The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-01
SUFFRAGE IN GERMANY
Women Are Active in Party Politics,
But Right to Vote Is Denied.

The woman's movement in Ger
many, even If it is the best organized
and most solidly grounded, is faced
by an almost hopelessly permanent
political opposition. The seeming fu-
tility of the fight itself may have in
spired the extra clever po-
litical tactics of the women. or it may
have been abiding faith in the final
victory of the right. In either case the
plan of campaign is eloquent testi-
mony to the generalship of the Ger
man mind, whatever its sex
The cry most often raised in oppo-
sition to woman suffrage the world
over is that politics is a masculine
sphere. The German women, realiz-
ing that there was one answer to the
argume t-deeds-joined the political
parties.
Become Party Workers.
The Social Democrats, the only par
ty with woman's suffrage. as a party
plank, began by enrolling paying
woman members, who worked at the
polls. attended political meetings,
spread the party gospel and began
enlisting not only more woman MEM
bers, but men also, until the party
grew to a membership of 100000, of
whom $50, 900 were women. The Peo-
pies Progressive party, next to the
Socialists in radicalism, realized the
success of the innovation, and 1t be-
gan enrolling and using women.
The mildly conservative National
Liberals and the Catholic Center party
could not afford to see their opponents
strengthened without taking the same
means, and last of all the Conserve
tives themselves opened their. ranks
to the .intruders,' forming, at the
same time, an organization or con-
sentative men to oppose woman's suf-
frage.
In this way feminism, if not suf-
frage, has become an interparty in
stead of a party issue. How women
working at the polls, attending party
helping direct the party
fortunes, contributing to the party
purse, can gradually work their way
through the mass of opposition IS
shown by the action taken last year
by the Progressive party. 1t had been
divided on the question of suffrage,
with good half of the members
a gainSt extending the right to women
But the women, ensconced by Tour
years work in the party, threatened to
quit the party unless it took some for
NAL action in favor of their cause. so,
at the last convention, resolution was
passed putting the party on record IN
favor of women voting, and the wom-
en- did not leave the party. Perhaps
at the next convention suffrage will be
made a party plank, in which case 154
members in the reichstag out OF 50
would be pledged to give the vote TO
women. ..
Centerists Changing Views.
1t is within the bounds of probable |
ity that the center or Catholic party
will take similar action in the near
future. For a long time the party
was officially against the women'S in
vasion, but times are changing, and
here and there, from official sources
are coming statements that there is
no reason why women should not
vote. AS the clerical party, through
priesthood. would practically double
it's vote through suffrage, there is
nothing more likely than an official
change in front.
Similar action by the national lib
erals in the near future is hardly to
be expected, and the conservatives
will hold out as long as possible. But
the opposition of these two parties
has been weakened by the presence
of women in their ranks, and only
this year. as a direct answer to the
organization of men opposed to SUI
frage for women has been organized
the Conservative Women's Suffrage
association.
The invasion of the conservative
party is even more significant than
it might appear on the surface. 1t is
the most powerful party in practical
ly all the states, although it polls
reichstag it is and has always been
the one party on which the govern
ment has been able to depend. In
the several states, as in the empire.
of democracy. In Prussia it keeps in
power through the three class cleo
ton system, whereby the rich man
yields as much power as nearly 100
900 poor men. In the reichstag it re-
mains strong through the very prog
ress of time. For. although suffrage
for the reichstag is democratic on pa
per. in fact it is undemocratic.
When. the election law went into
effect in 1869 one member was APP
portioned to each 100000 population,
and each voter had an equal voice.
But since 1871 the districts have been
kept unchanged. This has
worked to strengthen the diminishing
districts and weaken the
growing cities, giving excessive power
to the conservatives and hampering
the radicals. Thus Bavaria. barely
twice as large as the city of Berlin
has six times as many representatives.
No one can blame the conservatives
for refusing to saw away the branch
on which they are so comfortably
seated. but their position in regard
to women is weakened by the division
within their own ranks.
Suffrage Is Remote.
With the government depending