New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-16
Canadian House
Approves Vote for
Kin of Fighters
Bulk of Dominion SuRrag-
lists lndorse Commons
Decision
To Represent Soldiers
Wives, Widows, Daughters
and Sisters of Army Men
20 Get Franchise
To Represent Soldiers


OTTAWA, Sept 10. by the war time
election ac., which passed the House
OF Commons al o'clock this morning,
on vote Of So 60 SO OF the final read
ing. the franchise is practically given
70 widows. wives, daughters and sisters
Of soldiers IN tho trenches. The bill
has been sent 80 the Senate, where II
is fully expected it will be passed.
The New York iutimation from suf-
fracists there chat many women in
Canada object to the conditions Of tho
bill that give the franchise to some
women but not 80 all" is quite correct,
but at the present time the majority
Of women in Canada seem fairly well
satisfied.
While at least one strongly vorded
resolution of protest was passed by
women of one Of the Western prov
inces, there have been press comments
from women in Ottawa. Montreal, To-
ronto, Winnipeg, Kingston. Hamilton
and other centres in approval dcclar-
ing that while the act does not give
the vote 20 an women, as advocated by
sufFragists for years, IL goes much
further than any previous federal leg
islation. They also find comfort IN the
public pledge Of Sir Robert Borden 70
do more than ht has done at this
session
To Safeguard Soldiers
The var time election act is legisla-
ton specially framed TO meet war time
conditions and undoubtedly aims at
safeguarding the interests OF the SOL
diers now i'm Europe. There have been
10000 Canadian names which have fig
ured on casualty lists.
l. is po.uted out nv government
supporters. that many of these thirty
thousand are dead others are prison
ers. and even those who will be able
ia vote will not be I'm Canada 10 can
vass and support. during the coming
elections. tho candidates they approve
OF. Therefore the government decides
TO let their widows, wives. sisters and
daughters vote. instead OF them, and
lend the moral influence during the
coming election campaign that the alb
sent soldier husbands, sons or broth
ers would lend il i'm Canada.
One Of the numerous press contrlbu-
tors who thinks "sll Canadian women
MIGHT be trusted writes: Logic
would seem. to require only disfran-
chiermeu' Of women Of enemy origin
OF the wives Of the British subjects
who nauuen 20 have been born in an
1 al q n
en- Of Canada cannot be trusted, sure
lv we could trust all the women except
the relatives and wives Of the dis
frgrchised men,
Governments COnteation
This matter was threshed out in
Parliament. Il was shown that in four
or five provinces women vote at pro
viucial elections. while in other prov
inccs they do not. and il was contend
cd that there is doubt if the time Is
ripe for all Canadian women voting at
a Dominion contest.
II was also argued that this act was
specially framed for an election
brought on during war time. Scores
Of women and many liberal politicians
see I'm the war-times election act "a
very skilful piece Of legislation for
multiplying the votes of soldiers. "
The reply is that the women who get
the ballot are those who specially de-
serve II by reason Of their having
relatives at the front.
OF course. many sufragists and
scores of excellent Canadian women
who are not sutfragiSts see discrimi-
nation in tho act, but the government
has given what seems q fairly reason
able reply 20 all objections raised.