Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-15
WORK OF THE
SUFFRACETTES

/ First, work up big and represen-
tative suffrage organization Though
out the country. Second, publicly
/ sound all the parliamentary candi-
dates. Lastly. agitate, kic,; up a
fuss; keep on kicking. Get into the
public eye through the newspapers,
and stay there. If interest and pub
licity wane, kick up new Kind of
fuss. And all the time keep knock
ing at the doors of parliament
Such was the Gdvice 81 zen to the
women, not by radical socialist or
belligerent labor leader, but ~ the
suave, aristoerarie. conservative Mr.
Balfour, prime minister of ,ireat
Britain. Indignant, and in measure
desperate at the neglect and contempt
with which the efforts Of the Old suf-
/ frage societies had been treated for
nearly forty years. ANEW element ap-
| pealed 10 the premier to make the
enfranchisement. of women govern
ment measure, as only in this way
could it receive the consideration of
parliament. Mr.. Balfous, although
personally in favor of this, said TO
speak with frankness | can NOT do
1t because your question Is not one
of practical politics.; and then, to
their exasperated inquiry how they
could make 1t one of practical politics,
he gave the above recipe. The wo-
men did not go away sorrowfui, like
the young man in the Scripture, but
they Immediately begaL preparing
for big and forcible "kick." The
result has been similar to tha, OF 'the
| first gun fired at Lexington" on this
side of the globe, for these is scarcely
a newspaper in existence which has
not told its readers of the strange DO
ings OF the "suffragettes. The agi-
tation has doubtless been consider
ably more violent than Mr.. .Dalfour
could have foreseen when he started
the ladies on the warpath
Ignoring entirely the ancient and
respectable National Suffrage Society
with its centre in Londan. a body of
women in Manchester and thereabout
organized the Women's s Social and Po-
litical Union, with the encouragement
and assistance of the great trade-un-
ions of women with their tens of
thousands of members. This union
welcomed to its ranks those of all po-
litlcal affiliations. 1t announced as
it's sole object the enfranchisemenS OF
women and declared in its manifesto:
The time for argument Is past, the
/ time for action has come" Instead
of doing noting to embarrass the
members of parliament" according to
the old regime, 1t has given these
members, including the cabinet min.
listers, some of the most embarrass-
Mig moments of their lives. Ii soon
moved Its Offices to London and, maxi
ing the house of commons the centre
of the whirlpool, 1t has stirred the
United Kingdom to its circumference
Last year 1t held nearly a thousand
meetings in England, Scotland and
Wales, indoors and out OF doors, It's
audiences numbering five thousand,
ten thousand and even twenty thous-
and people.
Not long ago, while in london,
visited the headquarters and made
the personal acquaintance of these
suffragists militant. found their of
fees at No. Clements Inn, on the
Strand, overlooking Temple Bar
whose courts have decreed that no
woman in Great Britain shall prac-
| tice law, even though she hold de-
gree from the largest law college in
the kingdom. Precisely at ten a
bevy of the arch-conspirators came
| trooping in-women who had broN
en- up political meetings, resisted the
police. defled the courts, served time
in the prisons. Some were young ma
irons. but most of them unmarried
/ fresh. bright, rosy-cheeked, and max
ing the air fairly vibrant with ami
nation. enthusiasm and earnestness
Cant you send us some speakers
from the United States?" they asked.
Some who are young, good looking
and eloquent"
! mentioned one who had all these
qualities, but" said. "I'll have to
tell you that she dresses in some
what masculine fashion," Oh we
wouldn't have her at any price," they
( exclaimed, "our men wouldn't listen
TO her; no. indeed. we couldn't have
anything masculine In the appear
ance of our representatives" This |
found to be true. the leaders and
speakers being rather more than Or
dinarily feminine in dress and man
ner There was also another sig
nificant occurrence. A letter was
brought in from a distinguished lady
OF the nobility, but one who has not
been quite like Caesars wife. asking
for specific information regarding
their work, as she thought of taking
IL up. "Oh, DEAR they exclaimed,
I'VE have had so much to bear; must
that be added" DO yon demand an
unblimished character of every wo-
man who goes into your movement p"
] asked. Well. we want to be just as
charitable as possible" they said.
but In a great reform like this. with
such hostile public sentiment TO
overcome. We cant afford 10 have any