New-York tribune., 1906-11-05
SUFFRAGE MARTYRS.
II Poor Way of Helping on the
WomeB's Cause.
London, October ar


nary local elections; but these do not interes.
her. and she is not on equal terms with me-, :,
she attempts to exercise such privileges al tba
! law allows. She cannot vote for Member or
/ parliament. and that is the right which she
I covets; and when she masters the fntricacies OF
the registration system she often finds herself ex
cludeH from local elections. II she be a uaarrfed
woman she can be registered as the occupia~ a,
/ the home, if her husband be not qualified with
/ reference to the same property; but THIS IS a
! limitation that excludes her ordinarily az a fsl
I low occupier. Registry is open TO her II she be
unmarried or a widow and the occupier OF a
mouse or Of a portion Of one. and women -shar-
ing the same tenancy Of land. house or business
premises can vote as joint occupiers II the rent
| averages at least f10 for each. but they do nor
nave either the dodgers or the service quaIihca-
Uons- Yet with all these limitations a Iarg,
number Of women in the metropolis are entitled
after registration to the privilege OF voting for
| members Of the London County Council the
| borough councils. the boards Of guardians and
| the Education Board and outside OF London
similar concessions have been made 70 thu say
| the conditions being more favorable in either
Scotland or Ireland than in England The Nun
Der OF women who take advantage of their
! opportunities for registration and voting f. IN
significant. There is no evidence in local eac
tons that there has been any material fncraa.a
Of interest In political activities in consequences
Of the partial extension OF suffrage 70 women
during recent years.
The decline Of public interest IN woman su-
frage has been so noticeable that extraordinary
measures have been taken for reviving it, Soma
Of the leaders have said: we have tried peace
able means for long time. and have accom-
pltshed nothing. Let US adopt violent measures
and we may succeed in commanding nubIic
attention" accordingly. there have been forcibls
attempts TO waylay candidates for Parliament
at Manchester and elsewhere. several fnvasfons
OF Westminster by women with shrflI voices and
red banners, and a somewhat rtotous dernonstra-
tfon IN front Of Mr.. Asquith's house for which
two OF the leaders were sentenced to prison
With the reopening Of Parliament the assault
Ipon Westminster has been renewed. number
of well known ladies Joining the working leaders.
and tie police in suppressing the disturbance
being forced to make arrests. Ten of them. in
Guiding Mrs. Golden -Sanderson Mrs Pethick
Lawrence and Mrs. Monteiore, were bound over
to appear the following morning at West
minister police court. Mrs. Lawrence was driven
in a motor car to the court; Mrs Cobden-San-
derson was accompanied by her sisters. Mrs.
Cobden-Unwin and Mrs Cobden-Sickert and a
score Of we'll dressed ladies' were in attendance
some Of whom had fairly clamored TO be ar
rested the previous day. The ten prisoners re-
istrate. because women had no power IN making
the laws. Mrs Cobden-Sanderson giving the cue
10 the others by quoting Mr.. John Burnss con-
fession, Il am a rebel because am an outlaw
When they were ordered 70 be bound over in IS
TO be of good behavior they all shouted defantly
a large banner waved, and some OF the
women. who were clinging to the dock. had 20
be dragged out by the police. While the prison
ers were intrusted 20 the care OF the matron
G1r~Tx-F DoT7Ir
hurst. university graduate Of distinction. at
tempted to say something TO a throng Of sympa-
thizers, and roughly handled and arrested.
She was taken before the magistrate and SEN
fenced to Holloway for fourteen days. after
fusfng 70 pay a fine. The other ten prisoners.
after declining to find sureties- OF six months
good behavior. were sentenced to jail for two
months. The van carried them off to prison
from the police court cells while their friends
were holding an indignation meeting In Caxton
Hall.
The chief object OF these remarkable demon
stratfons in which the three daughters OF Rich
ard Golden. sister OF General French. the
widow Of DR.. Pankhurst and other well known
ladies' have Joined hands with working women
has been accomplished. Public attention is ar
rested, now that eleven so-called martyrs 10 the
cause have voluntarily gone TO prison for their
opinions and expressed their Joy in helping their
poor sisters who are dumb under their suffer
ing" The women "havs made a nuisance Of
themselves" Mr.. Stead triumphantIy pro-
claimed at the indignation meeting They have
defed the law and challenged the authority OF
the courts. and after giving these eTnphatio
proofs OF their eaFnestness and willingness 70
make personal sacrifices they are now confident
that the country viii be favorably impressed as
It was when the Passive Rssisters allowed their
property to be seized and welcomed imprison-
Inent for their principles. There Is. however an
important distinction between the two cases.
and 1t bears heavily against the woman suf-
frasfsts. The Passive Resisters. who raised a
point OF conscience. abstained from violencs and
conducted themselves In an orderly and dig
nihed way. There nothing hystericaI about
their proceedings. and the moral effect Of their
protest was so great that the courts have de-
clared that they were asserting their legal
rights. and the general electorats commissioned
the Liberal government to redress their grew
ances. The suffrage advocates have advertised
their movement most effectively. but IL thsy
have created more preiudics than sympathy BY
their disorderly and undignihed conduct they
have damaged rather than helped their cause
II Is at least an open question whether the
leaders OF this movement would not have acted
more sensibiy and practically II they had used
their influence IN inducing women TO take an ac-
tive interest m local elections. AS householdeFs
or occupiers they have under the restrictions or
registration the right to vote IN all except Par
lamentary elections. Apart from a few school
board elections they have remained outside local
politics. and have not taken the trouble 70 exert
any appreciable influence In municipal aralrs-
| They have had considerable power, but have left
men IN possession OF the dull levels OF local sd-