The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-21

Emmeline Goulden was born in Man
chester, England, on the anniversary of
the storming of the Bastile. Her an
cestors were Radicals. She was educat
ed in Paris. She was unusually gifted
by nature, not only with intelligence
and courage, but also with personal
attractions. in her youth she had the
reputation of being the most beautiful
woman in England.
In 1879 she met Doctor Pankhurst,
distinguished barrister, who had been a
member of the first Woman Suffrage
Society founded by John Stuart Mill,
and she married him the same year.
A little later she was placed on the
women s committee for pushing the
Married Woman IS Property Bill, drawn
by Doctor Pankhurst, which is now
law
In 1856 she went to London and join
ed the Fabian Society. She remained
a Liberal till 1892 when she joined the
Independent Labor Party.
chosen by her fellow tribesmen to hold
p>s tions of trust and responsibility.
In 1892 she stood as the Independent
Labor candidate for the Manchester
school board The following year she
was elected on the board of poor law
guardians for Manchester, where she
served for five years. In 1899, on her
husband s death, she was appointed
of births and deaths
Her four children, one son and three
daughters, were all young. She went
into business and contrived to give all
her children a university education.
Mrs Pankhurst worked for woman 8
suffrage for many years, in the usual
way. by meetings. petitions, etc, But
an obstinate minority, no matter how
small, always prevented final vote on
the measures introduced. Seeing this,
year after year, Mrs Pankhurst and
few other women became convinced
that new tactics were necessary.
Some of the women went to ex-
Premier Balfour, who is a suffragist,
and asked him how they could bring
pressure to bear upon the lawmakers
His reply was "kick up a row. Try
first one way then another. AS soon as
the public gets used to one method,
invent another The women remem-
bered Mr.. Bafour's advice and later
acted upon it.
In 1903 Mrs Pankhurst was arrested
for heading a deputation of thirteen
women to the house of commons, and
served term Of six weeks as a COM
mon criminal. Again, the same year,
she was arrested for insisting upon
presenting a petition to the house of
commons in the presence of some So
900 people. For this she was sentenced
to three months imprisonment. Last
June Mrs. Pankhurst was arrested for
leading a deputation of eight women in
an interview with the prime minister.
For this she was sentenced to one
month s imprisonment. She is now
awaiting the decision of a higher court.
If this decision is against her, she must
serve this sentence on her return to
England.
Mrs. Pankhurst has tried many differ
ent methods for bringing measures be-
fore the lawmakers She began with
the oIdtime peaceful petitions. These
failed and she resorted to professions
ard mass meetings some of which were
attended hv 100000 people These fail
ed and she began speaking from the
ladies ga ,lerv in the house of commons. |
This failed and she began asking ques
tons in pariament. For this she was
thrown ont of the house. Then men
began asking questions for the women. !
This method fail and Mrs. Pankhurst i
organized the N tants. These women
stand hour after hour before the doors
of parliament. sometimes in the rain, !
sometimes ar night. not speaking to :
anv0ne-a 's,- protest against their
laws and lack Of laws.
What will issue out of the confusion
and turmoil No one can even guess
OF one thing. however, we may be sure.
ENGLAND is making history today and
the re~t generation Will see a new
Eugls7l in many ways different from
the old.
One If the ss'rest signs of the final
success Of equal franchise lies in the .
fact that the movement is not confined
to any one class of society. Graduates
If every college and university IN Great
Britain are among its strongest sup
porters. Mary Of these women are
women of wealth and social position,
who have been long engaged in philan-
thr-nie work and have won the con
f5erce ar7 surnort of the masses
through their interest in all social
problems. IhSIr NUMBERS nave grown
during The most tea wears. from few
women to half a million. Add to these,
the men : aague~ that have been organ
lied bv the most intelligent men in
Fnrlard. r. asst the suffrage move
newt with heir votes. their advice and
thoi~ mo- ev.
That tbs movement towards equal
franchise = wei fnanced Is shown by
the fact -ba+ n the farewell meeting
II Mrs. paukhurst more than S250.0Qo
was contributed t. carry on the cam
pa;rn. Such numbers, such following,
spoh f~arcial backing. added n the
en'tivata3 TrteIl renee which Is direct
ing the work. and the courage and per
sisterca n carry it through, justifies
the faI'owinc remark by a Honolulu
Ia7v-''W Whether we like equal fran
ehise OF not, it is coming