The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1911-04-18
EQUAL RIGHTS

1t is doubtful If more eloquent
plea could be made for woman suf-
frage than the following description
of the action taken by English suf-
fragettes to evade census enumeration
in order to force the cause they fight
for, to receive greater attention:
London, April 3.-Suffragettes have
won signal victory over the attempts
! to take a government census, amid
the most remarkable scenes and riots
ever witnessed in old London. 1t had
been planned that 10000 Of them would
evade the census, but there were
| thousands In excess of that number
who thronged the streets and public
places until midnight last night, when
they gathered in such masses in Ira
falgar square that the police were ap-
palled.
1t was the most marvellous campaign
ever conducted anywhersl1n the cause
of votes for women. Ali classes OF
them Joined In the movement, while
titled women who were owners of a
dozen homes permitted themselves, for
the sake of the cause, to forsake all
OF these to walk the streets, to be
buffeted by the crowds, to fight the
pohce, to be trampled on and robbed,
to have their gowns torn to shreds and
their millinery crushed, but only to
emerge still militant and triumphant.
Evade Law by Not Sleeping.
The law said that "aH sleeping in
London Sunday night shall be enum-
Grated" but the women are ready to
exhibit proof that none of them slept.
Rut at the same time the law also
says that any woman absent from her
home after 10 o'clock on the night Of
the census shall be declared a vag-
rant, which carries with it imprison-
ment and a classification with the
commonest women OF the street.
The first serious clash with the po-
lice came In the gathering at Trafalgar
square. Mrs. Parkhurst was to have
addressed the gathering. The fact had
been advertised, and Nelson's monu-
ment, was the scene of the gathering.
Around the statute was drawn a Gordon
of 100 policemen, who tried to keep
the throng moving, but they had no
success. The police squad was lost
before the phalanx Of thousands of
thousands Of suffragettes, with thou
sands on thousands of others. shout
ing: Votes for women" pressing
from behind, tainted before the cries
brought to the scene squad of pa
trolmen and an inspector, who forced
their way through Kingsway; which
leads circular course from the Strand
to the ring where women struggled for
their cause. The police gained the en-
trance to the rink and stood their |
ground while they whistled for re-
serves. Squad after squad was rushed
to the scene and by 1880 order had |
been regained, but the women were |
standing their ground in the street |
All that could entered instead OF GO |
ing home, and through the hours Of |
the morning cheered speeches by Mrs /
Parkhurst and the other leaders. /
Races had been scheduled for O'Clock /
this morning to help keep the women /
awake and entertained until 8 a. M,
but all were so enthusiastic over the /
events of the night that the race pro-
gramme was forgotten. part Of the
throng Joining in a daylight supper
In big westside restaurant.
Leaders Exhausted.
Other restaurants and theatres made
-oom for the suffragettes. proprietors
Tieing with each other to prove that
London for one night had completely
to the militant suffragette,
IA