The Washington herald., 1914-10-18

in our suffrage work: but found tina,
all the principles embodied in our Declara-
ton Of Independence belonged TO an ear
lier struggle for freedom which had beer
won on British soil, and exactly the same
as the women are waging now. The
women remain at these auctions until the
property Of the offender is disposed Of.
/ The kindly auctioneer puts the property
seized from the suffragists early on his
list, or lets them know when It will be
called.
The object lesson of the sale and the
subsequent meeting on the street corner
or in the nearest park catries the mes
sage to an outlying part OF London, and
to a people who otherwise would know
nothing OF the agitation. The discrImina-
| ton which the government shows on
every hand is apparent in this matter
of seizing goods, for some are never
annoyed for their delinquent taxes, while
others are pounced upon with severity.
The league makes resistance systematic
and effective so that no effort is lost.
Sometimes no one will bid for the suf-
ragist's property and they carry II home
again, but the government cannot seize
IL for that assessment. OF all forms OF
militancy this is most logical. and Il Is
one that women might well adopt every
where, as it was Inaugurated in America
when the Smith sisters OF Glastonbury,
Conn, allowed their New Jersey cows to
be sold year after year under protest.
Mrs. Despard, sister Of Gen. Sir John
French, who is president OF the woman's 5
Freedom League, has been sold out re-
peAtedly. until she has around her only
the barest necessaries OF life.
There is an imperial tax for the nom
payment Of which the person and not
the property is seized. Miss Housman,
sister of the distinguished dramatist,
Lawrence Houman, lives with him, but
owns little property subject to the
imperial tax. 1t was only a trife-four
and six Gl0S)-but she refused to pay.
Various processes were served upon her
until the sum had grown to about IS
She was warned repeatedly by the officer
that she would be arrested II she did not
pay, but she was obdurate. At length
the ofhcer arrived to escort Miss Hous-
man TO Holloway jail. He was very polite
and took her in taxi, which cost exact
ly the sum of the original tax. CHere
it would have been for that distance the
man was from day to day interviewed by
various officials to get her to pay her
tax, which she declared she had no inten-
ton Of doing. The government was in a
quandary. There was a law to put Miss
Housman in prison but there was no law
to let her out until she paid the tax
and costs. The government offered to
knock on the costs and let her of with
the original four and six. Miss Housman
was still obdurate. To all intents and
purposes she was in Holloway for life.
To make capital OF the situation and to
keep up her courage the Tax Resistance
League organized a procession to Hollo-
way. l was extremely glad to be on the
spot and able to show that was not a
fair-weather suffragist, for the weather
had been perfect on the occasions Of the
five professions in which 1 had already
taken part in England. and this day was
rainy and the streets muddy.
1t was a long trudge-the four miles to
when we got in front Of the frowning old
fortress the meeting that had been
planned for protest became one Of vic
tory, for the government had weakened
and Miss Housman was free. She was a
very quiet delicate woman who had
never taken any other part in the move
ment, and she made her first suffrage
speech this day under the walls of Hol-
loway jail.
Miss Housman has Just been called upon
by the board Of inland revenue to pay
arrears on her taxes, and she has again
expressed her determination to abide by
plain constitutional duty in refusing con-
sent to taxation without representation"
There Is q general movement among tax
resisters to send their dues to one or other
by the national funds for relief labeled
Taxes withheld from the government by
voteless women"
Jail PrOcessiOns Frequent.
How many times had the women gone
to Holloway to welcome out the prisoners
on the day of their release! This was be-
fore the days OF forcible feeding and the
hunger strike which has made It neces-
sary to take away the tortured victims
in an ambulance and to a nursing home
as quickly as possible. In the earlier
days they have often been met with.
bands, sometimes the horses would be
taken of the wagon and young girls
would draw it in a triumphal procession.
Then there was breakfast and speaking,
and everything to make 1t a gala occa-
sion.
Twas present at one OF these breakfasts
in Queens Hall decorated with flowers
and banners and with tables for hundreds.
II was a queer sensation in those days
TO look upon sweet and ladylike young
women-I remember that on this occasion
one was the niece Of the violinist Joachim
and to know that they had actually been
prisoners. II was not long before they
were looked upon as something sacred, as
those who had made special sacrifices for !
the cause, and they wore badges to show |
that they had been prisoners and in every |
place were given the post Of honor until |
their numbers mounted up to the hun
dredA. One Of their faYorite banners |
bears the inscription: