The sun. [volume], April 28, 1912, FOURTH SECTION MAGAZINE, Image 60

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THE SUN, SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 1912,
ENGLISH SUFFRAGETTES FIGHT HARD SIX YEARS
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Rill
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WOMAN'S SOCML AArO
Tot.irCAL trwotr.
Defeated Again and Again They Have
Constantly Returned to the Attack
Predicted That Window Smash
ing and Parades Will Continue
Until i,ooo Are Put in Jail
rending. It was hoped, however, that tho
conciliation bill would provo nil exemp
tion to the rulo. ThlHblll.ito called boiMUso
It' wns tho result of a compromise among
tho various suffrage organizations of
(Iroat Britain and sovoral factions In Par
liament, provided for tho extension of
the occupation franchise to women, every
womnn who occupied a hottso or tenomont
and kopt in custody for four days during
widen she again tried tho hunger strike
Nothing was said about her weak kut
on this occasion, but she was suddniily
released without any reason being given
for the action.
Mow than 800 women have now gono
to prison for tho purpose of proving to
tho Government mat, me sun r ago move-
I Ilrrj I
... m t ... a -.1 L. n Inlin Mnff (i tltnrn fuH I
on which taxes were paid Tor tho ronei mem is iienm.-. -
uiiwiiii.li I The' he treated academically. Those who have
hill would have enfranchised chiefly self
supporting widows and spinsters. None
or tho HUtTraglsls was specially in favor
nf It. hut thev areatly preferred It to no
bill at all, and when Christabel Pankhurst
.mUQmKKmZA V HEI IfViiitf VHVlKJllliK!K9Vrii9iH B after the great coronation procession
- Bffni . i'Fll B' N ; VF JMTliK3DM"H June IT, toil, in which both militant and
'AS W 71 K If i v 'A. vS' MKR3BVViCH conservative suffraglsta took part, that
i" MKlyiM I H Jlift "ifJM St' , , 17 ISBBH Mr. Asquith had promised thit every
'jV H iL JIHfV V- WB a 4ruw waR Proclaimed by mlll-
flf !? Ei fMiV -tf fat M a, t Hf ber 2t. when after nn announcement by
1 M V:j ffiH fL I HV v Asquith of his Intention of bringing
imp i iiiWmm i mmmm a
studied tho development of tho campaign
olosely say that the March demonstrations
marked a sharp change in tactics on th
part of tho loadors and that it was prob
nhlv a realization of this on the part of
Albert Hall meeting held ' the Government that lay at the bottom
01 tne lncroaseu ovvvihj w i"o ijuuidu
ment meted out to oil who took port In
tho raids. During the first five years of
the struggle waged by the Women's Boclal
and Political Union Mm. Ponkhursfn
slogan was "You shall do us justice or
you shall do us violence."
Only Pauiedy Resisted.
The suffragettes during that periol
offered only passive resistance to all at
SV . OrSlJ VS SVr' rr "
IT is just one month ago to-day that the
Houw of Common rejected by a
vote or VX2 to ,.iis ii woman surTraRo
bill, popularly known as the ron
ciliation bill, which woukl have con
ferred parliamentary rrancwo upon
about. l.OW.ono women taxpayers
Oreut Uritain.
Tlie defeat marked the end or a six
years' utretiuous campaign on the part
of tho Women's Korial and Political
Union, from whoco ranks havo been re
cruited the bands of suffragettes who
heckled candidates at political meetings,
fought with policemen who prevented
them from entering Government build
ings and the houes of Cabinet ministers,
served many terms In prUon for the sake
of the cause, and an a grand climax broke
thousands of dollars worth of plate glass
in the windows of Iiondoii's fat-hionablo
chops during the flrbt week of March.
None of the militant loaders, however,
waa present when the division was taken
on tho bill.
Mrs. Pankhurst. president or the union,
and Mr. and Mrs. Pethlck Uwrence,
editors or its official organ. Vofes (or
TVomfa, were in jail waiting tnul on a
charge of conspiracy in connection with
the window breaking episode, whilo
Christabel Pankhurst, frequently called
the Jeanne d'Aro of the movement, was
hiding from Scotland Yard detectives
who held a warrant Tor her nrrest on a
similar charge.
Many friends of the cauw joined with
the women who were arrested for smash
iiiK gla--K.
Mr Xangnill after expressing his entire
yiiiputliy with the window breakers
said: "We have heard a good deal of the
damace to nroierty. Hut there is spirit-
f ual property far more preoiou than plate
flas and lar ies repiaceanie mere is
the respert for law and order and tho ma
jesty of the law, tho slowly gathered ac
quisitions of civilization. It is nn asset
of the state that prisoner shall Iks held
in contempt and statesmen in reverence.
