New-York tribune., 1912-03-23
SURPRISE FROM CHINA
Local Suffragettes Astounded
but Pleased at Outbreak.

We'll this news from China is hard
bloV 10 the pride of the New YORK sur
fragists," said Mrs. Pearce Bailey. acting
president Of the Equal Franchise Society
Yesterday. ITO think that the men or
China should give TO the women of that
country the mark OF esteem which the
men of New York have denied TO us-yes'
# certainly is a blow Can anybody eX-
plain why our legislators are so oostl-
nate?
"I suppose they are jealous and afraid
of giving us power It's the mems trust,
that's what II is Even II the woman suf-
frage resolution passed by the Chinese
Assembly at Marking was merely aca-
demic,' as some reports say, 1t is great
step. And evidently, whatever the trouble
with the resolution is. the Chinese women
have the spirit to see that 1t is made
right"
Mrs. Bailey thought the notion Of the
Chinese women smashing their way into
the National Assembly the most delight
fully picturesque thing she had ever
heard
81 don't know how straight their aim Is
wien they throw bricks, and by the way
don't believe they have bricks in China
she said: but whatever IL is they throw IL
Is very encouraging TO hear that Chinese
women are taking such a vivid interest III
political matters. 1t is a perfectly wonder
ful suffrage excitement-to know mat
those Chinese women want the vote ana
are willing to risk something to show that
they want it. Evidently that nation, which
We thought asleep. has been waking, ana
the feminist movement has made great
strides there. But there is really much in
teIigence among the Chinese women. at
least In the middle classes. The women Of
the upper classes are more bound by ira
dition."
Mrs Bailey said that the great influence
welded by the Empress Dowager. now
dead had blazoned the way. as it were, for
woman suffrage in China. There was a
woman" she observed, who rose from the
people, and who showed great ability and
gained great power. The idea Of women
in politics is therefore not unfamiliar TO
China And women have q good deal OF
authority IN the family there. which pre-
pares them for authority in the state
Mrs. Harriet Stanton Blatch, president OF
the Woman's Political Union, is rather
skeptical about the news from China. II
don't believe the women stormed the As
sembly there" she said. IF they did, il
was a great mistake. I don't approve or
the use Of physical force. The Chinese
women had better get out and organize
big womans movement. ! think II likely
that WI Ting-fang, formerly minister TO
the United States. has been working TO
advance the cause of women. ] had many
talks with him on shipboard once, crossing
the Atlantic, and / know he felt very
strongly that China could never advance
very far until women had been emanci-
petsd- He always used 10 attend suffrage
conventions in Washington"
Mrs. Ashton Johnson, the anti-nilitant
English suffragist. who is now lecturing in
this country, does not believe any of the
reports that came from China yesterday
and thinks that If there was any feminine
demonstration against the Assembly II must
have been Of Occidental origin.
Real Oriental women wouldn't have done
such thing" she said THE rioters, il
there were any, were probably educated in
America. Perhaps they heard Mrs. Pank-
hurst talk here. They might also have
been educated at the American missions.
They wouldn't get any such ideas from the
English missionaries"
but the militant methods came from
England" Mrs Johnson was reminded.
That is true" she admitted, but they
are much more fashionable in America than
they are in England, and they wouldn't
reach China by way Of the English mis-
si0naries"