ABSTRACT
La Semaine Franfaise admits, pel'haps without meaniug it seriously, the superior disinterestedness of the woman politician. "A man," it says, "throws himself into politics to make his fortune; it beeomes his trade; he lives by it. The wo man is not sustained by any hope of this kind. She knows by experienee that her labour will not enrieh her." Addison in bis goodhumoured raillery at the women politieians of bis day, gave almost similar testimony .to their directness of purpose and zeal. " A woman is too sineere to mitigate the fury of her prineiples with temperand discretion, and to aet with that caution and l'eElervedness which are requisite in our sex." N ow it is something of this earnestness of effort and self-abnegation for the general welfare which is very requisite for political life. Just as DO philanthropie work has ever beeu carried on without the "enthusiasm of doing good" -J ohn Howard, Elizabeth Fry, and Thornas Clarkson, were enthusia.sts of the first order-politicallife needs disinterested and eonseientious work, apart from all eonsiderations of self-interest, and what is characterised as the" sentiment and impulsiveness" of women may become, when organised, a faotor of immense good for the national welfare.
