The Washington herald., 1914-09-20
MILITANTS TALK
DESPITE Police
Wear Boobies Out with Dem
onstrations and Speak to
Crowds of Thousands
DAWSON GIRL FAMOUS
Procession at Derby Victims Funeral
Does Much to Aid Suffrage
in Britain.
DAWSON GIRL FAMOUS
NO. XIV.
By CLARA BEwICK COLBY.


Almost coincident with the midnight
demonstration in Trafalgar Square or
behalf of free speech, the sutfragists de.
termined not to obey the orders which
regardless Of all precedent, had prohib-
tied them from holding Sunday meeting.
IN Hyde Park.
What Trafalgar Square is to 1.-THE cause
that needs assistance to the wrong that
needs resistance" Hyde Park is on a
much larger scale. From time imme-
mortal 1t has been used for open-air
speaking. have counted twenty-four
platforms in different parts OF the open
where people were spouting one behalf Of
\ their pet fad. which included lectures
on prophecy, the return OF the Jews, and
all varieties Of religion, and suffrage
except anti-suffrage. I have never dis
covered any OF that brand there.
Wear Out Police.
Without any announcement a woman
began speaking from an improvised plat
form. Another held a flag. Quicker than
, it can be told they were surrounded by
men who had been lying on the grass.
apparently taking no notice. and before
there a solid wedge of thousands of peo-
pie were gathered round the women who
were lighting for free speech.
The police rode into the orderly mass
of people, pushed them right and left,
and succeeded in capturing the woman
with the colors and taking her OF to
prison. The ranks closed in again around
the other, and she began again to speak.
This time she was the trophy Of the
police prowess and this broke up the
meeting.
The orderly supporters were mostly
away when the plucky little woman, who
had escaped the notice OF the police by
changing her hat. returned. and address,
ed an audience for nearly an hour while
the police. worn out with their eXertions;
looked calmly on.
Allow Women to Be Mobbed.
But the interval between these two
meetings had been given over to the row.
dies and the police let them mob the
women, and especially whenever a woman
raised her voice in that vast crowd OF
5000 people. and the speaking was al
most continuous, she Was set upon and
beaten by some man following in the
wake of the police. Sometimes II was
the other side that got beaten, for the
. crowd was almost entirely in sympathy
with the women
The same scene, with variations, was
eEacted in the other parks and commons
where the suffragists were in the habit
of holding Sunday meetings. and then
repeated until the government gave up.
Without the prohibition being rescinded,
everything went on as before, and the
hattie for free speech was won for the
time being.
The next act in She great freedom
Grama was the tragic death OF Emily
Wilding Dawson, by throwing herself in
front of the Kings horse at the races.
To most people this looked like the act
of a madwoman. but those who knew
her understood that she was giving her
self a sacrifice for the cause.
Did Many Daring Deeds.
Two convictions had fastened them
selves in the mind of Emily Dawson
that England must learn that not even
its most sacred institution-the Derby
would be safe till women had won their
liberties. and that the cause must have
its martyrs as every other fight for free
dom has had. Miss Dawson was a uni
versity graduate, q woman who had
always been distinguished by her good
deeds, and Of a most amiable and gentle
disposition. Such are the firrnest in their
convictions and when she became con-
tinced that resistance to tyranny is
obedience to God" she was no half
hearted supporter.
Many were the daring deeds she had
done. but none that brought her so much
suffering as her resistance in prison She
was one OF the first to be forcibly fed.