 suffragists paraded through the
streets of London. 1t Is said that the
woman suffrage meeting of the 21st
was the largest public meeting ever
held for any cause. The former pre-
mier, Mr.. Balfour, was taken at his
word when he said: 'Agtate; kick up
a FUSS keep on kicking. Get into the
public eye through the newspapers
and stay there. If interest and pub
| licity wane, kick up a new kind OF a
| fuss. And all the time keep knocking
| at the doors of Parliament No one
! 2 - a. ITS that the women OF Eng
land want and intend to have votes.
Between 1869 and 1896 full suf-
| frage was granted to women in four
states of this Union-Wyoming, Colo
rado, Utah and Idaho-and in South
Australia. West Australia gave full
| parliame entary suffrage to women In
1900. Two years later full nationai
| suffrage was granted to the women
of federated Australia, in Tasmania
| in 1903, and III Queensland in 1908
| In 1906 the women of Finland were
given full suffrage and nineteen elect
ed to the first Parliament. Twenty
five have been elected to the second
Within the last year women have OBJ
| tained full suffrage in Norway. In
Russia army officers and women who
own property may now vote by proxy
for members of the Douma.
''It is interesting to note that the
most backward countries are not
without some form of woman's right;
movement. The subject recently
came up in the Spanish Cortez, and
in Italy a large women's convention
has lately been held In which a day
was devoted to woman suffrage. II
China, Japan, Persia, India and Tur'
kew there are ful fledged feminist
movements.
TT is said that history repeats IT.
self, but this particular phenomenon
the worldwide claim OF women y
political equality with men-ha4
uovor appeared before. 1t has ~
historic precedent Let US conside
| IL
that republics after rising to grea
heights OF civilization great In proper
ton to the freedom OF their citizens
always decline and fall. Many rea
sons are given for this seemingly in
ov'tahle decay, such as lack OF out
side enemies, foreign conquest, cas-
, .yorce, wealth etc. All these ar
contributing factors but they are no
the real source of weakness.
women compose one-half OF IN
, inhabitants of a so-called republic
!, They undoubtedly possess that whic
we hear so much about from the an
! tis, influence. But does disfran
: chised influence, influence unsteadle
by the responsibility of the ballot an
the broadening experience of publ
service, make for the greatest goo
: to the greatest number, the aim O
, true democracy? Can women and d
they, average everyday women, 4
= their present condition as subject
, take a very lively interest in the rea
welfare of the state? Hardly. An
, are not men and men children al
fected by this Indifference? 1t coul
scarcely be otherwise. 1t may be sal
: that average men, nOtwiths,andin
> their possession OF the ballot, are IN
: | different to the public veal but ar
they not rendered doubly so by cor
tinually associating with a class this
= feels no allegiance and really owe
: | no allegiance TO the state?
= II think that in all political retorr
= movements arguments have serve
but one purpose-that OF stimulatin
u the agitators themselves. OF keepin
them convinced of the Justice OF thei
cause. But to wrest any power troI
those who hold the monopoly OF !
j words have little effect, Actions an
all that really count, For sixty yeal
the suffragettes argued, now they ar
I using other tactics, are rewardin
| their friends and Furnishing their or
' |