New-York tribune., 1906-12-24
HONOR LAW BREAKERS
Progress of Woman Sufrqg. :,
England.
London. Dscernsa- -,

olnner IN hOnor OF tne released Holloway bt-s
and her example was followed by tina bsrna..S
OF the evening Her preference for thu - -
dignihed word deserved recognition. for 49, -
been called upon to sacrifice some % -. -.
fashioned prejudices a pioneer OF III. -
She had been trained In the arz,rna,,~.,DN -
school Of John Stuart MIL Richard Cob1.- -,
the earlier advocates Of the cause of vvor,~-.-
citizenship. and had found II hard % -
herself 70 newfangied tactics OF storr,,,, -
House OF Parliament challenging arrest bz -.
police and courting imprisonment Yet s.ao4
ins at the top table OF the Savoy banou.,
dignlhed. Oldtine lady, with lilIes-of-ths-v,Tr...
In her dress and diamonds on her neck -.
frankly declared her conversion 10 r,o-. 80
fectlve methods OF warfare than IN. sn,v,,
dress parade debate. and defended then, ,,,.s
tact and skin. The skirmishers os OI5
Palace Yard and the Westminster police cour,
hao oeen condemned as unwomanIy creaturea
and as wanton Outbreakers: but accordinz -
Mrs. Fawcetts review OF their campaign fhsv
had not stood their heads In Trafalva-
, Square. nor burned. killed and DESTROYED ss,s-
the manner OF male rioters. but had mad,
stand for their principles and brought troubla
upon themselves by breaches Of obscure r,,la, a,
etiquette, and how wOmanly they had been and
now incOngruOUs II was TO describe victim, a,
sef-sacrtfce as lawbreakers! Madam ,h.
Chairman has been the honored leader OF sbs
most conservative section OF the surragf,t.
The new coalition with working woman rb,
had rough and ready way Of making thsu,-
selves heard. sanctioned with her un
rivalIed authority.
A luxurious banquet. with scores OF brilliantly
gOwned and Jeweled women and a strong e,-
tachment OF working women with soberer eos-
tunes but hardly more earnest faces. was .
strange sequel 70 the prison experiences and
low diet Of the guests OF honor. Soma OF ths
least sympathetic witnesses OF the reveI sought
TO create amusement by contrasting the elegant
I dinner dresses and display Of diamonds With
the more serviceable clothes worn by ths
skirmishers when they invaded the central hau
OF 81 Stephens and challenged Inspector
scantlebury to arrest them This was pointlsss
Wit The suffragists have powerful support IN
the world Of wealth and fashion, and there vas
no more effective method OF proving the fact
than that OF ordering sumptuOus dinner for
three hundred and mastering company OF DIS
tinguished guests and sympathizers. sttired a.
for the opera Yet there was equality on dem
Ocratic principles at the head table. Society
women and working women. who had shared
the discomforts OF prison life. were treated with
rigorous irnpartiality IN the seating and speak
ing arrangements. Mrs. Fawcett's companions
In the places OF honor were Mrs. Golden San
Gerson and Miss Ellington. and they divided
the responsibility OF replying TO the main toast
Success to the Womens Suffrage Cause ons
speaking for the upper class OF women In So
ciety and the other for the working world Mrx
Golden Unwin and Mrs Golden Sickert vers IN
places OF honor. to remind spectators that they
had Inherited their fathers sympathiss sor
women's civil rights. and Viscountess Harbetou.
/ Lady Straehey, the Hon Mrs 3. Russell MI
Despard and Mrs PrOthero and scores Of vel
known women were seated prOminentlyi but
i equally conspicuous were the humber r.prs-
sentatives Of working womanhOod. and one os
the most effective speeches OF the evening was
made by Yorkshire teacher with spectaces
Miss L Ford with earnest face and unarxsd
cleverness IN reproducing homespun dialsc.
1t was reserved. however, for an American
Miss Elizabeth Robins. to carry or ths honoss
Of the evening In finished oratory and persuaslys
argument do not know that have ever heard
a woman speak with more distinction OF styls
more polished eloquence 1t was shs who
proposed the health Of the women who had been
IN prison for lawbreaking. and she justified the
toast with the declaration that It was better
for the world to be shocked than to stand still
"The Parliamentary vote Is the workingnsn's
best weapon" she affirmed with significant.
glance toward Mr. Philip SnoWden. the orator
OF the labor group: "and 81 per cent Of the
women OF this country are working women"
That was an adroit use OF statistics. Of which
Parliamentary debaters ara supposed to hsgs q
complete mastery; and Il was followed By an
other stroke: "The average wags Of women Is
IS. Cd: Of men 2Os." The dramatic force Of the
actress came out IN passages like this: "A voics
soft and low Is all very fine. but II you are
drowning and cry Helpr In voics soft and
low. you are foolish" Other speeches were pG-
haps more belligerent than hers but she had
not been prisoner for her opinions. Mrs. Cob
den SandeTson had lived on prison fare and
could be pardoned for the excess OF teTvOr with
which she heralded the destruction OF such Bas-
tiles as Holloway as one Of the earliest reforms
after women should be fntrenched IN the strong
holds Of political power. She might also %
excused for the defiant way IN which she al
tackled the Liberal government as out OF touen
with the common people.
Altogether the suffragists' dinner was an I'M
pOrtant as well as a brilliant event II helped
to emphasize the fact that the movement for
woman suffrage has received a strong Impulse
from the sensational proceedings or tne sAH
mishers In the corridors OF Parliament anu "
the Westminster police court The easeIhSS
OF representative women Of both the leisuIeN
and the working classes TO suffer for theH oVN4
ions has been a proof Of earnestnesS' anu men
who have scoffed at the so-caIed surrageI'es -
q public nuisance now quietly oe0auHs -,Is
whether the cooperation Of the sexes u pO'i''0
might not be great gain. especially "u7h
many social questions are to oe taken " -
worked out I'm the near future The Labor parry
has already made suffrage for women one o 80,
cardinal reforms IN its platform; and tne uSas
-