Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-01-09
BY. Rev. CHARLES F. AKEp. D. D,

1t is eminently desirable that friend.
of woman suffrage throughout tn,
United States should note the effect.
of the Pankhurst policy in Great
Britain.
The evil fruit of that evil policy be
comes more apparent every day. And
the more deeply one deplores the ruiz
brought to the suffrage cause in Eng
land, the more resentful one grows OF
the imbecilities and brutalities of the
-Asquith cabinet through which the mil
itants have allowed themselves to be
driven into crime.
If two wrongs made one right, there
would be an end of the discussion from
the standing ground of ethics.
If it were right and wise to "set
wrong to balance wrong, and physic
woe with VICE." there need be no de.
bate as to the moralities of the situa.
tion.
If the impact of one crime upon an
other crime produced virtue, we might
acquit Mrs. Pankhurst and her fol-
lowers of guilt.
Even if the later and lesser crimes of
the militants could be excused by the
initial and greater and continuous
crimes of the government, they might
stand free from moral blame. But it is
not so. Wrong is wrong Arson is a
mean and odious crime. 1t is not mean
er nor more odious than the crimes of
the government against the women.
But the head-on collision of two homi-
cidal machines will not produce sanity
and the peaceable fruits of righteous
ness.
The crimes of the militants are as
the crimes of the McNamaras. With
torch and dynamite bomb they steal
upon victim as innocent as the first
person who reads these lines. Their
spirit and their method are those of
the midnight assassin who dynamites
in the cause of "labOr." And they are
"'heroines" to those who find their
"heroes" in dynamiters and murder
ers.
Here is a discovery by the police of
Preston, big manufacturing town in
Lancashire "'The bundle comprised a
woman S coat, rope ladder, pair of
goloshes, a pair of slippers, cloth bag
a pair of gloves, tin containing about
a gallon of inflammable liquid, three
lamps containing candles, four dozen
packets of fire lighters, 10 large pieces
of cotton wool and knitted blue cap. ]"
The objective of the thwarted incen-
daries is believed to have been large
timber stacks at the docks. Success
would have meant one of the biggest
fires has ever known. The spirit of
violence is more violent than ever.
Hammers are thrown at the head Of
Judge in open court. A dead cat is
hurled at the secretary Of state for
ireland when he appears upon public
platform. The police, when they seek
to make an arrest, are fought so fierce
ly that they have to fight in return or
admit defeat and lose their prisoner
They are working men, living on a
weekly wage. They must obey their
orders or join the ranks of the unem-
ployed. What are they to dO3 They
fight; heads are broken; lives are en-
dangered. In meeting after meeting
Philip Snowden, the best suffragist
man in England, is howled down by
suffragist women. At Sheffield he is
addressing a meeting called to protest
against conscription which threatenes
Great Britain. The militant women are
present in force. There are disgraceful
scenes as women fight with men.
And the dreadful work goes on, The
government of great empire is help
less to control the storm which its own
inaptitude and cruelty did so much to
arouse. A shameful law derided as
"'The Cat and Mouse Act" is passed
by parliament at the bidding of the
government. 1t is understood by mem
bers that this is to take the place of
the foul and filthy practice Of forcible
feeding; and many of them, loathing
that practice, vote for the act in order
to get rid of it,
The women laugh at the Cat and
Mouse act, defy the home secretary to
do his best and his worst with IT, The
Right Honorable Reginald McKenna,
secretary of state for home affairs, lord
high torturer of Great Britain, brings
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