The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-11-07
A Mean Trick.

you have entered into movement TO
obtain the vote for women Ten years
ago il took part IA inoyement with
that Abiect y, We Va sahe q, vqrned cut
u laIteAnble failure
! NiilfNp ymi a brief nccount Of
how our organization was broken up
with a yiaw to Inducing you TO aban-
don your attempt, foreseeing some
SUCH outcome for the present move
ment. Orr society grew rapidly. far
more rapidly than one could have ex-
pected We had meetings In Hyde
park. gathering thousands Of women
witllf appropriate inners and much
enthusiasm. We stormed the house OF
comnons 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 in despair Of being able to defeat
as by open methods II must needs
go about undermining our society. In
secret session committee was ap-
pointed to fad ana execute some meth
cd to brcR, us up. This committee
consisted OF old bachelors rather, oh
woman haters and mean enough T.
take advantage of those weaknesses
peculiar to our sex.
They bAgEn bg laying q plan to get
rid of our admirable officers and put in
such womel as would wreck the So
ciety. our annual election and appoint
ment OF committees came oG shortly
after these men began their work. and
they took advantage Of the opportni-
~. Just before the election we We're
surprised at large accession to our
membership Then on the day Of the
election. while We we're preparing for
the ballot, handhills were scattered
about the hall in which we met stating
that at store on I'iccadilly certain
standard goods that all women mu~t
have were offered at les3 than half the
usual price. A silk dress that would
ordinarily cost f5O might be had for
f20 Hats Ia the latest style that We're
selling for II were offered AZ f2 Gs.
Cioaks worth fl0 were TO be had for "a.
These are but u 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 WON
en- know thai TO secure what they want
at such sales they must be on hand
when the sale opens.
Well, no sooner were the h0ndbills
read than there began gradual disap-
pearance Of the members. just as water
leaves a baIhtub without ones seeing
where 1t goes One by one our Won
en- slipped out but It was noticeable
that all the new members remained.
At that time my child, your father was
not doing nj all well at his business,
and was wearing hat that had bee0
long out of fashion 1t was impossible
for me to appear in any gathering IN
such frightful headgear. Satisfying
myself that there was a quorum Of the
society without me- / went to seize the
opportunity.
Now. our ball was on the opposite
side of London from the place OF the
sale. took a bus to get there and on
arriving at the store asked where the
sale was going on. What sale? The
sale announced I'm the hnndbills! No
one knew of any handbills or any
sale Then / saw that something had
gone wrong Taking another bus. 7
went back 10 the hall In company with
others of our members. l found that
the election was over, new set Of
officers had been put In and new com.
mittees appointed What do you
think? These mean, contemptib
men-vlllains had hired the new mem-
bers to join, had produced the hand
bills. and while we bona iide 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
mlttee 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 presi'
dent mad. and she threw her gavel at
the offending woman. The secretary
rose to her feet and began q steady
stream of talk. Other members strove
IN vain to get the floor, but the shrill
voice OF the secretary, sounding like
a steam whistle, drowned them out
At one time there were a dozen women
gesticulatlng and shricking like q
storm wind I'm the rigging OF a ship
Then the chairwoman OF the commit
tee Of ways and means, a perfect Her
cuies, selzirg a table used by the see
reiary, went through the hall for the
purpose OF clearing Il, In Ave minutes
there was not member left.
BY such contemplate process did
these mean, vile, ignoble, base, sneak
ing, rascally scuryy. unfair creatures
to whom has been given the nam'
man thwart the noble work we had II
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
BILE enough 10 boast that by politica
Uaeneuver only worthy Of an American
old fashioned primary they had se
curesT naart. and couuforf