The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-29
HOLDS SELF AL00F
MRS. CLARENCE MACKAY, NOT IN
WITH PANKHURST MEET.
New York Society Lady Gives English
Suffragette Cold Shoulder; Will Be
Absent From the Gathering in
Carnegie Hall Tonight; Believes
That Suffrage Is to Come as
Right of Fair Sex.

New York, Oct. 25-Hundreds of
working women, ranging from college
professors and artists to cooks and
mattresses, will gather at Carnegei
Hall tonight to give glorious greet
ing to Mrs. Emeline Pankhurst. leader
and founder of the strenuous suffra-
gette movement in England. The mill
tant leader of the British forces will
not have the countenance of the soci-
ETY. suffragettes of New York, Mrs.
Clearance Mackay, president of the
Equal Suffrage society, having declin-
ed to appear at the meeting or intro
duce Mrs. Pankhurst
Tonignt's meeting will serve as
celebration in commemoration of the
anniversary of Mrs. Pankhurst's found
ing of the modern suffragette move
ment in London on Oct. 20, 1904.
Mrs. Pankhurst is now under sus-
pended sentence of the English courts,
having been placed under arrest in
June of this year for leading suf-
fragette delegation to the house of
commons to interview the Prime Min
lister.
Slightly Dampened the Ardor.
Mrs. Mackay's aloofness has only
slightly dampened the ardor of the oc-
cation. The causes for her action are
two-fold. First, to use her own words,
that the reason for suffrage is COM
munity of interest between the two
sexes-not fight for rights, but the
logical evolution of justice And, Sec
ond, that American manhood has al
ways treated American womanhood in
such way as ''to make us feel thas
we shall ultimately achieve our aim
without sensationalism."
While the English militants and
their American prototypes are dis
claimed by many among the conserva-
tive suffragists, the Equal Franchise
society will be practically the only
logical organization unrepresented Off
cially at the Pankhurst meeting, and
individual members of it will be pres
ent. The refusal of Mrs. Mackay to
make any compromise is unique She
will give no countenance, direct or
Indirect to the infraction of law and
order. 1t also developed yesterday
that the Equal Franchise society alone
will take no part in the local campaign
by indorsing Mr.. Hearst or any other
friend of equal rights.
Not in the Militant Class.
ods,'' said Mrs. Mackay. ""The pur-
pose of our society is to promote the
welfare of women by securing the ma
tional, state and local electoral fran
cnise for women because we believe in
the political and civil equality of men
and women
TO secure it Mrs. Mackay said it
was not necessary to initiate the meth
DDS used in other countries.
ut has been repeatedly said to me
by men in public and private life," she
went on, chat when the women of the
United States unite in demanding the
vote they will get it. And | think that
is perfectly true. What is needed to
further the suffrage cause is to give all
sorts of women the opportunity of lis
tening to speakers who will explain
what it will mean to all.'
Men Willing to Cooperate.
In Mrs. Mackay's society are a num-
Der of men and she in no wise pre-
supopes or admits antagonism in the
other sex.
'Most of the men | have met are
apparently willing to cooperate with
us and have listened to what we have
said with courtesy and consideration.
ut has not seemed necessary in the
past and L do not think it: will be
necessary in the future for us to go
out to the street corners and shrie';
our propaganda at the passers-by. We
have but to plead our cause, without
raising our voices to the men and wo-
men who are not with us. The strong