The Washington herald., 1914-06-14

been sufficiently well-organized to know
their power; the government had not 50
plainly shown its intention to defeat or
indefinitely delay the passage Of a woman
suffrage measure. But the gauntlet was
thrown down at last Mr.. Balfour did
not heed the warning. but other events
took him and his ministry out of pow
er. and placed it in the hands Of the Lib
erals who as long as they are in power
must be the object of the suffragist tao
tics.
Results of the Defeats.
Other causes operated to give women
especial claim on the new government.
An extension Of the franchise to men
couched as usual in such generic terms
that women fondly hoped that 1t included
some attention to their rights. With the
help of the combined efforts Of the great
woman suffrage societies-one working for
the election 6f members favorable to
their measure regardless of party, which
has always been and still is the attitude
of the National Union of Woman Suf-
frage Societies, and the Women's Social
and Political Union working to oppose
the Conservatives for their previous atti-
tude-the Liberals came into power with
42o members pledged to pass the bill to
abolish sex disability in the exercise Of
the parliamentary franchise.
A most significant feature Of the move
ment has been the rapidly growing adher-
ence of working-class women In 1900
deputation of women factory workers
from ten Lancashire towns carried to
Parliament a petition signed by 1888
women cotton operatives. In other coun-
ties the same petition was signed by 5000
women of the factories. At length q
Sad tn he thu ynOuth-
piece for these Where she got her won
derful power Of argument and gift Of
organization let those explain who can
account for the appearance in history in
all ages of those whose cry has been on
behalf Of the oppressed, Let my people
60"
Annie Kenney was the child of a mill
woman and was herself put to work at
the age of ten to help support the family
with her meager wage. No schooling, as
far as the record shows; no opportunity
by culture or association to become
equipped as a leader; yet her burning
sense Of injustice at the wrongs under
which her class and her sex have suf-
fered, and which she herself had seen
and felt, made her the instrument of fir
ing the hearts Of all English women capa-
BILE of understanding and responding to
the appeal for sympathy and justice.
Fatal Voice of Woman Heard.
When the speech of Sir Edward Grey.
Liberal leader, in October, 1906, was fin
ished and the constitutional time for
questions had arrived, the voice Of a
woman was heard asking what the Lib
eral government would do for working
women and whether 1t proposed to make
them politically free. This was a ques-
ton which Sir Edward. himself favor
able to woman suffrage, did not wish to
commit the Liberal party to, SO he
ignored the woman's question and an
swered those of the men. Then she
wrote 1t, as she said, on behalf Of $1,000
organized women cotton workers, and
sent it up to the platform. 1t was re-
ceived. and also ignored.
Then just as the meeting was about
to ADJOURN the woman stood upon her seat
and called out again as loudly as she
could, "Will the Liberal government give
the working women the voter Imme-
diately she was beset by the stewards Of
the meeting. As she stood there bare
headed her flowing hair gave her child
fsh appealing look, but she kept repeat
ing her question. Then Christabel Pank-
hurst rose and stood beside Annie Ken
ney. one arm around the waist Of the
factory woman. the other shielding her
from the blows of her assailants. The
two girls of widely different classes, but
united In the bonds Of Q common cause.