The Washington herald., 1911-02-02
Woman's Suffrage in Great Britain.

AS careful student of the woman'S
suffrage question in Great Britain, / ven
ture to say that the real barrier to the
vote there is woman herself. / add that
none of the many other reasons advanced
analysis. Life is too short for discus
sion as to the merits or demerits of the
ISSUE but as mere man l should like to
ventilate my reasons for the belief that
they are fighting in Britain to-day a lost
cause.
1t is advanced in some quarters that a
Unionist government would not give
women the vote, because the idea itself
is too revolutionary. Others say that a
Liberal government would not dare to
give women the vote, because most men,
bers of the fair sex are ant;-Liberal and
would vote on the other side as soon as
enfranchised. Then there are still others
who maintain that. even if the House
for-women bill'' eyer would pass the
House of Lords. owing to the outspoken
masculinity of that august chamber.
And least, but not last, there are still
others who opine that women do not get
the votes in England simply because
"cruel man wishes to keep them forever
in subjection."
My belief is that this is all wrong. The
barrier to the women's vote is neither
Parliament nor man. My statement. that
the real barrier is woman herself, to
some may sound like platitude, and as
to the host of enthusiastic suffragettes,
why, they one and all, will stoutly deny
this beliefs Still, even an owl could see
that what I say here is true. because for
every woman who desires to be enfran-
chised, there are thousand who regard
the vote with actual Indifference, not
to say with hostility.
Hence before the suffragettes will OBJ
tain the vote. they will first have to con-
vert their nonsuffragette sisters to their
views. l have no objection to going on
record here that if it could be proven
that the majority Of the women of~Eng-
land really desired the franchise. no gov
ernment would hold out against them.
/ know that am on thin be; debating
a far more difficult subject than appears
at first sight. ! give in that the suffra-
gette ranks have increased considerably
since the movement was started. 1t Is
true even that still they are increasing,
but to hope to convert sufficient women
to make the movement successful within
ten years, is to hope for the impossible.
Most Of the so-called progressive women
already have been drawn into the suf-
frage net. The task which they now
face is to catch the backward mill
lions, who are as apathetic as Lots wife
became after once she had turned around.
And now to the serious question, why
it is that so many women do not care
to be enfranchised. The fact Of the mat
ter is that most women do not want
the vote because they are having a jolly
good time without it. Now. my fair
readers, how many women in the middle
and upper classes consider themselves to
be in .!subjection?" As long as they
have their homes, their clothes, their
tea parties. and the matinees. they are
as contended and happy as the proverbial
king.
The militant suffragette is Q woman
with q grievance. Most well-born
women have no grievances which the
vote would affect. Therefore. they are
either indifferent 6r even hostile to the
movement. And the women OF the low4
daisies do not want the vote becAuse
tiiey do mot sundesstand - yet that it =
q weapon oe pe1e-defenoa.
rhs sszRrasssts ideel e peccnina
el11nns M pee Seiggly f1ntee'