The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-06
THE GENTLE ENGliSHWOMA

The reserve of English women, their
| tendency to aloofness from the crowd.
their modesty and delicacy of feeling
have been traditions with Americans.
| The British press used to make com
PARSONS with our countrywomen that
were extremely unfavorable to the
American woman. and particularly
| when it came to discussion of the suf-
frage question. One recalls now with
some amusement the ridicule that the
London writer's heaped upon the suf-
frage movement in this country in its
early inception.
Nowadays the islanders are so busy
keeping track of their own suffraget
as they call them, that they have no
time for attention elsewhere Within q
week staid old London has seen such
a demonstration in behalf of the wo-
men as would have torn any city OF
this country into rawlings. In an I'M
guarded moment. Premier Asquith had
said that the women of England do
not want To vote. Then the trouble
scribes the scene. that followed thus:
Mrs. Pankhurst's cohorts replied thew
would prove the contrary They met nj
Caxton hall this afternoon and sent y
delegation of twelve women, Mrs Pank-
hurst at their head. to see the prime min
lister. He refused TO them and sent
word TO them TO put their demands IN
writing.
They returned to the hail. with grim
determination showing in their faces and
not words on their tongues. Mrs. Pank-
hurst declared that the hour had come
TO show their strength
Mrs. Pethick Laurence said in an i'm
pasSioned speech that women had broken
al records In 1897 the women presented
the greatest petition parliament had eyer,
known. On June Is of this year they had
held the largest public meeting that had
ever been held. and on June q they organ
lZed the most impressive demonstration
that ever appealed to any people or any
government. She added that they would
produce another record tonight
They kept their word. They went to
parliament square. not in procession. for
that would have been breach of the old
statute and subjected all participating to
penalty OF three months Imprisonment
They Joined the great mass of their SYM
pathizers. who were already converging
on the square. but they found forest of
black helmets and battalions of mounted
police awaiting them.
The mob grew as by magic until il not
Only packed out tllicQ
Westminster bridge as far as Lambeth
bank blocked Whitehall TO the horse
guards headquarters. packed the Victoria
emba nkment. and thronged Victoria street
for several blocks.
As far as the eye could reach all the |
minor conversing streets were simply |
dense masses of humanity IL was i'm |
fact. a crowd stupendous and unparalleled |
among human assemblages, comprising. |
as It did. large proportion of women
The American woman is fairly per-
sistent and demonstrative when she |
really means to achieve a definite re-
suit. but for wild devotion to cause |
and disregard of the conventions the |
gentle English woman seems to have |
her cross Atlantic sister backed of the |
boards. so to speak. Evidently the |
confines of Albion hold a more militant. |
aggressive contingent of females than |
anybody had ever dreamed of. and Mr.. /
Asquith woulo be the first to testify TO /
the fact. john Bull is slow to acr and |
hard TO move. but another such affair |
as that ought To make him move some
where, somehow.