The Washington times., 1913-03-07
S READERS SCORE SYLVESTER FOR POLICE FIASCO MARCH,

that shame by attempting to deny re-
sponsibility for this outrage. Could the
men have done so well? If il had been
their pageant would they not nave mao
protection? Let American manhood
awaken. 1t is in order to give the ma
| tions of the world evidence that the
mob is not in control in this American
Capital.
JAMES HUGH KELLEY.
To the Editor of THE TIMES:
/ wish to give a brief outline of the
| wrong the police did to the women
during Mondays parade. / was musi-
clan engaged in the band leading the
! Illinois suffragettes. We started march
ing FIVE abreast. but before going many
| squares II was almost impossible TO get
| by one abreast, because the crowds had
closed in upon us like two walls. We
| had to protect ourselves from Jolts and
| jars both from the crowd and the horses
/ used by the riders in trying to keep
back the crowd. When a policeman was
| upbraided by brother musician he was
| merely laughed at.
Personally, witnessed men lay hands
| on the marching women very indecently.
| but these were whipped with canes. The
police made absolutely no effort to hold
back the crowd. The Boy Scouts looked
| ploadingly at the police, but got but
| little encouragement. The only guards
| that really did any good on that occa-
| sion were the troopers from Fort Myer,
any two of which did more good than
| the entire Gordon of police. The women
were insulted and, when the crowd
laughed, the police Joined in the merri-
ment.
In sixteen years experience in parad-
ing In various sections of the United
states, I can frankly say this was the
| most disgraceful parade / ever partfci-
peted In. Any further Information / can
| give. will offer gladly.
! s. N. GoLDFARL
| To'the Editor of THE TIMES:
Some few members of the police force
on duty during the suffrage parade
tried to keep the way clear for the suf-
| frage parade participants. of whom the
| writer was one.
| But the great majority of the regu.
| lar policemen on duty made little OF
no effort. and some of them joined
| in with hoodlums in uniform and hood
! lums in plain clothes in insulting the
| women and girls trying to march uI
| the Avenue.
Conditions were worst between Four.
and-a-half street and Tenth or Elev.
enth. They were nothing to boast OF
anywhere along the route. but for the
first few blocks there was more effor,
| by the police to keep the street clear
and consequently more result than fol
the rest of the route up to Thirteenth
and Fourteenth streets. where the eff.
feet Of the cavasy from Fort Myer had
| been felt by the time that the section
| arrived in which the writer marched.
Some of the women insulted by the
hoodlums and by policemen were
lea has produced. Mary Johnson, the
novelist, was one such. Just opposite
Center Market, a hoodlum shouted ar
| opprobrious remark at her. and min
ute later marcher near her com.
planned to a policeman that "they are
insulting women right back there"
The policeman grinned derisively
Then he made a remark heard b,
women within a radius of ten fee,
that was fully as indecent as what the
ununiformed hodlum had said.
The special policemen on the street
| worked harder than most. of the regu.
lar police, except some of those or
duty in the first few blocks of the pa
rade. r. B.
To the Editor OF THE TIMES:
As one of the marchers in the suf
frage parade 1 want to express my ap
probation of the magnificent way II
which Senators, Congressman. the cit,
press, and the public generally hav,
arisen in their righteous indignation Il
denounce the guardians Of the peace
who allowed us to be so insulted OF
Monday. Nor are these expressions con
fined to the city of Washington. TIL,
press over the entire country has taker
up the matter In similar way. Tht
Chicago Tribune thinks that Chicagoan,
would never again find fault with theil
police service il they could have wit
messed the inefficiency of the Washing
ton police on that eventful day.
| Major Sylvester little dreamed OF the
! storm he was calling about his head
He anticipated only a lot of indignant
themselves made a laughing stock OBJ
ject of, at the best, scornful pity. HI
faces the outraged public sentiment Of
the entire nation. Chivalry is not dead
it is not even asleep. We women have
little need to say anything concerning
the outrages We suffered. The Congress.
Of the United States and the public
press are doing 1t for us.
But there is one point which should
not be lost sight Of, and that is thai
in stronger light the need of Distric
/ suffrage. Had the men and women oi
this District had the ballot, had the po
lice force been responsible to those
whom it is supposed to protect. the
chief Of police would have found it pos
sible, without depriving Mr.. Wilson o.
his necessary escort, to provide forc'
sufficient to keep behind the ropes tn.
mass Of women and children % wht
surged about US that day, hurting at u.
gibes and insults, snatching banner.
from our hands, and, even after ths
parade. insulting our little high schoo
girls as they went homeward. Thi.
should be made the occasion for a mos
vigorous campaign for District suffrage
equal suffrage.
ISABELLA WEBB PARKS,
24s3 Sixth street northwest.
To the Editor OF THE TINES:
In an address delivered by Mrs
4 Gait. at the Columbia Theater
March 2, the subject of Men as oul
protectors" was introduced. Those
who had the opportunity of hearing
Mrs. Gait will readily agree with m,
that never before has anything beer
so highly illustrated as was hel
speech. when. on the Sd Of Marcel
the women of our city as well al
thousands from other cities gtwho hat
given their service to this grant
cause) were obliged to force theil
| way through a bowling mass of un.
developed personality. / happened Il
be one of the marchers and expert
enced much of the difficulty OF
marching. II these excuses of hui
manity are Of the opposing spirit
how glad I am that I am not classet
/ with them as an "Anti'' for II it bs
true that Great minds run in the
same channels" it must be equally
like channels Thanks to our little