The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-09-13

ne declined them an interview. and Of
fered them what they regarded as use
less-faCilities for a private member 5
bill They adopted a resolution against
the Dickinson bill and against all pri-
vate members bills on which they were
determined to waste no more money or
time
However. the next thing was that Mr..
Dickinson introduced a Peoples Repre-
sentation Bill" a very democratic mea-
sure, as il would enfranChIse about six
million women. as well as enlarge the
franchise for men. But the point was
brought up against 1t that even then it
was not equal. for il gave the franchise
to men of twenty-one. Withholding IL
from women until they became TWEEN
ty-flve. Also that women were not 10
have the dodgers franchise as men had 1t.
Mr.. AsquIh concentrated all his forces
against the hill. but he made a Conces-
sion that should be remembered He said
that he sometimes thought that when he
listened to arguments by the supporters
of women suffrage that there vas moth
ing to be said for II. But" said he, Il
sometimes think that when ! listen to
the arguments OF opponents that there
is nothing to he said against II"
The excuse of those who intended to
vote against the bill was ''militanCy''
which OF course was absurd, militancy
being recent. and MANY OF those who
had been very active in il were at this
very time in prison. so II was illogical to
punish all for the actions OF the few.
But the statemen; was made by E. E.
Smith, a Conservative member. that "it
was not until 1876. when these militant
tactics were adopted, that any people in
this House or in the country took this
question seriously" On second reading
the bill received 219 votes for. and 26S
against
"Not of Good Fame"
In its attempt to punish the miIitants
who were now undertaking extreme
measures but yet could not be adequate
ly dealt with because they resorted to
the hunger and thirst strike whenever
imprisoned, the government revived an
old measure passed by the Parliament
Of 1850, which permits the imprisonment
OF any one mot OF good fame" requir-
ing the defendant. without any evidence
OF an offense having been committed. to
md sureties or go to jail in default. This
enabled the government to imprison any
suspected person. for the sufIragists
would never give bail.
But how to keep them in prison was
the run. An emergency aCt' was rushed
through the House by a vote Of 2e4 to S.
TO enable the home secretary to release
a prisoner temporarily, instead of Civ
ing an absolute discharge. The public
Immediately dubbed II the cat and
mouse act" which exactly depicted its
nature. The prisoners were then being
forcloly fed, which, even quicker than
absolute fasting, reduced them TO such
condition that death seemed imminent,
and the government has never dared to
let any such prisoners die in prison. Un-
der the new act such could be let out
until they regained sufficient strength to
bear imprisonment again. and the term
In which they were out was spent under
surveillance, and did not count on the
time for which they were sentenced.
Thus Mrs. Pankhurst having been SEN
fenced nine months for the offenses Of
her followers has been imprisoned nine
or ten times, and brought to deaths door
each time; she has made a visit to
America, to France, and kept the police
machinery busy and has yet the major
part of her sentence to serve.
The bill psssed by 2si TO Is MANY Of
the friends of suffrage voted for II be-
cause they were deceived by the eroco-
die tears OF MeKenna, and thought n
would spare the women suffering. Mr..