Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, June 1899: Volume LVVarious
Science
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, June 1899: Volume LV
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
=The New Zealand Experiment in Woman Suffrage.=--The right of suffrage
was given to all the women of New Zealand in 1893 without any
concerted action or aggressive demonstrations on their part by the
free, almost unsolicited, vote of the men. The general election took
place in November of the same year, and is described in the Saturday
Review as having been a warm contest, with several questions on which
public opinion was sharply divided; but "on the whole, the women took
matters wonderfully coolly. They flocked in thousands to the public
meetings, where, by common consent, the front seats were given up to
them." Contrary to expectation, they displayed little emotion, and
even had to be "coached" to make a pretense of enthusiasm. "Polling
day was awaited with dread by the electioneering agents and returning
officers, with doubt by veteran politicians, and with pleasurable
excitement by the women." They all voted, and "what did it all lead
to?" "It left things very much as they were.... Gradually but
irresistibly the conviction forced itself upon the New Zealand mind
that the women knowing little and caring as little about political
details, had voted almost always with the men of their family and
class. Sharing to the full the prejudices, hopes, and interests of
their fathers, brothers, husbands, and lovers, they had cheerfully
doubled the voting power of these. Where, as in the case of
schoolmistresses and factory girls, they had some special bond of
union other than domestic they had voted very much as schoolmasters
and male trade-unionists had voted.... With one accord colonists
ceased to be afraid of what the suffrage might do, and began instead
to complain of it for not doing more. Only here and there careful
observers note that groups of women are studying politics, and foresee
that, as years go by, these will supply a new and intelligent force
with distinct and logically reasoned aims of its own."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account