Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-07-18
Ex1led Suffragette Pours Hot Shot
at Chancellor of Exchequer
for His Explanations
ORGANIZED LUNAcY" BLAMED
FOR HURTING THEIR CAUSE
Lloyd Georges BrOadside at Militants
Brings Statement that even
Defeat Should Be Risked.


Gently, attacking militancy with his
best Limehouse vocabulary and attrib-
uting the failure of the woman suf-
frage movement in England solely to
the organized lunacy" of the Wo-
mems Social and Political Union, he
probably figured that he would draw
some fire. If so, he guessed right. It
comes in the form of broadside from
Paris. Writing from her place ITEM
porary exile, the daughter of the suf-
fragette leader thus replies to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer:
By Christabel Pankhurst, LII. B.
Mr.. Lloyd George gave to his article
the title, "Votes for Women and Or
ganized Luuacy." Tt is as though one
had said, Cromwell, the idiot" or
"That fool, Hampden. The inventor
of that title convicts himself of COM
monplace and ignOble thinking. 1t is
by such men that we are governed.
Alas, our poor country!
"The practitioners of militancy," he
says, "seem to think that they can
terrorize and pinprick Parliament into
giving them the vote" Well, the suf-
fragettes not only "think" they know
that Parliament can be terrorized in
to granting reform. They also know
that Parliament never grants reforms
unless it is terrorized The men ter
rorized Parliament into giving them
emancipation. The Nationalists (by
their votes in the House of Commons)
are terrorizing Parliament into pro.
ceedng with the Home Rule bill. Ter.
rorism is, in fact, the only argument
that Parliament understands! Mr.. Lloyd
George is well aware of that fact as
many of his speeches in his earlier
career give proof. He it was who said,
"The kingdom of politics is like the
kingdom of heaven; it suffereth viol-
ence and the violent take it by force. 1"
Then he says, "Until they learn
something of the people they are deal
ing with, their cause, as far as the
House Of Commons is concerned, is
simply ana utterly damned" That is
really funny, The suffragettes, we can
assure Mr.. Lloyd George, have nothing
more to learn about the members of
Parliament. They know these gentry
only too well, and militancy is the re-
suit of that knowledge. "We are a
flabby lot indeed, and unprincipled,
and treacherous. If there are any in
the House Of Commons who do not de-
serve to be so described, they have
only to try to ,exculpate themselves
they have only to do something to win
better reputation.
Mr.. Lloyd George incriminates him
self and the government in the follow.
ing most significant words: eff they
had accepted Mr.. Asquith's IS pledge of
two years ago, and thanked him for it
and helped him to redeem it, woman
suffrage would by now be an accom-
plshed fact.' What is this but an ad-
mission that the government was joint
lv responsible for the speakers ruling
responsible for the torpedoing of
the woman's s amendment to the fran.
chise reform bill. This torpedoing was
by Mr. Lloyd Georges own showing
not surprise to the government and
not an act Of which they had no pre-
vious knowledge It was the result of
an arrangement between the govern
ment and the speaker If Mr. Lloyd
George does not mean that, what does
he meant OF course, the woman S am
endments would have been defeated
because the Natonalists and subser.
Went party men were ready to defeat
them, but the division lists would have
been an awkward one, and so the
government, in collusion with the
speaker, torpedoed the amendments
They cannot now deny that, in view of
what Mr. Lloyd George has said.
z Mr.. Lloyd George concludes his arti.
Gle by saying; "only a new movement
altogether can now bring women to the
goal of political emancipation, and il
will have to be a sane, hardheaded
practical movement as full of liveli'
ness as you please, but absolutely d.
vorced from stones, bombs and torch
es " We know not how the anti. mil
liant suffragists will like the accuse.
tions here implied that they are neither
sane, hard,headed, practical nor lively
As for the militants, they treat his ad'
vice and criticism with the contempt
they merit. Sane, indeedl The mil
itants are far too sane to be deluded
by Jloyd.Georgian fallacies. Hard
headed The militants are too hard
headed to follow this will.o.the.wisT
of man. Practical The militants are
great deal too practical to listen tc
fairy tales on the making Of omelette'
without breaking eggs.
Lively, forsooth Yes, the militant'
are lively, because they recognize that
merry heart and sense Of humol
are needed to enable them to hold theil