New-York tribune., 1909-10-21
NJ EET SUFFRAGETTE
MRS. P4NKHURST is
HERE FOR WORK.
potes for Women Uon't If
feet the Harmony of Home
Life, She Says.


Southampton on the Oceanic. She sat
at Captain HaddOck's table during meals
and announced on her arrival that she
would return on the Oceanic, because
she belieyed that she had only half con-
verted the veteran skipper to the cause.
Mrs. Pankhurst. small woman. with
a pleasing voice and personality, had
been warned in London against meeting
representatives Of the American press.
She said she did not look upon the meet
ing with favor. but on finding that she
was not annoyed by the reporters she
talked freely of her views. When asked
TO pose under the glare of fiashlight
powder she readily consented. and OBJ
served that she was accustomed to walk
on the firing line.
The first question asked of Mrs. Pank-
hurst dealt with the object Of her visit
to this country.
''I have come here to tell Of the fight
we are making in England" she said.
THAT is a rather long discourse. and it
will be fully told in my lectures"
why have you gi;en up so much Of
your time and energy in the fight for
woman's suffrage?" was the next ques-
tion.
VOTES FOR WORKING WOMEN.
Because women are in great need of
having a voice in the enactment OF laws
and the election of persons to enforce
the laws" she said. There are so many
things that concern women in govern
ment that it is their right to have say
in the selection OF officers and the en-
actment of law. Think of the number OF
women who are self-supporting The
average family with five or six daugh-
ters must have these young women sup
port themselves when they become OF
age, and IL is absolutely essential that
these young women. and mothers too
should have voice in the government"
When it was suggested that the right
to the ballot might affect the harmony
of the home life OF women Mrs. Pank-
hurst smiled
mo. there is no foundation for that
belief" she continued "The right Of
franchise will give women a deeper in
terest in life and make them less self
centred. There is so much of concern to
the home. to wives, and to mothers in
the government Of the nations that it is
their right 10 vote"
When It was remarked that Mrs
stuyvesant Fish was opposed to the
movement. Mrs. Pankhurst replied that
such an attitude was we'll enough for
the wealthy. whose daughters did not
have to earn their bread and butter.
Mrs. Pankhurst said she had always
been suffragette. by that" she said,
I mean that became interested in the
cause when ] was fourteen years old.
My mother took me to hear Mrs. Lydia
Becker at our home city of Manchester.
and then l married DIR. Pankhurst, who
was fighter for votes for women
MEMORIES OF JAIL LIFE.
The leader said she could not talk
of the movement in America as she had
come here to learn of conditions in this
country. Mrs. Pankhurst wore a small
metal medallion which hung from rib
bon surmOunted by a silver figure of
Queen BOadicea. This emblem. she
said. suggested the Queen charging
upon the House of Commons. and wa3
symbolical of the cause of the suffrar-
cites The small disk hanging fr,n.
the ribbon bore the numbers of the eel,
occupied by Mrs. Pankhurst and h.r
daughter in Holloway Jail.
Il was arrested and Imprisoned, ,he
said, 'on two charges; one of obstruct.
ing the police in the Performance Of
their duty and the other for calling a
meeting in prohibited area and a cali
upon the suffragettes TO rush NV
conviction really hinged upon the word
'rush'-an American word, believe
which means to hustle or push things
through. This word rush was tbrased
out in court and was construed to moan
something of violence and ] was con-
victed."
My daughter appeared as counsel "
continued Mrs. Pankhurst. she has
taken several degrees i'm law. but in I,ng-
land woman is not permitted 10 prac-
tice. - She was allowed to cross-examine
and she did il spIendidly she suh-
poenaed LlOyd-GeOrge and several Other
important persons TO appear as wit
nesses. The magistrate. however round
me BuIlt4 anu went TO JAIL For six
weeks ! was kept i'm solitary confinement
There was a small window at the ton
but l could not look out of it, The cell
was about s by 10 feet, and / was al
lowed an hour outside for exercise every
day. During this hour | was not al
lowed to speak to any one"
SAYS VIOLENCE IS NECESSARY.
Concerning the violent storming of the
houses OF Parliament. Mrs Pankhurst
said: "Yes. they were violent, but il
was good for the cause. That is the
only way we can succeed. II was vio-
lence on the part of icolonists that won
your American Independence. We have
now 423 members of the House of Com
mons with us, and when our bill is in
troduced I know II win pass"
Mrs Pankhurst said that politics would
not be any worse If women were per-
mitted To vote. and anyway il was a
question Of persons. ana that sex was
not 10 be considered.
we do not care to generalize. There
are good women and bad women, as
there are gOoG men and bad men. We
want the right-to vote to join with the
men in doing right for the good of all"
The great number Of women who asked