Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-01
"The Downtrodden
English Woman
In Great Britain, He Says, Women
Possess Political Power Fa Greater
Than That Possessed IN Any Part
Of A nerica, Other Than the Nine
Woman Suffrage States and | lin Dis.
By REV. CHARLES F. AKED, D. d.
Writtew TOR The Atlantic Georgian.

both rural and urban; Parish
Councils, County Councils, Boards
of Guardians, Town and City
Councils. Unmarried women may
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
cisqualify. 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 tho
qualification which entities men
to vote There is no such thing
as manhood suffrage In England.
There are some millions of Brit
ish men who have no vote. There
are innumerable qualifications"
but-again broadly-what quali-
mes man to vote is the fact that
ne is a householder-not the fact
that he is male person of adult
age. And British Law does not al
low two votes for one "qualifica-
ton" that is to say, the Same
tenancy can not entitle two per-
sons to vote. So, If 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
a woman who owns a house
bringing in an annual rental OF
"a ($20) in counties and $40
($5o) in cities is enfrancised for
all the purposes l have named.
just as man is Where Is the
State In the Union, not having
yet enfranchised It's women.
which comedies SO much?
Who VIII Say ''Yes?"
Women can not vote for the
election of members of Parlis,-
ment. 1t is for this, the Parlia-
mentary franchise. that they are
fighting. They might have beer
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 militants 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 arc
they likely to gain9 Mr.. e. v.
Lucas, in his '-Mr. Ingleside,~ rep
resents member of Parliament
as suggesting mildly that women
who prosecute and vilify and
assault statesmen are not pro.
viding the best credentials as re-
sponsible electors" DIR. Anna
Shaw ia afraid that women here
who applaud them and find
money for them may imprez-
American men in the same way.
And this NJ. P, or Mr.. Lucas foF
him, puts the objection clearly:
TN my opinion--and you car
disregard it. for 1t Ia only the
opinion of a man-ttey had been
waiting splendidly, and were Just
beginning to reap the harvest of
their quiet efficiency and good
sense when the fruit was dashed
from their hands by the impa-
tient high spirits OF the younger
faction-the Maenad Malcontents.
shall call them? know OF
mothers who for years have
steadily been proving their right
to vote, whose own daughters,
fresh from school, have ruined
their chances for years to come"
And he wonders whether men.
after viewing the political spi-
rations OF women with suspicion
for all these centuries, will sud-
denly say:
''Well, they use dog whips
across the faces of our rulers
very handily: they worry and an
noy our Prime Minister with ex-
traordlnary persistence and skill
and do their best to ruin his
health and nerves; they throw
stones with unexpected accuracy.
We are now satisfied. They ehaF
have the vote tomorrow; these
are exactly the kind Of people tc
elect representatives wisely"
Do the American women who
are finding money for British
mllitants honestly believe this IL
what American men viii say IN
the non suffrage States when
they are asked to vote Yes" OF
a constitutional amendments