THE WAY TO WOMANHOOD SUFFRAGE
The cause of Womanhood Suffrage was ably pleaded by Madame Barbara Bodichon at the Social Science Congress, and Madame Bodichon was gallantly followed on the same line by Dr. Mary Walker. It may safely be said that if every man is fit to vote, so is every woman; on conditions. These, of course, are, that if women are to exercise political functions, like men, they must accept all the obligations of the sterner sex. For instance, the right of voting would give women a voice in the organization of the army. This ought not to exist apart from liability to be drawn for the Militia, or to become subject to conscription, if that method of recruiting should come to be adopted in this country. The ladies who sigh for the suffrage should lose no time in enrolling themselves in regiments of Amazonian volunteers to signify that whilst they demand the rights, they are ready to accept the duties of citizenship.
Dr. Mary Walker was the American lady who wore a masculine or semi-masculine garb; Madame Bodichon was the benefactress who invented and endowed Girton.
J. S. Mill on the Suffrage
It was reserved, however, for John Stuart Mill, when, in the debate on the Reform Bill,[25] he moved that in Clause 4 the word "person" should be substituted for "man," to come nearest to breaking down Punch's opposition to Woman Suffrage. Mill's speech shook him very badly, as may be gathered from the full and eulogistic summary in the "Essence of Parliament":—
And now, Ladies, Mr. Punch does you the justice of believing that you would like to know what arguments your Friend advanced. You may be sure that all that could be said was said in the best manner by Mr. Mill, and that such of you as wish to fight the battle may have all the weapons, elegantly polished, at hand, Mr. Punch—your devoted slave—lays them before you in the most convenient form. Mr. Mill urged that at present:-
Neither birth, merit, exertion, intellect, fortune, nor even accident can enable any woman to have her voice counted in matters which concern her and hers as nearly as any person in the kingdom.
It is not just to make distinctions between the Queen's subjects, except for a positive reason.
Are women who manage property, or business, or teach more than most male electors know, unfit for the function of voting?
Would they be revolutionary?
Taxation and Representation should go together. Women pay taxes.
The real difficulty felt is not a practical one; it is only a feeling of Strangeness.
That is a thing which wears off. What are the objections?
1. Politics are not women's business.
2. You don't desire the suffrage.
3. You are sufficiently represented by your influence over male relatives.
4. You have power enough already.
The answers are:—
1. Nor are they man's, unless he is a professional politician. He has business of his own, which he does not neglect, for the sake of voting, more than a woman would.
2. But many do, and others would but for fear of being ill thought of. We are not to suppose that leading questions put to ladies elicit their real sentiments. None are so well schooled as women in making a virtue of necessity.
3. Does man apply this argument to rich men and others with influence?
4. You have great power, but it is under the worst conditions, for it is indirect, and therefore irresponsible. And he would have you work by a manly exchange of opinions, and not by cajolery.
There is a feeling which men have, but are ashamed to express—this:
A woman has no right to care about anything but how she may be the most useful and devoted servant of some man.
Mr. Mill professed such indignation at this idea that he would not argue about it.
In the old days woman and man lived apart—that is, the wife was a plaything or an upper servant. His friends were men. This is changed. The women of the family are the man's habitual society. The wife is his chief associate, most confidential friend, most trusted counsellor.
Then, should a man wish that such a companion should be studiously kept inferior to himself, and taught ignorance or indifference about the subjects among which his highest duties are cast?
The time has come when, if women are not raised to the level of men, men will be pulled down to theirs.
As to women being sufficiently protected, he would like a return of the number of women annually beaten or kicked, or trodden to death by their male protectors—of the cases when the dastardly criminal did not get off altogether—of the cases in which such brutes received lighter sentences than are awarded for trifling thefts.
Old educational endowments were for boys and girls alike. The girls have been shut out, as at Christ's Hospital, where there are 1,100 boys and 26 girls.
The Doctors shut out the ladies.
The painters do the same, excluding them from the associateship of the Academy, because they were distinguishing themselves too much.
A husband can tear away every shilling of his wife's and spend it in debauchery, and even then, if she struggles and saves, he can pounce on her earnings, unless she is judicially separated.
Your Champion, Ladies, wound up with an earnest assurance that when the time should come, as come it would, for acceding to his motion, we should never repent of the concession.
And Punch is sure that whether you want votes or not, you will say that the cheers Mr. Mill gained were well earned.
Mr. E. K. Karslake thought Mr. Mill confounded the distinction between man and woman.
Mr. Denman supported him, but thought the Bill already conferred the suffrage.
Mr. Fawcett (a newly married man too) earnestly supported the motion, and said that the time for chaff on the subject had gone by.
Mr. Laing talked nonsense about the ideal of woman, said that Juliet, Ophelia and Desdemona had nothing to do with votes—the poets understood woman better than Mr. Mill.
Sir George Bowyer, like a gallant knight, supported your cause.
Lord Galway said the motion placed admirers of the fair sex in an awkward position.
Mr. Onslow said that two young ladies had told him they would vote for the man who gave them the best pair of diamond ear-rings.
Mr. Mill was pleased, as well he might be, at the fearful debility of his opponents, and took the division, which was,
For the Ladies 73 Against 196 ____ Majority 123 for keeping you out, dears. This speech of Mr. Mill's was the event of the week.
| For the Ladies | 73 | |
| Against | 196 | |
| ____ | ||
| Majority | 123 | for keeping you out, dears. |
At any rate it cannot be said that Punch failed to do justice to the debate on its merits. His account is both ampler and fairer than many reports of important discussions in Parliament which appear in the daily press of to-day. But this was the day of verbatim reports. Punch mentions one debate which occupied thirty-six columns of closely-printed small type in The Times.