It is an injur' to the stato when prisoners
are held in reverence and statesmen in
contempt. And by tens or thousands or
women Halloway is now held in more
honor than Downing Street. Tens or
thousand or women look on the state as
an enemy to 1" thwarted. Tens or thou
sands of women would shelter a refugee
from justiro. Tens of thousands or
1 women refused to fill up their census
papers nnd tho state dared not take ac
tion. It is the negation or government.
' The responsibility Tor this disastrous sit
uation lies on the shoulders of Mr. Asquith,
that political lialf breed who Is neither true
'Tory nor true I.llwral."
Glass Breaking a Symbol.
Mr Xnngwill went on to explain that the
breaking of glass by the suffragettes was
merely a symbol, None of them wanted
to injure the shopkeepers. The windows
of Die hitler wen. broken ns thev mieht
h.. I iv slielk In time of wnr. The whole i "f their followers
nr.tr lw. R.i!,t. cna tint nntlnl to the sum Clirlstabol's hiding
discovered and i rested. Chri.stnbol Is
' tho Idol of thousands of militants,
who stand ready to obey her slightest
nod and who quote her lightest word
I ns the utterance of a fane. And Chris
tabel never falters In her purpose,
cither the ethics or the expediency of
the latest phase of militancy. They
contend that while heckling nnd peti
tioning nnd attempt at forcing their
way Into the presenco of officials who
,11,1 tint tvnnt in see them were all per
fectly excusable political methods on 1 never hints nt compromise.
,V, .f thnoa tvlin u'm itevntlnir ! "We dwfV the CioVOmlllent
themselves to the emancipation of their 1 stupid and brutal attempt to wear out
nml the hunter sir ke ty neiny nmi 10 swm.i ....i .v ri'.v,
countrywomen
ono of the nohlest forms of martyrdom
ever Invented, the destruction of private
property belongs In altogether a differ
ent category nnd thnt those who hi.ve
ordered nny such action have given the
tradesmen genuine cause for grievance.
tho Government a plausible excuso for
tguorlng their demands nnd mettng out
to them severe punishment and the
ant Is nn opportunity to say thnt they
have demonstrated their unfitness for
the vote.
women's demand for politUul freedom.
reform bill which provides for man
hood sun-race, and to which tho Govern-
' ment has promised to permit a woman
sudrago amendment to Do naueu. ine
siitTraitettps maintain that the same
forces which would inevitably have de
in a manhood suffrage bill 200 women
were arrested for breaking the windows
of publio buildings.
The militants defend their tactics on
the ground that. since sixty years of
! rjetlllonlmr and other "constitutional
he wrote ill the letter wluch shecoidrUetl lrovwl tllHroncjUat,on l)iu hn(J jt come to methods on the part or the conservatlxo
to send t i tho Albert Halt meeting Iron; . -. . r ndill woui operate to dereot suffragists.of whom Mrs. Mlllicent Fawcett
such uti amendment. Is now tho loader.'had been or no avail It
They point out that the Nationalists behooved tho progressives to respond
w'io would l constrained to voto for n to tho oft repeated challenge, to women
M..v..nm..nt wnmnn Riiffrnffe bill In order , to nrovo that they wanted the vote. In
lune. 1808. they ImU the largest
her mysterious hiding plare. "They will
tar the stars from tho sky berorn they
ivlll break the spirit of the women ol thU
c.untrv What are w.t lighting for?
Not for sympathy, not for pledges I'"' to kCPp the Mlxral party in power for the J
for second readings, not for f"""' ' s,,, f ii,,, 10mo rule bill would lo undor I it
not for so called opportunities weun no ,norrt 0i,iK,uion to vote Tor an amond
tlghting Tor the vote and nothing less n ,roUglit In by a private momber
than the Vote. Therefore until a measure . tj . hn(j lieeu t() Hlli)port the con-
givhig equal voting rights to women is cIlilltion jj ;0 pn.uro would le put
vchn onnosel it in saving that the it took to guard Winston Churchill in
violence or tho recent demonstrations Belfast nor to one hour of the coal strike,
hid antagonized some members or Par- and broken glass wasn't much r.nyway
liament and thereby killed the bill, but tho compared with the broken promises or
suffragettes retorted that they itmn t Mr. Asqullli and tne broken lives ot tne
care a ng anoui tne nm, wnuu mu
debate was going on in the house Annie
Kenney, the rnctory girl who helped
Christabel Pankhurat initiatn militancy
in Manchester in the autumn or 1005,
waa presiding over a meeting in Albert
Hall nt whicli t.V),000 was raised Tor a
war fund, Mr. and Mrs. Pethlck Law
rence were released from custody in
time to put in nn appearance on the '
platform while the speeches were in '
progress nnd Israel 7angwill, Elizabeth i
Robins, author of "Tho Convert. "Annie
Beeant and soveral others eulogized !
