Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-22
SMALL CROWD TO
GREET SUI CHIEF
Audience Heckles Mrs. Fank-
hurst While She Describes
Women's Warfare.
HALL oNE-oUARTER FULL
Atmosphere of Madison Square Garden
Meeting Cool Itself Toward the
Militant Movement.

New York, Oct 22-There was a
surprise in store for Mrs. Emmeline
Pankhurst last night when she en-
tered Madison Square Garden to speak
at mass meeting. The English mill
tant suffragist discovered that, al
though there were seats for fully
10000 persons, few more than 5000
had come to hear her talk about mill
fancy in England.
Added TO this was the fact that many
persons were sorely discontinued
when, while Charles Edward Russell,
, socialist candidate for mayor, was
making the Introductory remarks for
! Mrs. Pankhurst, those in the 50-cent
seats and in the 81 and $3.50 seats
/ poured down into the main floor and be-
gan to take the 50 and $3.50 seats, re-
CARELESS of the ushers or what they
1 paid.
/ Martin w Littleton was among
others who found this an imposition.
Mr.. Littleton sent this letter to the
newspaper men:
| 1 just paid $3.50 apiece for three
tickets to hear Mrs. Pankhurst and |
had no sooner got seated when every
body from everywhere by some sig
nal which evidently was agreed on in
advance tumbled helter-skelter into
any seat for little or nothing.
These people were just as good peo-
pie as l am. and probably in many re-
spects better, but the point | am driv-
ing at is this: Must everything and
everybody be a humbug? Is this a
money-making affair?
left the hall because ! did not
wish to hear any arguments about
rights when the whole meeting was
manifestly planned to sell rights and
give them without discrimination The
whole arrangement is simply dishon-
est. MARTIN w. LITTLETON.
This communication was passed to
Mrs o. H. P. Belmont, who sat next
to Mrs. Pankhurst at the time. On it
was written in pencil: Mrs. Belmont
will you please give the press an
answer to this?"
On the missive.
GLOOM FILLS THE HALL.
Gloom filed the place even before
Mrs Pankhurst and Mrs. Belmont
reached the scene. The suffragists
, had hoped to have a real circus turn
away" before Mrs. Pankhurst put in
appearance. Not so; New York was
: busy elsewhere, and the atmosphere
of the meeting itself was cool toward
; the militant movement. True, in
some sections of the hall there was
enthusiasm when Mrs. Pankhurst de
nounced leading politicians and states
men of England But Mrs. Pankhurs
drove home point after point in hel
= argument.
o ''Shames!" were not as loud nearl!
f as they were at the Womans Politica
union dinner Monday night TIT
Kisses and hoots were mild indeed
|, And these came mostly from the drill
), ed suffragists, who knew much abou
d Premier Asquith and Reginald Nc
4 Kenna, home secretary OF the British
= empire
Few persons contributed to the col
lection when Mrs. Pankhurst an
nounced that, while it was being takel
up she would answer questions from
!
the audience carelessly forgot the CO.
lection and devoted its attention t.
heckling Mrs. Pankhurst or listening
to the questions and answers.
The front part of the platform wa
decorated with the militant colors-
green, white and purple, and on ban
ners there was: They who permit op
preston share the crime" and Awake
arise, or be forever fallen
On one large banner was RESIST
ance to tyranny is obedience to God
Mrs. Pankhurst began by tellin
something of her experience on Eli
island and con trasted it with the tim
she had spent in Holloway jail. Sh
praised the courtesy of the fedora
officials and said the women in tn
immigration bureau are doing fin
work. She sa,1 she was glad the in
migration authorities had ordered he
to Ellis island.
THANKS THE PRESIDENT.
81 am not going to thank Presiden
Wilson" said Mrs. Pankhurst III
would not want me to, as he would say
/ am sure, did my duty To begi
with, you may ask how it is that tn
women of England are using violenc
and upsetting busir<ss conditions
= attain their end England is the mos
conservative of nations. Your for
4 fathers found that out a great man
y years ago.
Women are waging civil war i
Great Britain"
Mrs. Pankhurst spoke of the groWt
of the movement in England. and ju:
3; as she got to this point the scsnt
n audience began TO tire and scores {
~ persons made a humdrum sound {
ly they walked to the doors. But Mr.
Pankhurst was not deferred, and sh
continued: You can't have revolt
Il.