The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-13
SUFFRAGE CHARGES
reflect ON SOUTH
But Blame Is Laid on Ruff
fans of Capital
RUSSELL is VIGOROUS
Magazine Writer Says He Has Seen
Parades i'm All Parts of World
But Nothing Like the Suf-
frage Demonstration
BY c. e. STEWART

Washington, March 12.-tSpeciaD-
Probably nothing that transpired in con-
nection with the inaugural ceremonies
commanded half the attention. or created
SO much discussion and criticism as the
failure of the police to properly protect
the woman's suffrage parade along the
avenue March 8.
Major Sylvester blames all the trouble
OIL his subordinates, while Secretary OF
War Stimson was convincing in his
statement that the war department
strained its authority to the utmost to
give relief when the parade was so seri-
ously threatened in Its line of march.
It has developed that there was serious
apprehension felt in some quarters that
the southern visitors to the Inauguration
might create trouble for the woman s
suffrage parade. The Rev. DIR. J. Hen
ming Nelms said: "Hoodlums from Balti-
more caused all the trouble to the pa
rade, and that otherwise the crowd was
well handled.
Miss Elsie NJ Hill of Norwalk, Conn.,
declares that she was warned by one
of the district commissioners that the
Inauguration crowd would be made up
largely of the rough stuff from the
South on account of the Inauguration
OF a democratic President.
These slurs are resented by the south
ern visitors and Representatives and
seem to be little inconsistent. The
story of a former inauguration Is re-
called about Pennsylvania militiamen
tossing women in army blankets along
the avenue.
At a recent indignation meeting many
prominent men and women gave utter
ance to their feelings regarding the
Washington police and particularly Ma
jor Sylvester Though they claim that
the incident has advanced the cause of
womans suffrage as probably no other
one thing has done, by attracting the
sympathy of the country.
Russell Is Indignant
In discussing the part played by the
police in the parade, Charles Edward
Russell, of magazine fame, said
'The proconsul of police is generous
enough to give all the blame to his men
in an effort to clear himself. What, an
American policeman doesn't know his
business? There was something lacking
ir the police force besides numbers.
When the police want a parade to be a
success, 1t is a success. ] have seen
parades In Europe. Australia. America.
Japan, and even in the South Sea ISL
ands, but never anywhere have | seen
anything like the incompetence displayed
by the Washington police last Monday.
If that is the best we can do then we
had better surrender our boast of Amer
lean civilization. We have none. Every
thing which was in the hands of the wo-
men on Monday was a success; the one
thing in the hands of the men went to
smash. rss
1--WE are developing a new kind of
humanity he continued. "And II the
fruit of this man-made civilization is the
best we can do, it is time we stopped and
tried something else. The proconsul of
police hides himself behind the autocracy
which rules the district You are but
reaping the results OF your form of gov
ernment."
Mr.. Russell declared that a pure DEM
ocracy, where men and women alike
have the ballot, is the only cure for con-
ditions such as prevailed during the suf-
frage parade.
He aroused considerable enthusiasm
when he compared the two parades. "The
| first was expressive of the hope, the
glory, and the lofty ideals of the future;
the second was a long uniformed monot
onous parade of the methods of killing
humanity an expression of brute force
and the strong arm. a pageant of the
dark ages"
No Interference By Visitors
| There was no Interference with the pa
| rade by visitors to the capital, and that
charge has been indignantly denied. At
Seventh street. where the trouble mostly
occurred, it is declared was consregated
| large crowd of the tough element of
| Washington and the jeers and insults
alleged to- have been hurled at those in
| the parade and the crowding in on the
procession was made by these people.
| Not many of the southern states were
represented in the parade, Georgia hay
| ing a few, Alabama none. But the visi-
| tors from the south were content to
view the pageant and so far as can be
| learned. considered it a great demonstra-
ton, and while many of them do not be-
( Ilieve in the suffrage movement, they did
| not give any expression of their disap-
| proval to those taking part in the parade,
| or in any way try to interfere with IT,
Pains nelav RutIer Farmers