The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-20
FLOYD GEORGE AND
THE STONE TBRowER

LiDeral party. I~hree-fourths of the
Liberal members support suffrage
cabinet will vote for the suffrage
amendment when it comes on.
(Cheers.) But n quarter of the
members Of the party arc opposed to
it. "a voice: Convert them!') 1
can never do it unless you are silent.
Laughter.) 1t is this sort of oxhi-
bttion that makes it difficult to con-
vert. (Cheers.) Come to the Conserv-
alive party. There the position is re-
versed. am not criticising it; I am
stating facts. From two-thirds to
three-fourths, l think, of the members
OF the Conservative and Unionist par
ty are opposed to the suffrage. and
fully ~three-fourths of their leaders are
opposed to it. That is the difficulty.
III first fact that YOU have got to
get into your minds is this-and I am
sure You have got it-that no party
can form a cabinet on the suffrage"
He then took UP the division of
opinion in the present ministry. lift
ing the curtain high enough to afford
a very interesting glimpse of what has
been going on behind 1t. He said:
THE question has been put to me,
Seeing tina YOU are a majority in the
Liberal party. why do you not, as a
majority, enforce your will? Seeing
that YOU are a majority in the cab
met, why do o not enforce your
will in the cabinet?' What is the
reason? II YOU attempted to enforce
your will. although you are in a ma
jority either in the cabinet or in the
both. G~nterruption.) I am talking
of what I know. (Cheers.) You must
remember that cabinets and parties
exist lot merely for the promotion of
one question, but of several. +.
You must remember that YOUR object
Is not merely to turn out the govern
ment, to injure a government which
you may dislike. That is a perfectly
legitimate object. but that is not the
purpose for which We are here to-
night. We r here to consider the
best method of CARRYING the suffrage.
And I will be perfectly frank with
you. If anyone attempted it YOU
could not form a suffrage cabinet that
would live for five minutes. GA voice:
Why not?) Because a cabinet cannot
exist without a parliamentary major
tty. Cheers: and a voice: You have
q parliamentary Majority A MAJOR
ity on n question alone is not enough
to keep any cabinet together. What
does that mean? 1t means that you
cannot get any cabinet. or any menu
Der Of a cabinet. or n member Of a
parliament challenge you to name
him-on either side who is prepared
to wreck the cabinet, to wreck his
party. to wreck his party program,
merely for the sake of forcing his will
for h moment upon this one ISSUE"
The argument then proceeded on
the ground that If the suffrage women
should hammer Mr. Asquith's minis
try out of power they would be no
haffaH nHf n-A 80 t11
shouted: Couldn't be worse" to
Don't you be too sure" It is fairly
obvious. however, that a Uninist min.
istry would do nothing to advance this
clamorous cause. and that Lloyd
George was right in saying:
There is only one way by which
we can carry the suffrage through
this year. "a Voice: Make it a gov.
eminent measure.") You won't get
that. There is only n way by which
YOU can carry It this session. 1t is
the way which is thrown open by the
prime minister's declaration. II we
proceed along that road, all sections,
all parties. all tsuffragists together.
unitedly, without jostling, elbowinr.
and clawing each other, we shall get
through. (Cheers.) am convinced
that It we act unitedly nothing can
prevent Y triumph this ear.
(Cheers and ~dissent.)"
MI. Asquith's declaration was that
q Dill would be introduced for cleo
toral reform; that this bill would be
open to an amendment establishing
women suffrage; and that II the worn-
IN could get their amendment into the
bill. the amended bill would be sun.
ported and pushed by the government
the same as II 1t were their original
measure. This IL the. greatest
chance" which Lloyd George held up