The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-06-01
Women Of England Pleased by the
House Of Lords considera-
don Of Their
Cause.
MEASURE IS DEFEATED
Vote Was 1o4 to go When They Did
Not Expect TO Secure
Over Thirty
Votes.

by Ed l.. Keen. London correspond
ant Of the United Press.]
LONDON, June lit was great
triumph for the women's cause" This
was the seemingly paradoxical COM
men. made today by Lady Abercon-
way, leading advocate among Eng
lands titled women Of female fran
chise, on the debate In the house of
lords which resulted In the rejection
Of Lord Selborne's bill to give the
parliamentary vote to the million Of
women in the British Isles who al
ready have the right 20 cast their bal
lots in municipal election.
Although the measure was lost by q
vote Of 104 to 50, its most ardent sup
porters did not expect to be able to
Lady Aberconway had in mind the
noteworthy circumstances that this
most reactionary legislative body in
the world had seen At to devote two
whole days to an earnest and serious
consideration Of the question, rather
than the result. Lord Selborne's pur-
pose was merely to attract attention
to the subject, and incidentally to en-
phasize the fact that the leaders of the
house of commons, more than ma
jority Of whose members last year
were pledged to vote for woman suf-
frage, tricked the women by not let
ting the measure reach the voting
stage.
1t was The first time In history that
the lords had even discussed the sub
ject. A significant feature of the re.
suit, from the sufrragist's standpoint.
was the fact that party lines were
obliterated. The bill, introduced by
a unionist, was admittedly unionist
measure. The present municipal fran
chise for women being based on prop.
erty qualifications, the natural pre-
sumption was that the unionists
would benefit by; this addition of g
million electors. Yet the votes in IA
vor of it were about equally divided
between liberals and unionists.
The position Of the men advocates
of the suffrage, whose zeal for the
cause has not diminished by the reign
of militancy. which they heartily con-
denim, is indicated in a statement
made by the Earl Of Ly.ton, the con-
servative peer whose own sister, a
follower Of the Pankhursts, Is now a
confirmed invalid as the result of her
prison experiences. IT nave every
10 ~ hn
militants,'' said Lord Lytton, "be.
cause that policy makes Infinitely
harder the task in which I have been
i engaged. But while I deplore the
folly and wickedness of it, see also
the tragedy of it. It has been my
painful experience to be brought very
closely in contact with the results Of
the militant movement. have seen
the sacrifice Of health, the sacrifice
almost of life itself, Of some who are
very dear to me- have seen the ex-
penditure Of human qualities which J
consider to be as rare and as pre-
cious as anything the nation possesses
given to cause which in itself is as
great and noble as can be found, bu.
given in such way as to defeat the
very object sought. 1t is nothing less
qualities are being thrown away. But
this does not deter me. l shall never
slacken in my efforts to accomplish
that which alone can put an end to
this deplorable waste Of courage, de-
votion and self-sacrifice.
Commenting upon the progress made
in England in the past few years by
the women's movement, Lord Lytton
observed: Il. has been phenomenal.
unprecedented, and unparalleled by
any other political movement in the
country's history. In no other move
ment has there been shown suc1
zeal, enthusiasm, and spiritual FOL CO.
Wherever women have been organ
lied for trade, profession or occura-
ton they have expressed themselves
in favor Of woman suffrage. One
hundred and seventy-nine city or
town councils or other municipal
bodies have petitioned for the extern
sion of female franchise to the parli-
amentary vote; also fifty trade coun-
ellis and thirty-five trade unions. and
the principle is now supported by the
labor and independent labor parties,
which embrace me whole field Of the
working classes Of the country. The
national union Of woman suffrage
societies (the constitutional organiza-
tion) has 4s0 affiliated societies with
So 600 subscribing members, total of
1Oo. 600 avowed supporters. and a
yearly income Of $225,000. In their
pilgrimage from all parts Of England
to London last year they held 4So
meetings and collected more than s40.-
600 from sympathisers enroute. The
women's Social and Political Union
(the militants) has $4,000 adherents,
and an income Of $4,000, They hold
regularly from ZOO and 800 meetings