Connecticut western news., 1908-12-03
A Mean Trick.
tCopyright, 1908. by American Press Asso-
 ciation.1

you have entered into a movement to obtain the vote for women. Ten years ago I took part in a movement with that object in view, and it turned out lamentable failure.
 I will give you brief account of how our organization was broken up with a 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 md forced the members to listen to us. Our enemies, the men. ar rested us and kept us in jail.
 Finally, vixen the house of commons was in despair of being able to defeat us by open methods 1t must needs go about undermining our society. Tn secret session committee was np> pointed to. find and execute some meth. cd to break us up. This committee consisted of old bachelors-rather. old curmudgeons-all of them confessed woman hatcrs and mean enough to take advantage of those weaknesses peculiar to cur sex.
 They began by laying a plan to get rid of our admirable officers and put ia such women as would wreck the so- ciety. Our annual election and appoint mont of committees came ofr shortly after these men began their work, and they took advantage of the opportunl. 1 ty. Just before the election we were surprised at n large accession to our membership. Then on the day of the election. while we were preparing for { the ballot, handbills were scattered about tue hall Tn which we met stating that at store on Piccadilly certain standard goods that all women must ] have v-c-c offered at less than half the usual price. A silk dress that would ordinarily cost f50 might be had for f20. Hats in the latest style that were selling for f5 were offered at f2 0s. I Cloaks worth f10 were to be had for fl. These are but a few examples to show you what bargains were to be obtained. l The sale was to take place during the afternoon of our election, but all wom- en know that to secure what they want i at such sales they must be on hand when the sale opens.
 We'll, no sooner were the handbills i read than there began gradual disap- 1 pearance of the members. just as water leaves a 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 we'll at his business, and I was wearing hat that had been 1 long out of fashion, It was impossible for me to appear in any gathering in Guch frightful headgear. Satisfying myself that there was a quorum of the society without me. 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 i arriving at the store asked where tho sale was going on. What salef The sale announced in the handbillsl 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. I found that tho election was over, a new set of officers had been put in and new com mittees appointed. What do you think7 These mean, contemptible men-villains had hired the new mem- 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 wns not the worst of our mis- fortunes. The new officers and com rittee women had been selected Coy the mem for the violence of their tenn pers and tho volubility of their tongues. The very first meeting after their in- stallation showed that we had met with q quietus. One of the committee said something that made the presi. 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 stroyc in vain to get the floor, but the shrill
 
 steam whistle. drowned them out At one tine there were dozen women gesticulatirg and shricising like storm wind in the rigging of a ship. Then the chairwoman of the commit tee of ways and means, a perfect Her cules. seizlng a table used by the sec retary. went through the hall for the purpose of clearing it. In five minutes there was not member left.
 By such contemptible 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 VIC had In hand. That was the last of the suf- fragette movement of the first decade of the present century, and members of parliament have since been despica- ble enough to boast that by political maneuver only worthy of an American old fashioned primary they had se- cured peace and comfort.