suffragette martyrs. After exhorting ,
them to keep rliiht on working according , committing
to the methods they hail been pursuing,
he added that it was not on their tactics
thnt the certainty of their triumph rested,
hut on the justice of their cause,
"This is the answer," he said, "tothe fre
quent Tear that any fnddlnt hereafter may
find precedent in your violence. Fad
dists aro doomed by their own folly. Your
the nlr. Mrs. Pnnkhurst and Mr. and
Mrs. I.awrenco are out on ball, but
are under bonds not to Instigate nny
public demonstration on tho part
before their trial,
place Ih still un
known, nnd Mrs. Tuke, who was Mrs.
1'aukhur.st's companion In the window
smashing brigade, Is In such wretched
henlth thnt tho Magistrate In the How
street police court alleged her physical
condition ns onu of tho reasons for not
her to trial on n charge
in tne meantime urn Buiimse suua- .,Ulaii.. ou the statute book, we as selt-,tw, ,. ...i,.-,,, memlien. l.v the rnrtv
tlon Is politically very much up In rf,.P(..tine women cannot and will not be ..lriQ , ,.,., ,h n,-,lKiir. thev sav
at peace with the Government." I umj of ,.0ur.sn tho Tory memlwrs who
would have voted for a limited rranchise
for women could not lie expected to sup
port a bill for universal suffrage. They
do not hesitate to state, in fact, that they
The militants declare that it has been
intimated to them that ir they will promise
to ho good the Government will with
draw the charge of conspiracy against
the leaders, and will even releuse the
women who nre sering terms In jail for
their part in the reopnt raid Faithful
to the spirit of the Pankhurst ultimatum,
however, they declare that there can be
no peace without honor, and so the eighty
live suffragettes who are serving terms
of from three to six months in Ilotloway.
of conspiracy. It is hardly likely that Aylesbury or Wluson Green have no
without tho leadership ot nny of these immediate prospect of freedom
officers tho suffragettes will undertake I
any Important militant action. They 1 Many Forces Against Hill.
mass
meeting ever held In Hyde Park, it being
estimated that 100,000 persona were
assembled there at one time.
They assert that a9 n result of their
interference In by-elections more than
forty Liberal candidates wore defeated in
1908 und about tho same number in 1910.
It wns admitted by ixditiclnna that no
election could le held anywhere in Kttg
hiiul or Scotland without reckoning with
Mrs. Pankhurst. The following year
they refused to submit to the restrictions
f .DRUM-MA f CM
OT TMrLONDOArSuFFAAGI5TJ
will never again havo any faith in any i imposed upon third class prisoners In
suffrage bill introduced by u private mem
1st no matter what facilities nro prom
isod for it by the Government, and the
history of such bills would seem to justify
them in their attitude.
When Gladstotio Introduced the bill
enfranchising farm laborers in 1884 the
suffragists besought him to add H Oov
, eminent amendment for votes Tor women
I lie refused nnd said that the Government
llolloway Jail and in order to gain their
point tried tho "hunger strike." They
were then subjected to forcible foedlng, a
process which endangered the lives of
several of them and made many others
very 111.
Started Out of Prison.
One of the first to attempt to slarvo
herself out of prison was Lady Constance
Lytton, who wns quickly released on the
hint darkly thnt their previous demon. ,
stratlons were but child's play compared 1
to thnso which will be seen In the near
future, but many of them confess that
j would disclaim all responsibility for the report of the prison doctor that she hud
invincibility lies in the unreason of your i they are somewhat nervous about the
opponents." 'outcome of the l'ankhurst-l.uwrenre
There are those, however, who do not trial, to say nothing of their anxiety
agree with Mr. Zangwlll regarding lest the elusive Christabel should be
It is difficult, however, to imagine any bill if n privnto momber's amendment
possible way In which they could force j was carried. Ho consented to tho Intro
the Government to bring In a woman t ductlon of a private bill in 1S8S, but nr
suffrage hill for some lime to come. The j ranged that it should never come up for
home rule bill and the WeUh disestablish-, discussion.
