The Irish standard., 1913-02-01
SUFFRAGE QUESTION
BATTLES COMMONS
All Parties Opposed to Bill and
All in Doubt as to Action
to Take
Danger Of Measure Causing Person
al Differences Reason of the
Greatest Fear.
Credit Due to Redmond Party for
Unwavering Attitude--Danger-
Gus Crisis Past.

The woman suffrage bill is now the
most important measure before the
House of Commons. For Il time to- |
ward the close of last week the situa-
tion was serious. While there is al
strong opposition to the suffrage bill
in all parties in the House, the dam
ger of a serious disruption arising
over the bill looked serious for time.
If the tories were disposed to swing
to suffrage as a means of putting tho
results might follow TO the Home Rule
measure. But the most serious crisis
in the situation seems to be past The
tories, according TO r. F. O'Connor,
are opposed to suffrage two to one.
Under those conditions, unless they
should prove traitors to their convic-
tions for the sake of the political ad-
vantage it might give them. there is
no immediate likelihood OF the bill
causing disaster.
Uncertainty in the House.
in his London cable of Ja:l. % to
the Chicago Tribune, T. Z. O'Connor
pointed out that the House was in an
uncertain state on Friday when the
debate zhegan.,s--s n. - --ts,:yaz :,
I Before It had proceedede any leagth,
he wrote, the prophecies of the leaders
of the Irish party We're realized that
no such measure could ue proceeded
! within a divided cabinet without pro-
ducing personal as we'll as party diff
ferences in its ranks which would
wreck the unity and authority and af-
, terwards it's existence.
Lewis Harcourt. secretary Of the col
onies and one of the most important
members of the cabinet ard enor-
rnously wealthy through a fortune in
herited from his father and his mar.
riage to a niece Of J. Pie-pont Nor
gan and brilliant witness and
adroit debater, has AWAY. been one
of the most outspoken enemies of
womens suffrage and his feelings nat
urally were eNasperated by the at
tempt of the women to bura down the
Wing OF the country house where his
children slept. He made the most
| powerful speech against woman suf-
! frage yet delivered. 1t created an i'm
I, mease sensation and elected either
| fierce eXasperatlon o.; delighted ap-
proval. especially as the speech was
studded throughout by bitter and CT
fectivc jibes against his colleagues,
Lloyd-Georgc and Grey.
Liberal snffragettes at last began
to realize the in1possioility of the sit
uation and to listen to the wisdom,
advice and forecast of the Irish lead
ers as replies from George and Grey
speech must destroy tne authority of
the cabinet. ...
Situation PuzzIins.
! The general impression now is that
! the government can only escape the
impossible situation ~ withdrawing
the bill
Throughout this whole crisis the
situation of the Irish party was most
difficult. All parties threw on them
the chief responsibility for the fate OF
the bill. Even some suffragettc mem
bcrs who were unable, through pub
lie pledges, to oppose woman suffrage,
| begged them to vote against the bill
with the view OF saving the govern
me1t and Home Rule, while, on the
other hand, the women's organization
! sent them missives by hundreds beg
ging and bullying them to support the
measure.
i John Redmond was placed in a po-
sition of peculiar difficulty by pub
lie pledge that every Irish member
would be released by the party and
be left free to vote for or against the
every other member OF the party
agreed in the opinion that the wo.
mans bill would be discrcditing the
cabinet and especially Asquith and
would imperil; If not wreck, Home
Rule. Even the suffragists in the
Irish party, realizing this danger
were ready to remain loyal to Hon