Bisbee daily review., 1914-03-15
MRS. HUMPHREY WARD RAISES NOVEL POINT
 AGAINST SUFFRAGE
FAMOUS WRITER SAYS THAT PHYSICAL FORCE OF WOMEN
 IS pETRlMENT TO SUFFRAGE
(By Associated Press.)

Ward has written Nj. Ferdinand Buis- son. the leader in the Chamber of Deputies of the group working active ly for woman's suffrage. in opposition to giving women Parliamentary Suf. frage in either England or France.
 While strong supporter of the municipal vote for women. she de- clares that Parliamentary Suffrage "is deprived of its ultimate meaning if 1t has not the physical force of men behind it" and 1t should therefore be confined to men only.
 "To my mind" she says, there are at least two insuperable object. ions to giving the parliamentary fran chise 10 women in England"
 First. 1t would disturb the relation of the physical force of the country in its political force: and in these days when reform and legislation can be brought about by many other agencies acting upon Parliament, the vote acting as an instrument of gov. ernment is, in my eyes, very much more important than as an instru. ment of reform. The women's vote in such a country as England. would be like a paper currency with no gold reserve behind it. Considering the tremendous questions. in which great bodies of men are ranged on either side. that have already arisen or are steadily developing with the develop ment of democracy. it seems to mo more important than ever that the political vote should indicate where the physical force ofithe country lies ;although of course the effort of every good citizen will bring tho forces of reason and justice to bear upon that vote But in the last re- sort the ballot box is and must be our defense against disturbance and civil wars; and if that defense is weak ened by the participation of women in the governmental vote, the country is weakened. and the women would be the first to suffer
 Second. in my Delief insuperable objection so far as England is con cerned is the large preponderance of women over men in England We have as you know a preponderance of l.250,0O0 women and this immense ly complicates and strengthens the physical force argument
 "The argument as fo the relative political ignorance of Women- ignor rance dependent on their maternal functions and in way discreditablo to them-upon the lafger and nor, external issues on which the nation's very existence may turn. also weighs with me very much. It would be sDe cially dangerous ! think not SO muci in dealing with measures as in deal ing with men, that Is the selection ol male government to carry out g policy which can only be appreciated or executed bv men.
 Adult suffrage or something nea' 1t is sure to come in England and i women were included under our con stitutional system the votes of few districts in which the women's vot, predominated might in a time of cris Is hand over the government to [ majority which only represented : minority of the male population. | would be easy to name such districts
 None of these objections apply t' the local government vote which de bends on delegated powers and an | nlies to social and domestic affairs It Is on this side that l personall' hope that the solution of the Suffrage question will ultimately be found. Yo' heve observed that the Ulster ques ton is J'rcing English opinion 1T the direction fl Federalism. Two suh ordinate psrliaments in Ireland. on - for Scotland and one for Wales, arr at any rate now matters for discus sion, and the crushing weight on th ImDerial Parliament. together witt f the growth and complexity of loca f administration. will all tend in th same direction; so that in the futur some of us may hope to see q clea dividing line between the lmperia Parliament dealing with the grea male interests and activities of tn nation. it's military systems. finance Q diplomacy, etc, with its franchis g and its membership confined to mer a and a great subordinate system, pos sessed not only of administrative bu E of large legislative powers dealin
 locally with social and domestic al
 fairs. a system in which wome
 should ultimately obtain full equalit s with men"
 II Mrs. Ward concludes her lette
 thus.
 "Of course you will have observe 3 thah for the present. the militan e movement has entirely destroyed tn
 hopes of the Suffragist party at leas
 for some years to come"