The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-07
A Mean Trick.
copyright, 1908, by American Press Asso-
London. Dec. 5. 1918.


that object in view, and 1t turned out
a lamentable failure.
will give you brief account of
how our organization was broken up
with view to inducing you to aban-
don your attempt, foreseeing some
such outcome for the present move
ment. Our society grew rapidly, far
more rapidly than one could have ex-
pected. We had meetings in Hyde
park, gathering thousands of women
with appropriate banners and much
enthusiasm. We stormed the house of
commons and forced the members to
! listen to us. Our enemies, the men, ar
rested us and kept us in jail.
Finally, when the house of commons
was I'm despair of being able to defeat
us by open methods 1t must needs
go about undermining our society. In
| secret session committee was ap.
pointed to find and execute some meth
! cd to break us up. This committee
| consisted of old achelors-rather, old
| curmudgeons--all of them confessed
woman haters and mean enough to
take advantage of those weaknesses
| peculiar to our sex.
They began by laying n plan to get
rid of our admirable officers and put In
such women as would wreck the So
ciety. Our annual election and appoint
ment of committees came off shortly
after these men began their work, and
they took advantage of the opportunl-
| ty. Just before the election we were
| surprised at a large accession to our
membership. Then on the day of the
election. while we were preparing for
the ballot, handbllls were scattered
about the hall in which we met stating
| that at store on Piccadily certain
| standard goods that all women must
have were offered at less than half the
usual price A silk dress that would
ordinarily cost $50 might be had for
| f20 Hats in the latest style that were
selling for f5 were offered at E2 Gs.
| Cloaks worth f10 were to be had for "A.
| These are but few examples to show
you what bargains were TO be obtained.
! The sale was to take place during the
afternoon OF our election, but all wom-
en- know that to secure what they want
at such sales they must be on hand
when the sale opens.
| Well, no sooner were the handbills
| read than there began gradual dlsap-
pearance of the members. just as water
leaves bathtub without ones seeing
where 1t goes. One by one our wom-
en- slipped out, but 1t was noticeable
that all the new members remained.
At that time, my child, your father was
not doing at all well at his business,
and was wearing hat that had been
long out of fashion. 1t was impossible
for me to appear in any gathering in
such frightful headgear. Satisfying
myself that there was n quorum of the
society without me, l went to seize the
| opportunity.
| Now, our hall was on the opposite
side of London from the place Of the
sale. took bus to get there and on
arriving at the store asked where the
sale was going on. What sale? The
sale announced In the handbills! No
one knew of any handbills or any
sale. Then / saw that something had
gone wrong. Taking another bus, I
went back to the hall In company with
| others Of our members. found that
the election was over. n new set of
officers had been put in and new come
mittees appointed. What do you
think? These mean, contemplate
men-villains had hired the new men,
bers to Join, had produced the hand
bills, and while we bona fide members
Of the society were going to and COM
ing from the bogus sale the hussies
had elected ticket given them by the
men.
| This was not the worst Of our mis-
fortunes. The new officers and COM
mittee women had been selected (by
the mem for the violence of their tenn
pers and the volubility Of their tongues.
The very first meeting after their in
stallation showed that we had met
with a quietus. One of the committee
| said something that made the presl-
dent mad, and she threw her gavel at
| the offending woman. The secretary
rose to her feet and began steady
stream of talk. Other members strove
I'm vain to get the floor, but the shrill
voice Oh Tue SeCreluTy, SOunulnS ike
a steam whistle, drowned them out.
| At one time there were Il dozen women
gesticulating and shrieking like
storm wind In the rigging of a ship.
Then the chairwoman of the commit
| tee Of ways and means, n perfect Her
cules, selling a table used by the sec.
retary went through the hall for the
purpose of clearing 1t. In five minutes
there was not member left.
by such contemplate process did
these mean, vile, ignoble, base sneak
ing, rascally, scurvy, unfair creatures
to whom has been given the name
man thwart the noble work we had In
hand. That was the last of the suf-
I fragette movement of the first decade
of the present century and members
of parliament have since been despica-
BILE enough to boast that by political
maneuver only worthy of an American
[ old fashioned primary they had Sc
cured peace and comfort.
1t isn't my dear, that women are
not fitted for suffrage and to occupy
any sphere that man can occupy. 1t is
| that men will descend To SlIch nuSil-