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About The illustrated west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1891-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 1891)
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 1 -,".' - t .. -' ,. ..' -'; ' 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