New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-01
MILITANCY AT HOME
Mrs. Blatch Is Opposed to Even a
Suggestion of Violence Here.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: There has been general call TO
the leaders Of the suffrage movement to
stand up and be counted as for or against
English militant methods, but probably
the special challenge to me Is based on
the fact that | was personally responsible
for introducing Mrs. Pankhurst TO Amer
lea. l take up the gauntlet Here Is my
confession OF faith. | am not Quaker.
nor a non-resistant. Both on my fathers
side, as well as my mothers, | inherit
plenty OF the spirit OF rs. My own great
grandmothcr-so the story goes--loaded
guns, and II she didn't kill any one In
Revolutionary days II was because she
was the proverbial bad shot. She aimed
to kill her country's enemy. My grand
mother, not being Quaker or non-re-
sistant, taught me to admire the courage,
the devotion, the patriotism OF my ma
ternal ancestor. As child / honored
her. and frankly admit honor her still.
And | would not honor her the less II she
had loaded guns to gain liberty for
women, instead OF merely for the men Of
her time
But my admiration for the militant
women OF 1776 does not blind me to the
fact that we are living In the twentieth
century and not in the eighteenth. and
that the manner Of pushing our political
demands must take into account the con-
dlt,ons of our own time. The adjustments
of commercial life are so delicately bal
anced that public opinion Is now against
the use Of physical force. The tendency
In trade disputes, in international dis
putes, is toward arbitration. Those who
use violence, then, are very likely to
array against their cause a vigorous pub
lie opinion.
Another practical and unromantic ar
gument against mlitancy Is that the
highly perfected systems of intercom-
munication OF our time render riot or
guerilla warfare impossible OF long con-
tinuarce and growth. Highly mobile
armies and navies, highly developed police
and detective forces, telegraph, telephone,
render victories for violence improbable.
The spirit OF the reform must honeycomb
army and navy as 1t did in Portugal or
success won't crown rebellion. These con-
siderations have no idealism In them, of
course, out tHey nave the VI WIN
mon sense and caution.
Following as they do after men in the
demand for political enfranchisement, 1t
Is little wonder that women often over
emphasize what men have gained through
violence. The fact is that scarcely
single wide extension OF the franchise
during the last fifty years has been
achieved by the use of physical force.
Not only has tho marvellous growth of
woman suffrage throughout the world
come entirely through the peaceful con-
version of the ruling class to the Idea OF
justice, but the extensions OF the fran
chise to different classes OF men, for eX-
ample. to the farm laborer In England,
have been singularly free from violence,
having come usually as 4 matter OF party
exigcncy.
My opposition 10 even a suggestion OF
mlitancy in America does not rest. then,
upon any abstract theories In regard to
physical force. nor upon the ilattcring as
scrtion that American men are differ
ent," nor upon the reassuring prophecy
that 1T will never be necessary here;
my objection to miltancy rests upon the
substantial fact that I'm our time the vote
has not been won through violence. To
suggest mllitapcy In the United States Is
singularly inept. In our country the final
appeal Is to the body OF the voters. To
challenge half the people on the physical
plane Is as impossible as absurd.
But because l hold such political
philosophy I see no reason for condemn
l.,..
In another land. Surely a little modesty
Is demanded on the part OF Americans.
The English battle is not ours. To speak