Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-19
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LONDON. Why is militancy? Be-
cause it is the only way left. This
in brief. is the justification for the
present campaign Of violence carried
on by the radical woman suffrage
crusaders comprising the Women's
Social and Political Union, as given
by. George Lansbury. former member
of parliament and the most promi-
nent male suffragette" in England
today. ~
Lansbury is himself a militant On
account of his recent public speeches
approving the destruction of property
by Mrs Pankhurst's cohorts and urg-
ing the men friends of the movement
to go out and do likewise, he was ar
rested and charged with "inciting to
malicious destruction of property by
inflammatory speech, under a GEN.
turies-old law passed in the time of
King Edward III. He was tried in
Bow. street police court and sentenced
to three months in prison. The
court offered Lansbury the alterna-s
tive of freedom on bail il he would
promise good behavior. He at first
refused and was cheered by the SUI
fragettes. but later, to their chagrin
he took the pledge and was released
ON bail signed by Joseph Fels. He
gave up his seat in parliament last
session as protest against the insin-
cerity of the labor party, Of which he
was a member, in its attitude toward
the woman suffrage question. He
stood for reelection independently on
a. straight-outvotefo plat
form and was defeated Since then
The has devoted the greater part of
his time agitating on behalf of the
woman movement generally, and the
policies of the w. Sap. u. particular
ly. Lansbury's family also are milf
tants, one of his SONS and one or his
daughters having served prison terms
for wiifdow smashing.
Z Il think the reason why our Ameri-
can friends cannot understand the de
.velopment of militancy in this coun-
try" he said, els because they do not
understand the British politician. Il
have never been in America, but from
what have learned OF the success of
the more peaceful methods over there,
i am convinced that you have differ
they are arnenable to verbal argu-
ment But more important, they do
not resort to the trickery, treachery
and brutality In their dealings with
women folk that have characterized
the situation that obtains here. +
wonder If You're women would have
limited their methods of persuasion to
soft words and street parades if
they had been confronted in America
with conditions which confronted the
women I'd England
sDont think for moment that our
women have not. tried these means.
They have fbSeAs extraordinarily pa
|tient. For sixty years the agitation
for won1an,g emancipation has gone
on in England. The lack. of sincerity
of the government leaders toward the
movement was manifested as long
ago as 1885. When Gladstone intro
duced his bill to give agricultural
laborers the vote, the women were
led to believe that they too would be
included in the measure. But at the
very last moment Gladstone let it be
known that if a woman suffragette
amendment were brought in it would
wreck the bill. despite the fact that
he himself declared he saw no reason
why women should not have the vote.
1t was Gladstone, by the way, who
once said, No great reform has ever
been brought about in this country
without violence"
The women were grievously disap-
pointed, but they continued their agi-
tation along peaceful lines. holding
parlor meetings and all that sort of
thing. No notice was taken of them.
Then, seven years ago, Mrs Emmeline
Pankhurst, great social writer. or
ganized the Women's Political and So.
cial Union with the avowed object of
introducing militant methods. At that
time the militancy consisted of heck
ling speakers, including cabinet MEM
bers, something done since earliest
times throughout England For do
ing the same thing the men did they
weer cruelty maltreated and thrown
out into the streets. This resulted in
Increased membership.
AS a part of our new militant cam
paign the women began to send depu-
tations to parliament, another CON
stitutional method which had never
been denied to the men. The premier
and cabinet members refused to see
them and generally the police were
called to throw them out and later
even to prevent them from entering
the building When they persisted in
their constitutional rights they were
brutally assaulted and hundreds i'm
prisoned. But still they were patient.
Not until after four instances of this
kind did the women, as provost, be-
gin to break windows. Then the gov
eminent opened up negotiations. A
truce was declared and the so-called
Cancellation bill, granting limited fran
Chise introduced. 1t passed its second
reading by a majority of $50. :. But the
women were. deceived, government
leaders preventing its third reading.
Next session the same membership
defeated it by majority of "A. The
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