The Washington herald., 1906-11-25
DID The CAUSE GOOD
DR.. Shaw Doesn't Approve
Suffragette Ways.
SAYS THEY AROUSED INTEREST
President of American WOmRB's Suf-
fringe Association Talks of Recent
Happenings in EnEIand-Phases of
Campaign in That COuntry-Thinks
South Good Field for Agitation.

DR.. Anna Howard Shaw, president Of
the National American Womans Suffrage
Association and glObe-trotter in ordinary,
talked about the Suffragettes OF England
TO a Baltimore News reporter recently.
The Suffragettes," she repeated after
the reporter "Ohl yes. l know some of
them. and 1 was in London just before
the thing happened which has made so
much talk here. In the first place,
wish to say that the actions Of those
women have been much exaggerated by
the newspapers, and also that they must
not be judged by American ideas as TO
what is proper behavior at a meeting.
Il must preface my remarks. also. by
saying that the Suffragettes are not con-
nected in any way with the English
Woman's Suffrage Association. They
wished to Join 1t. bat the latter associa-
ton did not approve Of their methods and
would not admit them.
Now, then, when the Radicals OF
England wished TO go into power, they
approached these women with a PROPOSE
ton, telling them that II they would
work for their party and help It to win,
the Radicals IN return would favor
woman's suffrage The Sunragettes
thereupon worked with all their might
for the Radicals, and when the latter
came into power looked for their re-
ward, Of course. But the men put them
OF wit vague promises and finally did
nothing at all. 1t was then that the Suf-
fragettes took extreme measures.
Intcrrupting Meetings.
TT Is quite usual in England TO inter-
rupt a meeting by asking questions. For
instance, TO use an American iilustra-
tion, IL a speaker were talking about
George Washington. when he should be
talking about the tariff. he would be sure
10 be interrupted with shouts Of Why
don you discuss live issues?' We don't
want to hear THAR and other things OF
that sort What would be considered ex-
tremely unruly here is considered not
improper there
''Weu. the Suffragettes interrupted
meeting with questions. and because they
were women and not men the police were
called IN 10 take them out. IN doing so
some Of the policemen showed them great
indignlty, and this the women resented,
which. OF course. threw greater con
tumely on them than ever, for the pa
pers did not report the actions Of the po-
lcemen. and It did report the actions OF
the women.
1T IS generally admitted in England
that the Suffragettes have done more for
suffrage in the last year than the suffra-
gists have in twenty years The president
OF the English Suffrage Association is
Lady Frances BalfOur The association
held a meeting IN Albert Hall not long
ago. Lady Somerset and Lady Aberdeen
were there, and many Of the most con-
spicuous women In the country. There
were ringing speeches, fun of wit and
wisdom and logic-and the papers gave
them about a quarter Of a column.
They Have Helped Cause.
But along come these surragettes and
ask a few questions in Parliament, and
they are given columns in the newspapers
all over the world. 1t has helped the
cause"
"But they are such dreadful-lool1ing peO- /
pie" objected the reporter.
Il wish you could have seen the little
old woman who led the working women
from Manchester and the other manufac-
turing cities TO Parliament" said DR.
Shaw. 'She was a Mrs. Elmey. a tiny |
little person, with two corkscrew curls /
over each ear, and the sweetest face.
You know no member Of Parliament |
receives a salary. and his constituency /
Is assessed for his support Now, the 4
in the weaving mills were as I
sessed more than the men, and so when /
the new member was elected they de- 4
clined 10 pay the assessment until they /
had interviewed him as to his stand on
the suffrage question. And so they came /
in a long procession headed by this Mrs. /
Elmey, some OF them with children in 4
their arms. OF course, many OF them 4
were rough-looking. but Of the ones who I
are now in jail several are fne-looking 1
women And, indeed, some OF these /
went to jail TO keep the working women /
from going. because the husbands and /
children Of the latter depended on them. |