The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-02-25
Notes and
Comment
or Interest to Women Readers
GROWTH OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE
Mr.. George Allan England Asserts
that the Movement is Always
GaIninn Groupd

that the Movement is Always
Calming Ground.
In very striking article entitled
"The Leaven of Woman Suffrage
Around the World" published in Lip
pincott's, Mr. George Allan England
says:
The average American seems to
have hardly more idea about the mag
nitude OF this wave elsewhere than
he has about the mountains on the
moon, perhaps not so much. For any
good telescope will show those noun
tains plainly. whereas the capitalist
press as a rule very carefully sup
presses or distorts and ridicules the
news in re woman suffrage abroad.
The limit of knowledge Of the average
man barely exceeds this: that here at
home we have four States where uni
versal suffrage prevails, that there are
vigorous demonstrations now taking
place in England, and that women
vote in New England Beyond this.
his information is not likely to go, al
though his facile criticism and ridi.
cule might indicate a broader scope.
"As a matter of plain fact, that is
not half the story. So rapid is the
advance of the suffrage wave else
where than in free America chival-
rous America. that almost before one
can record it in cold type some other
new development turns up. Let us
just take brief birds eye survey Of
the situation as nearly up-to-date as
we can bring 1t.
New Zealand. of course. we all
know about. where women meet men
on terms of entire political equality
at the polls. and where their influence
has been so salutory.
Australia has not Jagged far be-
hind. AS far back as 1902 the so
called Federated States granted full
national suffrage to women. Last No
vember even the somewhat backward
State of Victoria ceded. All the wom-
en- of Federated Australia therefore
now enjoy full municipal, state, and
national suffrage.
so, too, the activity in Finland,
where the suffrage was gained only
three short years ago, yet where the
powers Of evil are already trembling
in their boots.
Conservative England some years
ago here and there granted the muni-
cipal suffrage to a varying extent,
and no observer to-day doubts very
seriously that the parliamentary suf-
frage is almost at hand. The project
ed 'betrothal boycott and marriage
strike ought certainly to have some
weight with perfidious Albion. IL
nothing else will
Denmark succumbed last year to
the demand for municipal suffrage. At
the Copenhagen elections in March.
the women took an active part in the
fight. at least a third Of the votes be-
ing cast by them. According to off,
cial statistics the election returned
S.6S2 male councillors and 127 wom-
en- ones. The battle is still on there
in true Valkyrie style.
Sweden has already capitulated.
The Riksdag has recently passed a
bill which enables all the inhabitants
of the country, over twenty-four years
of age, to vote. So the unlimited wom-
an suffrage is there already an estab-
lished fact.
I'm Germany womankind seems to
be under a ban, so far as Old-party
politics are concerned; but neverthe-
less they are in great numbers adher-
ents of the Social-Democracy there.
Once this militant party attains the
power which now 1t is reaching out
for, to the CONSERVATION of Conserva-
ton, its women can at once turn their
activities from revolutionary party
politics to national affairs.
''In Russia, Cuba, Spain, Japan.
even Turkey, the agitation is going on
vigorously. Iceland has it, too.
and in no passive form at that. The
suffrage movement is always gaining
ground, never permanently losing. It's
outcome is, to my mind at least, posi-
lively certain. AS women are forced
out into commercial and Industrial
pursuits, and are obliged by the grow
ing power OF Industrialism to abandon
the home, that sphere OF woman no
other possible outcome can result
than just this highland the winning
of the fight. Behind it are powerful
economic reasons; and economic de-
terminism, though it grind as slowly
as the mills of the gods. always grinds
exceedingly small"