Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-01
The Downtrodden
English Woman
In Great Britain, He Says, Women
Possess PoIitical Power Far Greater
Than That Possessed in Any Part
of America, Other Than the Nine
Woman Suffrage States and | LIMBS.
By REV. CHARLES F. AKED. D. d.
Written for The Atlanta Georgian

DotH ioldI ana urDan' Parish
Councils, County Councils, Boards
OF Guardians, Town and City
Councils. Unmarried women NAV
be elected to these bodies; they
may sit as City Councillors or
County Councillors; they may be
Aldermen; they may be Mayors
of cities.
In London marriage does not
disqualify. How is this, as com
pared with the SO States of the
American Union which have not
enfranchised their women?
One Of the most efficient mem
bers OF the City Council of Man
chester is Miss Margaret Ashton,
Where is the woman member Of
the Atlanta Board of Aldermen?
Women vote If they possess tbs
qualification which entities men
to vote. There is no such thing
as manhood suffrage in England.
There are some millions of Brit.
lsh men who have no vote. There
are innumerable Qualifications"
out-again broadly-wllat Quail
mes a man to vote is the fact that
he is householder-not the sact
tnat he is male person of adult
age. And British law does not al
low two votes for one "qualif1ea-
tion;" that is to say, the same
tenancy can not entitle two per
sons to vote. So, II the house is
In the name of the husband. he
has the vote. If it is In the name
OF the wife, she has it.
In Scotland ownership, as well
as occupation, qualities. So that
q woman who owns a house
bringing in an annualS rental of
"a (s20) in counties and SO
$500 in cities is enfrarchised for
all the purposes ] have named.
just as man is. Where is the
State in the Union, not having
SAiiA ollNLISSu llS women
which comedies SO much?
Who Will Say "Yes?"
Women can not vote for the
election Of members OF Parlia-
ment. 1t lie for this, the Parlia
mentary franchise, that they are
fighting. They might have been
voting. to-day but for Mrs. Pank-
hurst and the militants. DR..
Anna Shaw regrets Mrs. Pank-
bursts visit to this country. be-
cause she believes that harm has
already been done by the violence
Of British mllitants to the cause
Of woman suffrage here. She be-
lieves that more and greater
harm may be done.
The militants began their work
more than seven years ago. What
have they gained? And what are
they likely to gain? Mr.. e. V.
Lucas, in his ''Mr. Ingleside," rep
resents a member Of Parliament
as suggesting mildly that women
who "persecute and vilify and
assault statesmen are not pro-
vidins the best credentials as re-
sponsible electors" DR.. Anna
Shaw is afraid that women here
who applaud them and find
money for them may impress
American men in the same way.
And this NJ. P, or Mr. Lucas for
him, puts the objection clearly:
in my opinion-and you cam
disregard II, for it is only the
opinion of man-they had beer
waiting splendidly, and were just
beginning to reap the h~rvest OF
their quiet efficiency and good
sense when the fruit was dashed
from their HANDS by the inpa-
tient high spirits OF the younger
raction-the Maenad Malcontents.
shall I call them? I know Of
mothers who for years have
steadily been proving their right
10 vote, whose own daughters,
fresh from school. have ruined
their chances for years to come"
And he wonders whether men,
after viewing the political aspi-
rations of women with suspicion
for all these centuries, will sud
denly say:
We'll, they use dog whips
across the faces Of our rulers
very handily; they worry and an
noy our Prime Minister with ex-
traordinary persistence and skill
and do their best to ruin his
health and nerves; they throw
stones with unexpected accuracy.
We are now satisfied. They shall
have the vote tomorrow; these
are exactly the kind OF people TO
elect representatives wisely"
Do the American women who
are finding money for British
militants honestly believe this is
what American men will say in
tire non suffrage States when
they are asked to vote Yes" on
= constitutional amend nepty