The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-05
BRITISH WOMEN
WRITER'S DEFEND
MILITANT ACTION
DISCUSS SUFFRAGE PROBLEM
AND URGE REMOVAL OF THE
CAUSE AS PROPER SOLUTION.

manner In which the women's mill
tant campaign for acknowledgements Is
dealt with by the government, the
press. and the people generally, Mrs.
| Fawcett, writing to the Times re-
Gently, on behalf Of the National
! Union Of Women's Suffrage societies,
points to problems within the en-
pire bearing analogy TO the wonen's
demand for acknowledgements, which
have been solved, or at least con-
sidered, in liberal manner, by a
liberal government
She puts the women's revolutionary
campaign on the same level Of ina
portance as those movements IN India
and Egypt which rhaye called for
statesmanilke handling by Lord Nor
ley and Lord Kitchener. Having
focused the womon's movement as
problem of empire. Mrs. Fawcett de-
clares the conviction of the National
union that mere severity of punish
ment will never solve the problem
Of militancy.
Bacon Maxim Quoted.
She quotes Bacon's maxim 10 the
effect that the surest way of prevent
ing seditions is 10 take away the mat
ter of them. In Egypt and in India
! the campaign of militancy which the
government had to face was far
more terrible orc than that of the
Women's Social and Political union.
; In both cases The infiicuan Of punish
ment Of crime was accompanied by
measures which dealt with the cause
which had provoked them. Why not,
demands Mrs. Fawcett. try tho same
treatment for the militant problem Of
the present moment?
Another letter written by Lady
Frances I3alfour, also to the Times.
considers the solution Of the militant
1probieIn from the point of view of
social expediency, And what Of tho
militant suffraa1sts," she asks ITO
read the list OF their misdemeanors
without context or history is to read
Of the doings Of Eedlam. but If his
tory Is 10 be- written from the columns
of the Times there should follow an
article tracing the story IF the sltf-
a44-E ~ ~ l14---
abiding, for the last fifty years, and
IN greater detail for he last ten years.
Has tne government. IN partIcH-
/ lar. and the people of this country
as Whole. Eot manufactured this
body of 30 ticai degcnerates? 1t has
sown a crop OF disappointed horas
Of broken promises, of persistent
+ blindness ARD neglect 70 the claims
1 set forth hy the uuenfranchisea half
4 Of the democracy. II has refused TO
4 listen to the temperate advocate OF
parliament, to the approximations Of
/ rho majority eff the educated in the
country
"rhev have sown. ana they reap tho
Z knowledge fhat in the very life Of
/ the people there is discomfort wi7sch
+ Is causing madness and crime at
I variance with everything which
should be upheld In state which
4 calls itself C'hrfstiqs3"
Retnedy Il Pointed Out
4 For a remedy to this situation Lady
I Terancas 1salforr t4trns ia the massage
NJ ire reff.rn9 rim Of 1872 Let the
/, says,e f,onsyaera ttor he bestowed az,
. tba .sjgns of tina times She saws. as
was s{vpr, RI the problems Of the de-
1 morrarv before the reform hiIl OF
| 1e32 Sna This sore and scandal fl
onr tn1dst vii no removed
|, Tho erfrrcenent of the car and
Y517,tfSa +aff Tho rafding of the Offices
AZ fbe militant ORGANIZATION. and the
cnnfeuulalea action against suhscrl-
bers ~ "a, e,,,ffra rstt. tho militant
organ reretitnte. SO far, the govern
mortal measures for coming with a
situation which erows In Intensity
MA serfo,,s,,e4s
Goh}e assaltches which report al
thaN in,norfeut accidents If the wo-
mems IN Y1lfsIon. have announced the
rfarresf al Miss sylvia pankhnrst at
Inc head ~ a PROCESSION Of East End
,,r(,..t.t,,,x ..,,f,,, ,s,,nrt3rer sllfYra &c
,3an,9tsffo, 10 tho prttne minister ~
tb% bo71se ~ commons Miss Pank-
h1,rst'e a,resf was effected In Bow
ana ne PROCESSION was finally broken
,,n ~. ~ nolfoe ot.the corner Of
nfeiI{neta] strenf and the strand.
Ndn,itinI,cc Refused
a rI4gfttaf{pr1 reached
the hoiiS4y ~ parliament. Though re-