New-York tribune., 1909-11-04

Suffrage Societies, which never was mill
tant and never Will be-includes people who
are more developed. l know" Mrs. Snow
den added. there is a general idea that
the suffrage movement m England is all
militant. but it isn't by any means"
When Mrs. Snowden was told that Mrs.
Pankhurst said the militants never threw
stones where they would hurt anybody she
smiled and shook her head. In Birming-
ham," she said. II saw tiles torn of the
roofs by them and thrown upon the people
below, and-I object to innocent people be-
ing MANNED. Under no circumstances can
tndiscriminate stone throwing be justified.
We mustn't win by a crime, though she
added hastily. up 10 the time I left Eng
land they had committed no crime Their
motives are pure. but they are obsessed
The government has behaved badly.
atroeiously. l couldn't say anything too
bad OF the government. But the weakness
of the militants lies in the fact that the
majority of Englishwomen are not behind
the suffrage movement. That is why be-
ieve in a campaign of education.
The cause, Mrs. Snowden said, was un-
doubtedly growing in England. There are
many meetings-big propagandist meetings
every day and night. Have the militants
injured the cause? Not in the long run.
They may have set it back Iittle-may
have made some timid hearted people who
were on the fence tumble of on the other
side one good thing the sufragettes have
done-they have made the press notice Us,
and that is much"
The government. Mrs Snowden said
was sadly harasSed by the sufTragettes-
The politicians are ashamed. too, Of the
..
III tell you as piece of news that though
many men in Parliament are opposed to
woman suffrage they criticise the Prime
Minister for his want of tact in refusing
70 receive a deputation of women SUI
fragists Had he received such a deputa-
ton, all this stone throwing would have
been avoided. As the wife OF d member
Of Parliament, 1 hear n good deal of
what goes on over the teacups, and the
feeling against Premier Asquith is strong.
II the Conservatives come in in the next
general election. We shall have in Mr..
Balfour a Prime Minister with infinitely
more tact. And. as a man. he believes
iu woman suffrage, though probably he
wouldn't be able 10 persuade his Cabinet
When Mrs. Snowden was asked IL she
agreed with Mrs. Pankhurst that If the
Liberal government stayed in power Eng
land would have woman suffrage in two
years she laughed In the classic Ian
guage of my country" she observed. Mrs.
Pankhurst was talking through her hat
We can't tell when it will come But
woman suffrage is growing. For one thing.
we have the lately formed Anti-Suffrage
Society which has caused inextinquishable
laughter and made converts for suffrage.
Between the militant organization and
o1rs. which is considered placid and gen
tie. there is a third organization which
doesn't believe in stonL throwing but is
opposed t. tne government. AL day and
far into the night as long as Parliament
sits, two women of this organization stand
at each gate OF the House Of Commons
making their silent appeal TO be received
by the Prime Minister. and the members
come out with averted heads or sink out
by back entranc ncas-ashamed that those
women I.ust stand there"
There was a strong suffrage society,
Mrs Snowden said. among tile women OF
the Primrose League
Mrs Snowden will lecture for the League
for Political Education az the Hudson
Theatre next Saturday at II o'clock Fri
day the league will give her a luncheon
at the Hotel Ast0r. and Saturday after
noon Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait will give
her a reception at No. West S6th street.
Mrs Cats home. Mrs. Snowden's Amer
lean tour will last till Christmas and VIII
take her as far West as Nebraska.