tnent bill will occupy the remainder of. A similar fato attended many succeed
tho present session undoubtedly, oven ' lug bills, none or which was voted down,
a weak heart, tearing that she waa
being more leniently dealt with than
most or hor re! low prisoners Ixicause ot
her social position Uidy Constance as
sumed a disguise and as Jane Wurton led
a procession of men in Liverpool to pro
test against the treatment of tho suf
to the exclusion of Lloyd George's pet j but none of which camo up Tor the third j fragettos in prison. She was arrested
j SPREAD OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE THROUGHOUT ENTIRE CIVILIZED WORLD
When the first woman suffrage con-.
ention was held in Heneca Fnlls in 1NI
women had no sort of political franchise
in any part of the world except in the
State or Kentucky, where tax imying
widows and spinsters had sohool suffrage,
To-day women may voto on precisely
the same terms o men in Australia. Fin
land, Norway, New Zealand, the Republic
ef China, tho Isle or Man and six or tho
United States. They have municipal
suffrage in Great Uritain, Sweden, Ice
land, Denmark, the Transvaal, Servla,
the province of Baroda, in India, and the
.State of Kansas and may vote by proxy
for municipal officers in IJohemla, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, while they have
suffrage in trades councils in Germany,
France, Italy and Belgium; ecclesias
tical suffrage In Switzerland and somo
form of school or taxpayers' suffrage in
various porta or the United States.
The latest group or women to bo en
franchised are those of the first Aslatlo
republic Chinese women have had tho
ballot for only n few weeks, but during
that time they havo learned to use it with
a facility equaltothat of the men, to whom
it is just now as new a tool, Yik Yuan
Yin has been olocted member or Parlia
ment. The Provincial Assembly or Can
ton has ten representatives, American
born Chinewo women have been voting in
California, und many Chinese women in
this city havo become so enthuiastlo over
politics that they have eignllied their In
tention of marching In Saturday's purudo
The earliet recognition or political
equality between the sexes was in
Sweden, where taxpaying widows nnd
sp.nsters have had municipal frunrhlse
since ititi'J, The hecoud was in Bohemia,
Women who are over twenty-rour years
of age and pay taxes and ull women or
the learned professions havo been allowed
to vote by proxy in ull of its municipulitiea
except Piagiio and Libeicu sincu Ihil l
They am al-o allowed to oln in the sainn
way for members of the Diet of Bohemia,
and are themselves eligible for election to
that body They lme not the right to
vote for representatives to the Central
Parliament of Austria.
Tho Bohemian Liberals have started a
movement for universal suffrage, but tho
Government at Vienna proposes to confer
full franchise nn all men and to ignoro
CAttf&E
CHAPMAN
CATT.
even thohtt taxpaying women who havo
the municipal vote, Tim Bohemian suf
rrago committee, of which Miss Tiuuovu is
president, me piotestiug against this
measure, and the Liberal us well as tho
Ijibor, the Progressive and tho Clerical
purties are assisting in orgaulalloii work
among women of all rlasse.
It was in the United States, however,)
the country of the pioneer workers ror
women's rights, that the rull suffrage wns i
(Irst conferred upon women. Tho llrst
legislative council of Wyoming, after ils
organization asji Territory, passed in t sou
a bill giving women the right to vote
upon the same terms as men and making
them eligible to nil elective offices, nnd
when Wyoming became a Stato in IWi
oqunl siiffrngo was made n part of its
Constitution.
The latest move lu the dliectlon of le
moving sex disability in fiolltical matters
hns conio from eastern Asia, and in all
likelihood tho not will come from north
ern Europe. The Government bill pro
viding for tho granting of parliamentary
suffrage to women which is now under
debate in the lower house ha- tho hearty
support' of the King, and is rec-lvlng the
most favorable consideration, I,c.idiiig
suffragists in this country nro so suro it
will pass that they say nlthough the news
will cause great reoicing when it comes
it will create but little excitement.
leaving England and tho United States
out of consideration, the country which
possesses nt present the most interesting
possibilities from the point of view of the
suffragists is Portugal. It is impossible
to predict with any degree of certainty
the outcome of tho numerous complica
tions in which the various political fac
tions havo involved it. but the Government
now in power seems not at all unfavorable
to tho extension of tho ballot to women.
