The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09
woman's Need of Ballot.

upon them from balloons were other
methods used as advertisement and
propaganda.
seventh wOman's Parliament.
The Seventh woman's Parliament was
held in the latter part Of February and
from that women led by Mrs. Pethick-
Lawrence went TO carry their petition TO
Parliament. She and twenty-eight of her
supporters, including Lady Constance
Lytton and Miss Solomon, daughter Of
the late governor OF the Cape, were ar
rested and sentenced TO one or two
months Imprisonment. 1t is important
TO remember that these and all the pre-
viously mentioned arrests were not for any
militancy as We now know It, but simply
for peaceful. persistent endeavors to see
Mr.. Asquith, or. failing that. to take
their petition to Parliament
Mr.. Godfrey Howard. son of the
Countess of Carlisle. and the women's
suffrage committee OF the Liberal mem
beers decided to introduce a reform bill
on the lines foreshadowed by Mr.. As
quith the previous year, only making
suffrage for women a part OF the orig
inal measure instead of leaving II as Mr..
AsQuith had proposed, TO come in as an
amendment. The bill obtained a favora-
VIC f4oNN anu NaAA4S Ap AOA sO%OhN
ing. Mr.. Asquith stated that LIE mem
bers of the government would abstain
from voting upon il 1t passed second
reading by a majority Of IS, as against
the majority OF lI9 the previous year for
the women's enfranchisement bill The
only thing accomplished was TO show the
insincerity Of the government in oppos-
ing the womans suffrage bill on the
ground that it was not democratic.
An eight woman's parliament was held
March 80 and this time the deputation
was headed by an aged lady. Mrs. Saul
Solomon. widow of the governor general
Of South Africa, with the result that
after the usual buffeting by the police
twenty were arrested and sent to prison.
The prisoners were nearly all out by May
- when the great exhibition in the colors
was held, resulting in adding $4,000 TO
the fund OF the Women's Social and
litical Union. One of the features of the
exhibition was q facsimile of a prison
cell such as the suffragettes were made
to occupy in the second division, side
by side with one such as men political
prisoners occupy. The great struggle of
the women prisoners at this time was to
secure for themselves the recognition
that they were political prisoners, and to
be treated as such.
0rcat ingenuity SnO"ns
Protests in connection with cabinet
ministers meetings were continued and
great ingenuity was shown by the
women in getting into the halls from
which now they were universally ex-
cluded. However carefully the approaches
were guarded, however carefully the
places OF meeting were searched, there
was always sure to be heard the voice
that seemed like the voice of Fate-ask-
ing. When are you going to give votes
to the women" Sometimes it would be
from the rafters. sometimes from the
roof or cornice or projecting window
ledge, but always it would be heard.
At a meeting Of Mr.. Birrell's in Bristol
two women were found to have hidden
themselves in the pipes of the organ. At
Liverpool a woman lay twenty-four hours
amid the dust in a narrow space under
the organ to be able to remind the audi
ence that a Liverpool woman was at that
time serving a three months sentence in
Holloway. The terror lest this simple |
question should be asked and the ex-
traordinary measures taken to prevent
it will rank this period in history along |
with the obsessions of the witchCraft |
scare. 1t was said in daily papers that
as the orchestra was entering the hall |
the wind distended the green baize bag |
in which musician carried his cello. |
and he was made to put it down, that 1t |
might be examined to see If a woman
was not concealed therein.
During the spring of 1909 eight by-elec- |
tons had occurred, and in every case the |
Liberal majority was reduced. The w. |
S. P. U. was meanwhile getting ready for |
another deputation, this time taking their |
stand directly on the right Of petition !
which had existed from time inmemorial |
and had been confirmed by the bill Of |
rights in 1859, when it was declared that
'ft is the right OF the subject to petition |
the King. and all commitments for such
are illegal" They therefore |
notified Mr.. Asquith, that they would |
wait upon him on the evening Of June q. |
A week before this time Miss Wallace
Dunlop, visiting the House of Commons
with a gentleman. seized an opportunity
to unfold and press against the wall a
large block covered with printers ink,
bearing the announcement of the deputa-
ton and the quotation from the bill Of
rights. As she was not arrested for this,
she managed to do it again two days
later, for which she got one month
When the hour arrived a lady on
horseback was dispatched with a let
ter announcing that the deputation was