The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-01-27
Police Precautlon to Head off the
MllItants In Case They Decide to
Attempt Anything
Rash.
THEIR BILL IS DEAD
Women Are Willing TO Die for Their
Cause and May be Given op-
portunIty to
Do SO.

+ |
LONDON, Jan. 27.-With several
thousand militant suffragettes "mobil-
ized'' In the vicinity of parliament
square to see the finish of the fran
chise reform bill, Premier Asquith at
noon hastily called special cabinet
meeting to consider the situation.
1t was practically foregone con-
clusion that the votes for women
amendment to the bill would be side
tracked, but the method was in aues-
ton. IT was reported that the gov
ernment was In doubt whether to al
low the house Of commons to vote on
the Grey amendment this afternoon
and then withdraw the bill, or wheth-
er to withdraw It before division
was called.
Police precautions more thorough
| than those that prevailed when the
irish home rule bill was under con4
| sideration, today were made in prep
ara.ion for the franchise sitting.
Hundreds of policemen patrolled
Westminster all day, and reserves
were called out from all nearby po-
lice stations. All leaves Of absence
were suspended, and It was PLAN
4 by late afternoon to have 1000 police
men and plain clothes men on duty
around the houses Of parliament ant
adjacent streets.
All places where suffragettes gath
tieered were under strictest guard, ant
4 the leading militan-s, Mrs. Emmelin'
Pankhurst her daughters and aides
were under the constant surveillance
of plain clothes detectives from Scot
, land Yard.
Extra police guards. we're placed II
, the Offices and homes Of the members
, of the cabinet. and they were sur
} rounded by policemen when they ap
peared on the streets.
All this because London feared th'
wrath or the suffragette when tbs
) votes for women project is officiall,
!, dead. at least during this parliament
, Openly the women have declared tha
their pas performances would pail
as do the stars 10 the coming of tn,
sun. when compared to what they vii
;. do to the British public when the bal
: 10. IS denied them again.
Some Of the strenuous militants dc
! clared in street speeches that the,
were willing to die" for the cause
:. but Scotland Yard was apprehensiv
hat IL they carried out their threat
. they might not be content to die a
!. once.
. The police were fearful of an out
/ break of violence tonight that reall
would eclipse the letter box, telt
phone and fire alarm campaigns of tn
suffragettes and make their windo'
smashing crusade look like child
play.
The franchise reform bill, as intro
II duced, would work a revolutionar
q change in the British electoral sy'
tenn, by abolishins the present prof.
er..y and other restrictions and ais
by doing away with what is known g
G plural voting"
Under the law as It now stands,
man has the right to vote In as man
parliamentary constituencies as b
holds properly therein One of EN-
lands wealthiest landlords now Is el
titled to vote in rs different district
j Under the new bill every man owe
's q, who is of sound mind, become
IS eligible for the ballot. but for or
m vote only. The only restriction is s.
Of months residence in the constituent
'e prior to election day. II he move
into another district, he retains h
s. right to vote in the old, during tt
s.
froutjnuoa n, napa qi