The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-20
MAKE new WORK
Politics Calling for Widows and
ChildIess Mothers.
Says Miss Pankhurst, Suffra-
gette, Addressing Club Women.
SELF DENIAL WEEK.
Give Up LuXuries to Contribute
to Cause.
Efforts and Hardships OfEnglish
Suffragettes.

A new occupation for widows and
chl!dlesS mothers was suggested by
Miss Sylvia Pankhurst, the famous
London suffragette who addressed the
meeting of the City Federation of
Women's clubs at the First Baptist
church Saturday night. She proposed
thai women whose husbands were
dead or mothers who had lost their
children and were at a loss as to
what to do with their spare time
should devote their efforts to the
equal suffrage cause. She stated that
to secure votes for women, even in
Kansas. would require considerable
time and effort on the part of the wo-
men, although they would not likely
endure the sufferingS of their sisters
in England for the same cause.
The persecution of the British wo-
men, she contended, grew out of their
determination and persistency in try
ing to petition parliament in per-
son, which act, she stated was grant
ed to all English subjects in the ia
nous bill Of rights. Miss Pankhurst
said that the injustice of English laws
toward women, giving the father sole
control of the children, the right to
all of his wife's earnings or property,
was partly responsible for the demand
of votes for women. She also told
for their cause by securing contribu-
items at large public meetings, and by
denying themselves luxuries at regu-
lar intervals and donating the money
which would have been spent for
these things to the cause of equal suf-
frage
Mrs. Goddard, president of the city
federation, presided. Mrs. Lila Day
Monroe, a prominent club woman, in
troduced the speaker. She spoke
naturally, in rather low, but clear and
forcibIe voice. The majority of the
time she held her hands clasped in
front of her, but at times she would
become enthused.
The downstairs of the church was
filed and the gallery was well occu-
pied. The audience was composed
mainly of women with a fair sprink-
ling of men.
Miss Pankhurst spoke in part as
follows:
1.-The equal suffrage cause in Eng
land is not a new movement. Many
think it is new thing, only six years
old, probably because we have been
the most active since that time.
1.-The impelling force came from a
curious incident. Among 4 he American
delegates to the anti-slavery confer
ence in England in 1865 were some
women The majority of the English
representatives refused to sit in con-
terence WITH women anu NOlSu lila =
they might be allowed to stay, but
they must sit in a gallery behind a
curtain where they could neither be
seen nor heard. Then William Lloyd
Garrison, said he thought it would
be an honor for a man to sit behind
the curtain with these noble women.
Before We began agitating, the
English married woman was the most
helpless creature on earth. For in
stance if her husband left her, she
had no redress for SANDER or harm
done to her, unless the man returned
and collected damages. She had no
guardianship of her children, the hus-
band having the sole custody.
an another instance where one of
the parents was a Catholic and the
other q Protestant, the law allowed
the father to send his daughter away
from her mother to a school of his
sect, and the woman is now petition
ing that the child be allowed to visit
Der. She has not seen the girl for sew
eral years as she has been away in
school.
I'm 1884 more women asked for the
vote than men asked for extension of
franchise Then like the men, we be-
gan to ask questions of the cabinet
ministers who were making public
speeches previous to election.
lone of our women would ask him,
when he mentioned that taxation
without representation is unjust,
What about the women She would
either be ignored or if she persisted,
would be expelled from the meeting.
afterwards groups of women would
attend and likewise be expelled.
Last fall we determined in our po-
litical union to use a privilege handed
down for centuries to British subjects
in the old bill of rights-the privilege
of petitioning the crown or representa-
tive (par1iamen) in person. However
we were repulsed by the mounted po-
lice. AS fast, however, as we We're
crushed to one side we would gather
again and start toward the house OF
parliament.
Following we were thrown in prison
denied even the privileges granted to
ordinary political prisoners. One wo-
man began to starve herself to death
to secure these privileges. She was re-