Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-01
Defeat of the Cancellation Bill.
To tae Editor Of The Sta

TO tae EDITOR or Inc star:
In your editorial of March 20 entitled
Commons Votes Down Suffrage you
give the impression that the suffragettes
are trying to force parliament to give
women full suffrage, that they are un-
willing to accept a limited franchise, such
as that offered by the Cancellation BILL
and that the powers that be were ready
to grant some measure OF suffrage and
would have done so If they had not been
piqued at the unseemly action Of the
women. The facts are these: Ten years
ago Mrs. Pankhurst and her friends.
pressing the then unpopular subject of
woman suffrage. were told by an eminent
politician that the matter would never be
treated seriously in parliament until they
made 1t d political issue. Accordingly,
the "Women's Social and Political
Union" was formed and adopted the
famous militant tactics, with the result
| that in a few years the question of votes
| its very depth; scores of clubs. militant
and nOn-militant, with thousands of
| members. sprang into life or renewed &C
dVity, and even in parliament itself a
cancellation committee" with the objec,
| of getting acceptable womans fran
chse bill passed
| The bill drawn up by them, giving
women the householder franchise. was
gladly accepted by the miiitants, who i'm
mediately dropped their own bill for
equal suffrage and have consistently and
persfstently supported the Cancellation
bill'' ever since. This bill was proposed
| by a private member in the last parlia-
ment and passed its second reading by
| a very large majority. The prime minis
| ter killed 1t by refusing to allow time for
1t to come to final vote. Militant tao
| tics. dropped for time. were then re-
| sumed. until q solemn promise was forced
from Mr.. Asquith to allow a suffrage bill
| to come to final vote at the next regular
session OF parliament. in case he was re-
| turned to power. 1t was a prediction
promise. The present session is the one
| at which this promise was to have beer
| fulfilled At the beginning of the session
| Mr.. Asqutth surprised and chagrined al
/ friends OF votes for women by announc-
ing that the government would offer a
manhood suffrage bill. This bill would
| contain no reference to women. but might
be amended IN favor Of woman suffrage
| by q private member. Very few people
in England want manhood suffrage. ant
| no one has ever agitated for 1t. Such q
| bill. 1t was well known. could not be
passed with or without q vote for women
| amendment. but most people felt that its
proposal had killed the chances of the
| Cancellation bill. as 1t would withdraw
the support Of the radical members who
| led by Lloyd George. would favor the bill
| which promised to give more votes pro.
portionally to the working classes rather
than the more conservative measure
| In protest at this betrayal of faith Mrs
Pankhurst's society resumed militant tao
tics with increased violence For this
reason and because even the promised
manhood suffrage bill did not seem to b.
Forthcoming, the friends of the "conciIia
ton BILL" which Lloyd George declared
had been "torpedoed." proceeded Il
gather up the fragments and piece then
together again. 1t was proposed, and, a
was expected. has been defeated by {
small majority at second reading. Moth
ing could be farther from the truth thar
to attribute its defeat to the action o.
the heroic band of women who have beer
struggling against such fearful odds To-
a hearing and fair play.
l. MARGARET L SEWAIL.