The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-30

policy in the hour OF success to show
mercy and magnanimity."
Apropos OF the women not being per
sons" Miss Macmillan having been re-
fused permission 10 be present at the
counting OF the votes at an election.
pointed out that the law which said
NO person can be present" etc, did
not exclude her because the law courts
had decided when she was asking ad-
mission to the bar that she was not
person. II she were not q person, there
could he no objection to her presence.
The sheriff did not see how to meet this
argument. and therefore allowed Miss
Macmillan 10 remain.
An interesting revival Of a custom that
had been in disuse twenty-five years
took place about this time. The corpo-
ration Of Dublin having. by a vote Of
% To 9. passed a Cancellation bill, the
lord mayor exercised his privilege OF ap-
pearing before the House Of Commons
in person with his petition. which. &C
cordingly he did. clad in his full regalia.
Only one other mayor. the lord mayor OF
London. has this right 10 appear in per-
son before Parliament.
Coronation Procession.
As stated before. the Cancellation bill
had passed about Easter its second read
ing by vote Of IS 10 s.. and all the
societies were pushing for its passage.
and there was no division OF sentiment
or difference Of method In June. 1871.
they organized a grand coronation pro-
ceSsion." in which more than 5000
women marched. II was such a day (of
soft. mellow. briEhtness) as only the
hay atmosphere Of London can furnish
when the sun is shining. Most of the
women wore white. many were hare
headed. all carried banners and emhlems
and the most exquisite devices. the prod
uct OF the Artists League. added to the
beauty Of the picture. Many natiOnali-
ties were there. and whoever had dis
tinctIve national costume wore it.
All London vas out TO see the sight.
which for effectiveness has never oecn
surpassed Il took five hours. walking
Eve abreast, 10 pass a given point. and
all along the way from Victoria embanh-
ment 10 Royal Albert Hall four mics,
the crowd-orderly and friendly-linsd the
wav scores deep and filed every vehicle
for the rrafhc was stopped. and every
window and every vantage ground where
a human being could stick. Fifty bands
furnished the music and women sang
their glorious marching song. II always
takes a touch Of comedy n max" the play
complete and II was furnished on this
occasion hy a dozen sandwich men who
} ad heen hired n carry their boards with
the lettering. Women do not wish to
vote" As they seized an opportunity 10
break into the lines everybody Ereeted
them with boos. They were made 10 get
out of the lire and they contented them
selves with walking up and down side
street. looking rather foolish. especially
as SOma Of them had turned their boards
upside down as IL ashamed NJ them, but
determined to earn they money.
Ever body said this Was the last Tro-
csssicn the Women would ever have Til
the victory march which all felt was
near at hand. but in tho autumn Mr.
Asouith crushed their hopes and divlGsd
their forces by announcing thar he would
Introduce IN the coming session Of l%4I
his electoral reform hill giving votes to-
citizens Of full age and competent I'M
ders,andinE," il being understood that
women were not included.
CrueIeSt of blows.
To introduce a measure to enfranchise
the most Irresponsible unsettled, and i'm
provident mCn-tha only class Of men
who did not already have the vote under
tho very inclusive householder and
dodgers provisions who had made no e.
fort to get the franchise and at the same
time to leave out all Women when for
50 many years in such large numbers
they had been using every effort to oh /
tain il was far mO-s illogical 'and in I
toIerable than II a hill had been intro
duced to give home rule n everybody |
hut tho Irish people. who had been ask !
ing for il 1t was the most crushing and
insulting blow ever directed against the |
woman movement.
Mrs. FawCett. president If the National /
Union of Suffrage Societies, always nom |
and the largest and most in ]
nuential Of all the organizations. had (
an interview with her deputation. in }
which Mr. As1Uith assured her that il /
was tho intention Of the government to /
push through its reform bill in 1912: that /
the bill would not include women. but II |
would he open to amendments which .
would. He promised thai II such amend
ment was adopted II would be regarded .
as part Of the government measure. This
looked fair on the surface and the Lib /
rraI Woman Suffrage Association was
fooled and some others, but Mr.. LLOYD !
George was not He boldly said that
The Cancellation bill was torpedoed, and
so it proved.
Some Of the leaders thought there
might he a chance for an amendment.
and advised patience: others reasoned
hat what women wanted was a meas
IRE that would give them some degree Of
political equality with men. while II to
he present voters was 10 be added every
asst man in the kingdom. the concilia-
ion bill with its proposed enfranchise-
nent OF so small a number Of women
would leave women as unequally sit
Is before. l.
Truce Declared ut End.
The womans Social and Political
Union declared its truce at an end and
hat nothing would be accepted as salts
actory except a government measure en-
ranchising women. This is the position
[ has maintained ever since. demon
ltration was made in Parliament square
n the middle of November. 1911. with the
vowed intention OF taking their plea TO
Parliament itself. OF course the women
we're driven back as before. The result
vas that windows were broken as pro-
est, and on this occasion, a. a warning,