The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-12

Lament. The will of this majority
frustrated-by trickery, says Mrs.
~Pankhurst; by rules Of parliament,
say partisans of the government. But
the will Of the majority could not long
be thwarted, so long as it continued to
be the will Of the majority. Was it
wise to precipitate revolution when
that course threatened to sacrifice
such a majority.
Again, the world is coming ire
sistibly to woman suffrage. 1t has
found adoption in every quarter of
the globe. There had never been a
single impressive argument against it.
The opposition to it came from an in
definite, though essentially honest,
feeling AGAINST it. Then, suddenly, a
band Of women, intrepid, ingenious,
unfaltering, began a series of de1ances
against the law. A wave Of doubt
swept over the world. Everywhere
the question was asked; Is this the
contribution women are to make to the
cause of good government?
In the light of principle, where does
this civil wal" belong? Mrs. Pank-
hurst draws an impressive parallel to
our American revolution. Are the two
substantially alike?
n fundamental Of government in
voked is the same. Both are fairly
classified as revolts against taxation
without representation. But, in the
n case, there was literally no peace
full method available. In the other,
peaceful methods had already procured
a favorable majority in the law-mak-
ing body. AS Henry put it for the
%colonists:
There is no retreat but submits
sion and slavery. Our chains are al
ready forged. Their clanking may be
4 hpar ri IN tha MIA ipr. IF Postoy sNr Es.
No new chains were being forged
for women in England. No pressure
existed for. immediate action. save the
pressure of ornou patience. And in
the last resolve here lies the essential
error of Mrs. Pankhurst's reasoning:
The ways Of peace had brought her
cause to the very threshold of victory.
Yet rather than endure such a setback
as every legislative cause must ex-
pect to meet, the ways of peace were
abandoned for the ways of war. Civil
war is justified only as a last resort, a
course of desperation, a course un-
Eavertible n unacceptable, not as a
course to be adopted whenever 1t
seems to be tactically advantageous
to the leaders of a couse.
What, now, will be the effect Of Mrs.
Pankhurst's coming to the United
United States2 The effect upon the
SducS VI HSqudl suffrage III MiuIlGSOld !
The Tribune openly deplored the
respect. The women in America have
OF abandoned the ways of peace,
hey have no thought of doing SO.
his newspaper believed that any
emonstration of sympathy for women
no have precipitated civil war threat
ned to put upon the cause in America
ae burden of the lawlessness invoked
LseWhere in behalf of that cause by
lch visitors. 1t believes so still.
No one who heard Mrs. Pankhursi
i Minneapolis and st. Paul is in dan
err of making this mistake. But the
otes in Minnesota will not be cast by
nose who heard her alone. Hun
reds of thousands there are in the
tate who neither heard her nor will
cad her addresses. There is some
hing more than probability that in
heir minds the#"civil war in Eng
: and may now be confused with a
eaceful recourse to ballots in Mime
lota-
Against this, those must set their
aces who believe-with The Tribune
that the extension of the franchise
% women is required alike by a sense
Of primary justice and by our hope
for better government.