288
THE ILLUSTRATED WEST SHORE.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE LIMITED.
The unanimous endorsement by the Central labor union, of this city, of a
bill extending the franchise to women dependent upon their own labor for sup
port, pushes forward the old question in another new way. It assumes as the
basis of suffrage, not the possession of property, but the performance of labor,
In England and in Canada the woman suffrage movement rests entirely upon
the former basis. Already in school board and municipal elections property
owning widows and spinsters are allowed to vote, and the suffragists con
tend that the privilege should be extended to parliamentary elections, on the
ground, as stated by Sydney Duxton, "that it is property not sex which gives
thejright to voteJ Naturally this proposition could find no support except
among the richer and more timid conservatives or among the poorer and more
reckless radicals, and its suppliers are not far from commanding a majority
of parliament. In America, where the doctrine 'that the possession of prop
erty is the right basis for the franchise has been repudiated for a generation,
the English proposition could find no support except in such states as Miss
issippi The proposition put forward by the Central labor union is its exact
counterpart. Like the English proposal, it is for woman suffrage, restricted
to unmarried women and widows. Like it again, it would include only such
cal principles of the parties. Now the labor reformers are coming forward in
behalf of still another form of restricted suffrage to women. No one of these
new proposals can be granted without sooner or later granting the rest The
question therefore is, how soon will all these advocates of woman suffrage,
limited, pool their issues, and demand woman suffrage unlimited? New
York Commercial Advertiser.
BOOKS MADE OF CLAY.
Far away beyond the plains of Mesopotamia, on the banks of the river
Tigris, lies the ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh. Not long since huge
mounds of earth and stone marked the place where the palaces and walls of
the proud capital of the great Assyrian empire stood. The spade and scraper,
first of the French and then of the English, have cleared all the earth away
and hid bare all that remains of the old streets and palaces where the proud
princes of Assyria walked and lived. The gods worshipped and the books
they read have all been revealed to the sight of a wondering world.
The most curious of all the curious things preserved in this wonderful
manner are the clay books of Nineveh. The chief library ol the citytwas
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GOLD VA1.I.KY. OKKUOX.-S. Ie)!.
M. M. Hazlktini, Photo.
women of these classes as are not drendent upon others for their support.
Hut, unlike the English proposal, it makes the performance of labor and not
the possession ol property the true test of self support.
Undoubtedly this movement for woman's suffrage among the working
classes in America has a stronger philosophical basis than the movement for
woman's suffrage among the property-owning classes in England. Almost
everywhere in Christendom (he idea that it is property that gives the right to
vote has lieen relegated to the liniln) of superannuated political creeds. The
idea that every laborer performs the duties of citiienship and is entitled to its
rights is daily gaining ground. Yet the restricted suffrage proKscd by (he
labor unions has little chance of K'rniaiience as that proposed in England. If
lalmr gives the right to vote, there is no ground whatever for the disfranchise
ment of married women.
Yet this new proposition of woman's suffrage, limited, adds an important
element of strength to the woman suffrage movement. Already in twenty,
two states women have the right to We in school elections. Already nine
tenths of the tenieraiKe reformers of the country are in favor of their voting
in local-option elections. Already a large part of the municiial reformers rt
in favor of their voting in municipal elections, where the issues are, or ought
to be, between the personal principles of the candidates rather tlian the polilti-
contained in the palace of Kanyunjik. The clay books which composed its
contents were sets of tablets covered with very small letters. The tablets are
all oblong in shape, and when several of them are used for one book the first
hue of the tablet following was written at the end of the one preceding it.
The writing was done when the clay of the tablet was soft , it was then baked
to harden it. Each tablet was numbered just as librarians of to-day number
the books of which they have charge.-. Louis K. fiuM,;
LIC.I1T IN THE DARKNESS.
Judge I'tffer, who will, after March 4, succeed to Ingall's seat in the
Imted State, s.-na.e, evidently believe, that the millenium and the twentieth
century will come in together. When he appeared before the Kansas legi,
lature to rece.ve congratulations on his election he made a plain, lucid state
ment upon his opmion.of matters that needed reforming, and said : " At the
dawn of the twentieth century the Vni.ed State, will be governed by the peo
pie that kv m them. When that gtwl time come, women will vote and men
will qui. drinking." These remark, are interesting chiefly because they are
somethmg new ,n the utterance, of the successful politician. The public i,
accustomed .0 hear such sentiment, (mm mtn who n0