Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21

scribe two suffrage meetings which she
attended in Paris. said zone was Of tame
feminists and one Of wild feminists.
which sta -eS the situation pretty ac-
curately.
These two distinctive elements in the
movement for woman suffrage are begin
ming to appear in all countries. Those
women who seek it through digniflad and
orderly methods may be compared to the
liberal party in politics: the more aggres-
sive to the socialists; the anti-suffragists
to the conservatives and clericals. who OPP
pose the spirit of democracy in any form.
There is not. however. in all Europe an
organized anti-suffrage association OF
women. That distinction is left for the
United States. with its pseudo-aristocracy
and pampered women. The socialist party
everywhere includes woman suffrage in Its
demands. but nowhere does 1t make the
slightest effort to secure this per Sc. 1t
must come in the wake of universal male
suffrage or 1t shall not come at ALL II 1t
threatens in any way to jeopardize the
effort for the acknowledgment Of all men.
it is instantly thrown overheard. In most
European countries the socialist women
are forbidden to join the woman suffrage
associations and are required to SubOrdi-
nate their claims to those of men. This is
the case here in Holland. where the suf-
frage for women is a part of their plat
form. but in all the present public dis
cussion of it their press and their speakers
where it has been gained 1t has not been
due to the socialist party. and unless they
can rise above their present masculine
selfiShneSs the future enfranchiSement Of
women will owe nothing to their assist
ance
International Presidents Address.
That oman suffrage is live issue in
Europe no one can doubt who studies the
situation.
Mrs Chapman Gait will say in her
presidents address,. 1T is a suggestive
coincidence that June Is. the opening day
of this congress. commentaries the an
niversary of the signing Of the immortal
distinctly against the background of
seven centuries as one of the most i'm
portant in the history of mankind. The
historian Green says OF 1t: The great
charter marks the transition from the
age of traditional rights 20 the age Of
written legislation. of pariiaments and
statutes 1t pointed as certainly. we
may add. to the coming of popular gov
eminent behind the parliaments. and t
the will of the majority behind the
statutes. 1t pointed as Enthusiastically to
the coming of votes for men and women.
Given the Magma Charta man suffrage
was bound to follow. and given man suf-
frage, woman suffrage became inevta Bile.
The blessings of the new era inausurated
by this remarkably document have not been
enjoyed by England alone, but have been
shared as a common possession by the
nations Of the world. The Magma Charta,
therefore. is fittingly accepted as the in
heritance Of all mankind. and June Il as
appropriately becomes an international
memorial day. So sweeping have been the
changes that have taken place in the
nearly 100 years which measure the dis
lance between the signing of that char
ter and the present day that the age Of
the English barons has little resemblance
10 our own but the political revolution
presaged in 1915 is not yet complete.