Last year Carolina Aligelo, a physician.
noticed that the new constitution did not
forbid women to vote, and so she at
tempted to register. When she was not
permitted to do so she carried her case
through several courts and received from
the highest u decision in her favor, uud
duly voted on election day. Tho Presi
dent of tint repiibliu and three of the
most prominent members or the Cubiuet
are known to be lu favor of woman suf.
f rage, uud Dr. Alexunder Bruga, u mem
ber of Parliament, recently introduced
Into that body u bill on woman V i IkIiIn,
There is a flourishing woman suffrage
association In Portugal which publishes
a newspaper. Mine. t'u.stro Gsorlo, one
of the leaders of the movement, is the
editor
The Parliamentary Commission in Bomo
Italians, ami the Church is unfavorable women to obtain political rights lias
to it. The Mayor of Home, on the other j increased tremendously during tho past
hand. Is an enthusiastic) advocate of decade. When the first international
woman suffrage, and deputies Luzznti, j conference wns held in the city or Wnsh'
I.ucifcro and Mirabelli nre doing their
utmost to further tho causo, ns is also
ington in 1002, there were nationul or
ganizations in only flvo countries -tho
tucks made upon them and made no at
tempt whatever to injure either. the pe
sons or the property of their opponent
except an occasional breaking of h win
dow in order to effect an entrance for
some message to a Cabinet Minister
written on a paper wrapped around a
stone. After the March raids, however.
they talked freely of tho possibility of tt:
blowing up of Government buildings, and
one hysterical woman actually set fire to
u heap or shavings lu the post office after
closing hour. That theso threats wen
taken seriously is evidenced by the fact
thut the stute apartments at Buckingham
Palace and Hampton Court were closed
to tho publio for days and thut speci.d
guards were put around the British Mu
seum, while an exhibition of valuable
paintings at the Boyal Academy was sus
pended indefinitely.
To all questions as to what thoy expect
to gain by an attack upon tradesmen or
art treasures the militants reply thut
the only way to break through the crass
indifference of the middle class man is to
attack his pocket book, and they reiterate
their Intention of continuing such attacks
until at least a thousand women shall
havo been sent to prison because of their
protest against what the Pankhurct fol
lowers term Mr. Asquith' treachery.
In tho meantime Parliament has ap
parently forgotten all about suffrage bills
of all varieties, either for men or women.
SUFFRAGISTS
Or.INDIA .
bus approved a bill giving the franchise
to ull women of "J.'i possessing certain prop
erty and educational qimlillcutloim. There
is, however, counidcruhlo opposition to
audi a measure among cousei-vutivo
.Signer Ualllnl, M. P., who introduced
two years a go in I ho Chamber or Depu
ties a bill providln;: for municipal uuf
fragu for women.
Thu world movement on the port of
United States, Great Britain, Am-tralia,
Korwuy und the Netherlands. Two years
luter, when tho congress met lu Berlin,
and tho Intoruatfonal Woman Suffrage
Alliance was organised, Canada, Germany,
Denmark and Sweden sont delegates. At
tho convention of tho alliance held last
year In Stockholm twenty-seven national
auxiliary associations were represented,
besides correspondence groups in two
additional countries, while men's leagues
from flvo countries, England, Hungary
Holland, Sweden nnd the United States,
sent fraternal delegates. A Men's Inter
national League, of which Sir John
Cockhurn, K. C. M. 0 ex-Premier of
South Australia is president; Ferdinand
Kuissnn, M. P. or France, vice-president,
and W. A. K. Mnnsreldt or Holland secre
tary, iB arranging a meeting to take ptoce
in Iiondon next rail.
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Cutt, president of
the International Alliance, sailed for
Soutli Africa a few weeks after the ol(s"
of the congress nt Stockholm, and I
milking a tour of the world lu company
with Dr. Aictta H. Jacobs, president of
tho Suffrage Association of the Nether
lands in the Interest or the cause, lu a
series or loiters received by Miss Mart'
Garrett Huy, Mrs. Catt tells of enthusi
astic receptions in nil the places sh.
visits, and deolares that women of all
races seem to l tremendously Interested
in their own political emancipation. ...
South Africa she spoko at forty-seven
meetltiRB in twenty different towns. Pro
ceeding up thu oast coast of Port Said,
she took ii trip through the Holy Uuvl,
and Bpoke nt several meetings in Jerusa
lem. In Cairo, where she stayed a montti,
Uio women becanio very enthusiabtlc ovr
j suffrage, nnd n committee was formed
After a wceK in v-oiomuo sic wem -to
India, whero riie succeeded in start ii'K
suffrage organizations in Calcutta and
Bombay. Sho Ib now touring the Island
of Java In a motor cur, and expects to
return by way of Hongkong, the Philip
pines and Japan.
Buffragists have recently been very
active in llussia, Turkey and Franco.
The French newspapers aro generally
in favor of extending municipal hUffM?.
to women, nnd many of them uirrya
woman suffrage department.