Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-04-12
SCORES COURT
FOR SENTENCE.
WIFE OF JUDGE STEVENS OF
BOONE DEFENDS MRS.
PANkHURST.

I Boone, April 11.-Mrs. Rowena Ed.
son-Stevens of this city, wife OF Judge
John L. Stevens, candidate for COVER
nor at the last election on the pro-
gressive ticket, and now national
committeeman for Iowa, denounces
the sentence of Mrs. Pankhurst as
one OF great injustice to the leader OF
the militant suffragists. Mrs. Ste
vens is militant and she heartily
commends the suffragists for window
smashing, and mail destroying tao
tics.
! with window smashing, mail de-
stroying and other destruction which
the English suffragettes have caused,
! let us remember at no time has hui
man life been jeopardized or human
blood she'd" she said. "The shop
keepers did not lose when their WIN
dows were broken, for the glass was
insured in large insurance companies
who had influence with the govern
ment. The government Is responsible
for the mails. The aim of all attacks
has been toward the government,
which for many years has denied the
final hearing on the woman suffrage
bill in parliament, although the bill
has had majority sufficient to pass
it on it's third reading for many
years, and promises have been given,
yet always broken.
"incited" Only.
"What was the charge against
Mrs. Pankhurst? That she melted
acts Of lawlessness. Mrs. Pankhurst
is the founder and head of the
Woman's Social and, Political union,
o, %hn voi1;tor% c,,ffro poftoS
For the reason that she is the head
of the association and that she has
three remarkably able daughters IN
the work, 1t was deemed well to hold
her responsible for all the overt acts
committed by any members OF the
union. ,.-.a.
1T was said that Mrs. Pankhurst
had told someone that she knew some
of the transgressors of the law but
refused to divulge their names. So
far as we have learned that Is the
strongest evidence given against her
in court before the judge who SEN
fenced her to hard labor for three
years.
"Emmeline Pankhurst's case Is that
Of John Brown Of our own country.
The wave Of intense feeling over our
own country at that time and the
place OF the trial had much to DO
with hanging John Brown, for 1t may
we'll be believed that had John
Brown been tried in northern state
his life would have been spared. We
also may believe that something OF
intense and bitter feeling exists be-
tween the government of England and
the militant suffragettes.
Means Prime Minister.
"By the government I mean parttc-
ularly its prime minister and a lew
lords or members OF the house OF
lords Acknowledging this to be
fact there Is still no excuse for the
severe sentence passed upon Mrs.
Pankhurst by Judge who had taken
an oath to administer justice. Our
country has received within It's Dor
ders many a political outcast from
other lands and honored some OF
them highly. They had been guilty
of melting war and bloodshed. Eng
land Is the home of many political
exile from foreign countries, yet she
deems death the proper sentence for
seekers of liberty in her domain.
"Mrs. Emmeline Pankhurst Is a
woman of wealth, position and educa-
ton; refined, cultured, gentle of man.
ner and kind of heart; she has taken
up the burden Of the poor and OPP
pressed; she believes that the ballot
in the hands of woman will relieve
a great deal of suffering and dis
tress and work for the good of man.
kind. She has given of her means,
her time and strength, and pledged
her own to the work; she has wrought
great good and injured. no one. wei
believe the sentence of hard labor
unjust and would speak for mercy as
did the jury who tried her"