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

Then what more fitting celebration OF the
day than the opening of a congress which
declares itself for the final step in the
evolution?'
1t is equally significant that at. this
meeting the delegation whose appearance
is most eagerly anticipated is that of
the 'suffra gettes" from Great ritain-
the "haronesses who will wiring from
reluctant ministry the rights which
the barCns of old forced frcm'tryanrica'
King John. Nine of them will come in
all the flush of victory which seems so
near at hand. whose preliminary struggle
will find it's elimination in the great
demonstration of June u. The call of the
crusaders to Hyde Park, that historic
battle ground of London. is like the cry
OF the commanding general who rides
with waving sword at the head of his
troops:
London's Suffrage Meetings.
Women CT London. you must be in
Hyde Park on that day. the story OF
which YOU will hand down to your chill
dren as the most memorable in your
lives. Women of England. wherever you
live. you must come to take part in this
great demonstration. Women
have sacrificed much to make it possible.
Already go have gone to prison to show
their enthusiasm in this cause. Women
a campaign fund of s15OOO to make this
fight for you. The inhe ritance is yours.
Come and take it. Come not in thousands
or tens of thousands. but come in hun
dreds Of thousands and the vote will be
yours"
This will he the first convention in all
history where woman delegates were pre-
vented from coming because they had to
remain at home and conduct their can
vass for election to parliament. but TINS
It'll H., 80 fbn dol
gates from Finland. In the reports pre-
scented to this congress seven countries
will show decided political gains for
women since it's last meeting. less than
had just signed the constitution for Fin
land. which gave the complete suffrage
to women. and last year nineteen were
elected to its parliament. In 1907 Nor
way gave its women the full parEa-
mentary franchise and made them eiigi-
BILE to parliament: Swedish women al
ready had the municipal suffrage and
the parliament made them eligible for
election to the offices for which they
could vote In Great Britain. where they
have exercised the municipal suffrage
for forty years. parliament made them
eligible as mayors and town and county
councillors. and seven were elected in as
many counties. with an eighth afterward
appointed to fill vacancy.
Municipal Franchise in Denmark.
During the present year Denmark has
conferred the municipal franchise on
women on the same terms as exercised
by men. The parliament of her colony.
Iceland where women have had the mu
nicipal vote for a quarter of a century.
has made them eligible to the town
councils. and four of the fifteen members
of the council of Reynjavik the capital.
elected a few months ago. were women.
one of them heading the list in number of
votes. In Germany the reichstag has re-
moved all restrictions which prob ibted
women from joining or forming political
assc Citations. and they are now organic
ing suffrage societies in all parts of the
country.
What report can be offered by the dele
gates from the United States. to whom
the whole world looks for leadership in
progressive movements? Simply this
that the anti-suffrage association has
opened headquarters in New York and
will be addressed by leading members
of Congress and the cabinet CT President
Roosevelt. We sit in sackc!oth with
ashes on our head. And yet we laugh till
the ashes fall off when We see in our
minds eye the 100000 working women
of New York crowdng into those base
ment headquarters. in the heart Of arts
tocratic Madison avenue. to be 'edu-
Gated in the reasons why it would be
very bad thing for them to have the bal
lot we "onueI WHY ~ - nv ~
begin a great campaign to educate"
women not to want the franchise. when
the chief argument Of the "antis'' is that
the vast majority do not want it and
would not accept it if ''thrus- upon
them. We wonder. also. at the sudden
discovery of that immense body of
silent women. when it has been the
standing joke of the ages that women
could not keep still. We had been so
solemnly assured in our own country
that woman suffrage was dead issue"
we thought we would come across the
sea where 1t was alive. but sentiment is
all so much the same way over here That
it seems as if we could really have more
fun at home.
IDA Hustled HARPER.