New-York tribune., 1910-05-09
WOMEN AS CANDIDATES.
Varying Opinions Expressed in
France on Suffrage.
Paris, April %


take place on Sunday next, there will be
8 woman candidate for every constitu-
p ercy tn Paris There are twenty arron-
dissements. or electoral divisions, In
Paris so that a score Of feminine poll
ticians viii present themselves in the
-'City OF Light as potential and future
legislators for the suffrages Of the ciu-
-ens. No such feminine demonstration
g. this sense has ever been made before
N France There is not the slightest
chance that any one OF these enterpris-
ing women will be elected. but the fact
that they have come forward, that they
have issued their political professions OF
2 faith. that the hoacdings Of the city are
covered with their multi-colored posters,
that they address meetings and are al
ternately cheered and hooted by their
hearers constitutes a new phase in the
electoral history of the country
All Paris is talking about them. 1t
cannot be said that their action is
greeted with general enthusiasm even
by their own sex, but It nevertheless
constitutes one of the burning topics Of
the hour
First Of all, there is the question
neither g woman has a legal right TO
- come forward as candidate at all. The
l,refect of the Seine has solved this
rrohle1n within the limits Of his author
ity b. refusing TO accept and register
Nine. Durand's declaration that she in
tends TO contest the second legislative
constituency in the ninth reimbursement
Of Paris How far he is justified in do
ing this cannot be stated yet, for it is A
matter which only the State Council,
and. as a final resort, the Court Of Cas-
sstion. which is the supreme judicial
court Of France, can conclusively settle,
hut Nine. Durand has already issued q
prit against him. and the suit, which
VII be very costly one, will begin as
soon as the elections are over
on the whole, the French public, while
Il does not take the feminine candidates.
very seriously cannot be said to regard
ihera with any marked hostility This
's due TO the fact that the position Of
woman in France is widely different
from that in other countries The
Frenchwoman exercises a much more
direct influence on business in its detail
and practice than does her American
sister The Frenchman rarely does any,
thing. even in politics, without consult
ing his wife, and the habit thus &C
cl1ired through many generations Of
.r77oressing her advice and personality
on the conduct of her husbands affairs
has given to the F'renchwoman a so
rriaty Of counsel and a keen common
sense instinct which amply justify the
confidence reposed in her by her male
PARTNER. and distinguish Ter, perhaps.
from the generality Of ali the women Of
the world.
MANY very clever Frenchmen are Of
the opinion that the direct influence of
T7renchwouen on politics can Only make
for good The brilliant controversialist
Henri Rochefort. much married man.
hut whose opinion Of womanklnd seems
50 have been embittered by one or two
unfortunate experiences, holds that
vornen Of real intellectual eulinence,
such was vas George Sand and as are
cne Of two Of the lady barrsters now
practising in Paris. belong 10 q category
which compares favorably with thai OF
the average Deputy Of the Chamber. but
he thinks that as the Senate is barred
- all candidates under forty years old
no woman would ever consent 70 admit
that she vas eligible for admission to
that BODY His solution Of the difficulty
& FOR women 10 have a parliament of
thetr own. the decisions Of which would
Re submitted 70 the final approval of the
E7en's parliament
Henri Coulcn, the president Of the
Rights Of Man Society. expresses the
tear that women have not yet acquired
zuFfcient political education to justify
their dealing directly with public affairs
The Duchesse dues. who once played q
serious role in politics by aiding the
Roulangist movement financially, and is
= eculptress Of real talent, points out
that SO long as women have not con-
or1ered the right TO vote it is ridiculous
FOR them 10 present themselves as candi-
dates for parliament
Nine. Felix Faure Goyau. the daugn-
tar Of the late President Felix Faure,
she has made a name for herself in
literature. predicts that one Of these days
political representation will be composed
according TO professions, and then it will
he only fair for feminine professions to
gend female Deputies TO the Chamber.
The Narquise de MacMahon. who is q
yrincesse Of the House Of Orleans is
convinced that no happiness is to be
gained for women by mixing them up in
politics
ON the other hand. Jules Renard, the
brilliant novelist and dramatic writer.
secs no difference between the sexes so
far rs intelligence. energy and vanity
sre concerned, for which reason a
~oman should be allowed to vote and
1egislate just like man. and even 10
enlist in the army if she wants TO. Paul
-,dam. whose novel. lie Trus-," dealing
With phases Of American commercial life,
has been very widely read here. argues
that as women in France already man
age the household there is no reason why
hey should not exercise their undeniably
raluable influence on national affairs.
Marcel Sembat, who is an authority on
social questions, rates highly the ad-
rninistrative abilities displayed by women
KHKMANl