Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/813

 WOMAN SUFFRAGE IN MANY COUNTRIES There was a spirit of hopefulness that a new regime was at hand, as many Cantons were considering the question. The vote was taken in Neuchatel June 28, 29, 1919. A dishonorable campaign had been made by the opponents, financed by the liquor trade, and the result in the entire Canton was 12,017 noes, 5,346 ayes. In the town it stood 1,647 noes, 831 ayes; in the industrial and Socialist town of Chaux de Fonds it was 2,400 noes, i, 800 ayes. The Federal Council refused all appeals to submit the question, although it was discussed in the First Cham- ber. In October the Council of Basle by 63 to 24 voted to submit the proposition. The Council of Zurich also sent it to the voters, adding eligibility to office. On February 8, 1920, the vote in the Canton of Zurich was 88,249 noes ; 21,608 ayes. In that of Basle it was 12,455 noes; 6,711 ayes. The peasants were solidly opposed and the workingmen voted against it. The suffragists then concentrated upon Geneva and set out to get a petition from 2,500 electors, which would compel the Council of the Canton to submit the proposition. In June, 1920, the International Woman Suffrage Alliance held in Geneva its first congress after the war. Delegates were present from all over the civilized world. Twenty-one countries had now enfran- chised women. From every point of view it was one of the most successful it had ever held and it was expected to influence the referendum on woman suffrage. The year was crowded with work and the 2,500 names were not obtained until November. It was February, 1921, before the Council of the Canton dis- cussed the petition and then it was referred to a Special Com- mission, where it was held until September 21 before the proposal to give full suffrage and eligibility to women was submitted to the voters. The election took place October 17 and resulted in 14,166 noes; 6,629 ayes. ITALY. Woman suffrage in some form had been a number of tinu before the Italian Parliament and it was advocated by many of the eminent university women. At the first congress of the Inter rial Woman Suffrage Alliance in Copenhagen in 1906 Profes- il>rio1a, a lecturer on law in the University of Rome,