Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-21
SHALL WOMEN VOTE2
Question Which Agitates the
People of Great Britain.
HAVE LANDED ONE MAYOR
Her Record Splendid and She Dom
mates the Men.
BELIEVES IN THE PRINCIPLE
Mans First London Opponent a
Philanthropic Quaker-Violent
Suffrag>ttes Disapproved.
BELIEVES IN THE PRINCIPLE
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS
! Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
! The boisterous, sensational campaign
which has been carried on in England
by the woman suffragists during the last
two or three years has driven from that
party nearly all decent believers in the
equality of the sexes. The educated wom-
ell of England do not sympathize with
the tactics that have been adopted by
| the leaders of the movement. They will
not be counted with those who are using
mob violence to compel the passage of
an act of parliament to give women votes
At the same time a considerable ad-
vance has been made and women are now
eligible for municipal and county Offices
throughout the United Kingdom.
Women Elect Their Mayor.
| The first woman mayor in the history
| of Great Britain was elected only the
other day al High Wycombe, a sleepy lit
| tie village in B,ckinghamshire on the
| railway between London and Oxford and
Il few miles north of Windsor The vii
| lage consists of one long street, sur
! rounded by number of pretty villas
and two famous schools Most of the
| nha bitants have business in London and
| so backward and forward on the railway
| ms. They are chiefly business and pro-
feSSional men of modest means. They are
| proud of their village and have united to
| secure n model government. Miss Doro-
! thy Dove, who has been elected mayor,
| has been especially active and efficient
/ in village Improvements and her election
as mayor is a tribute to her personality
and a recognition for her services to the
| community rather than a triumph of the
/ principles of woman suffrage.
| In 1907 parliament passed an act au-
| thorizing the election of women to COM
mon councils. boards of aldermen and to
executive offices in municipalities. and
| High Wycombe was the first borough to
take advantage of that authority last
November by electing Miss Dove mem
| Der of the common council There are
| twenty-fOur members of the council and
eight aldermen who have been particu-
larly proud of their association with her.
SO that when vacancy occurred in the
1 office of mayor in November this year,
she was chosen unanimously.
Who She Is.
| Miss Dove is a spinster of fifty years
| old or Whereabouts, and daughter of a
clergyman OF the Church of England in a
| Lincolnshire village. Like SO many clergy
men in America. we'll as in England
| he has had a small salary and large
| family. and it was struggle for him to
educate his children. Miss Dorothy. how
| ever, was a girl of courage and determi-
nation, and succeeded in paying her way
| through Girton College at Oxford. She
was the first of the "Girton girls to
avail herself of the liberality of Trinity
College. Dublin which for years has given
| degrees to women OF other institutions
! who have been able to pass the eXamna-
| tons even though their studies were car
| ried on elsewhere.
| Having obtained a degree at Dublin
| Miss Dove returned to England and OBJ
| tanned a position as teacher in Chelten-
ham College, London. In 1887 she &C.
cepted a professorship of Latin in the
| famous St Leonard's School at ST.
Andrews, Scotland. and in 1896 establish
ed what Is known as the Wycombe Abbey
School at High Wycombe. 1t is now one
of the most successful schools for young
women in England. She has eight houses
grouped in beautiful grounds, with accom-
modations for $40 students. a large staff
of instructors and the patronage of some
of the best families in England.
What Led Her Into Politics.
Shortly after founding her school Miss
| Dove began to take an interest in munic-
| ipal affairs. She naturally desired TO
| make her surroundings as attractive as
possible, and suggested several improve
| ments to the mayor and the common
council. She stirred up an interest among
| the residents of the village and the i'm
mediate vicinity, organized an improve
ment association and inspired her neigh
| borS with her own ideas and ambitions
| AS d consequence High Wycombe has
| been transformed from an Indifferent and
| unattractive settlement to one of the
| lOveliest villages in the midlands of Eng
land. for which the taste and enterprise
of Miss Dove are entirely responsible. |,
was perfectly natural. therefore. when the
act of parliament permitted women to
| take official positions I'm municipal gov
ernment, that she should be promptly
| elected to the common council and given
| d share of the responsibility as we'll as
credit for what she has done. Since she
| became a member of the council a year
| ago her masterful spirit has assumed
| leadership. and the masculine members
| of that body have been perfectly will
| ing to serve under her command. 1t may
| therefore be inferred that the person
atty of Miss Dove, rather than the prin-
| ciple of equal suffrage, has been infiu-
entail in this little incident. the election
of the first woman mayor in England.
Saw Hopeful Signs in America.
| Miss Dove is rather above ordinary
istature, with dignifed but genial man
ners, a keen sense of humor and most de-
| lightful tact to which is very largely due
| her success as a teacher and director of
schools. Her complexion is bright and
| rudy. and her abundant hair is perfectly
white. While not being considered hand
\ some she would be instantly recognized
| as person of consequence and ability
| Miss Dove spent last summer in the
| United States and Canada, and says that
| the two things in her experience that i'm
| pressed her most were to find the in
quiry office at Harvard University in
charge of woman, and that the steamer
upbn which she crossed Lake Huron had
woman purser. These, she said, were
favorable signs and evidence that the
| enlarged and her value and ability as
| an executive are being recognized.
When Miss Dove was asked if She is
| in favor of woman suffrage, she replied,
promptly:
Disapproves Violent Methods.
"Of course l am. / certainly do not ap-
prove of the policy and conduct of Ger
tain women who are conducting the suf-
frage campaign in England, but their
conduct does not affect the justice of
their cause or the righteousness OF the
principles they represent. l deplore the
disgraceful behavior of some OF my sex
whose energy and zeal seem to have
blinded their Judgment, but l am strong
~ in favor of women taking advantage
of every opportunity to share the respon-
sibilty of government and of particl-
pating in civic affairs. The ideal govern
ment will be one in which both men and
women work together for the common