Evening journal., 1914-09-03

poll. In cases when a holiday has
been given them on polling days in
order to induce them to register their
vote less than a quarter of those who
we're thus enabled to vote cared to so
TO the poll the others all going off on
excursions. Not once since women got
the vote have they combined for tie
furtherance of legislation for women
and children. Woman suffrage has
simply forwarded the most socialistic
form of legislation Socialism is the
only gamer.
It is quite astounding to us Austria
lians to hear and see the women who
are put up here to talk about the re-
suit of woman suffrage in Australia
Not one of them really knows any
thing about social work; they have
never done any. They like to talk and
stump the country and boast about
women; they never take the trouble
really to do anything for social re-
form. ] hear women say that the pos
session of the vote would make wom-
en- act up to their responsibilities /
say that has not happened in Aus
tralia; they ignore their duties. Then
I hear that woman suffrage will pur-
ify politics. That is not my experience.
Women will not bother themselves
about it at all. At the last election in
which ! took part the register rolls
were falsified, and names forged. and
not a woman raised her voice in pro-
test. I have known an official elect
ed who had been in gaol for fasle wit
ness, and he got his post through the
women's votes. l have worked for
temperance and social reform for
/ years, but have not received any more
| help from women since they voted
than before. I hear suffragists says
| that women's vote put an end end to
sweating and helped the moral ques-
/ tion. II is not true. We never had
and never could have sweating as you
/ know il here. but such under-pay-
ment as existed was put an end tc
through the private voluntary exer-
tiOns of Miss Rose Scott-it had moth.
ing to do whatever with wOmen's
votes The age of consent was rails.
ed, and how? BY many of us COINS or
deputations to the officials, and they
| ApAu 10 NN hluoN SCI 0R RCNANAohnn oAAA
we got them; we shaved ourselves tC
get signatures, and when we had go
enough we sent them in, agitated, and
made the officials see that the pub
lie we're on our side, and they RAISED
the age. They were not against us
they only wanted the public to ex
press themselves. No vote helped us
it was all private work.
I have come back to England aftei
some years, and now I ask women
what are you doing for temperance o.
social reform, or whatever they sa.
their interest is? And they all say
"Oh. we are working for the suffrage.
If they only knew what l know, AM
had experienced what l have expert
enced they would know what a shar
it all is. They are leaving the rea
work for an empty cry. Women
votes don't bring about reforms; it /
, women's endeavors and hard strue
giles against evils. Government listen
to women far more when they hav
not got the vote, because it know
there is no party to think about. Won
en- do not do away with the excesses q
> party: their votes make it. worse.
: The suffragists Of the country. hay
ing melted up their wedding rings, th
worn thimbles left them by thei
mothers. the silver cups used by thei
babies, must feel their luggage cor
siderably lightened for their marc
toward emancipation. Bernard Shaw
the great feminist and suffragis
says: Unless woman repudiates he
womanliness, her duty to her husband
to her children, to her society. to tn
law and to every one but herself, sh
cannot emancipate herself"