New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-27
LET THE WOMEN DECIDE!
Mrs. Batch Replies to Mr.. Martins Ad-
vocacy Of This Scheme.

TO the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In the good old days Mr.. Martin
and knew each other in England. lie
was then a democrat with a small ID.
lie has now quite forgotten apparently
the history OF the agitation for the en-
franchisement of the farm laborers,
quite forgotten that he himself advocat-
cd their enfranchisement, although a
mere handful of them, led by William
Arch, demanded the vote
Mr.. Martin says: no body Of men
has ever opposed having a vote given
them and lie sets this supposed fact
In contrast with the organized opposition
of women to their Acknowledgement.
Efr. Martin was either so engrossed in
his duties of teaching school in London
in the SOS that he was not we'll in
formed on general political and economic
questions, or he has forgotten the fact
that the farm laborers were organized,
within the Conservative party. against
their own acknowledgment. We'll do [
remember listening to the speeches at a
banquet OF the Conservative party held
in Baslngstoke. a market town in the
trict of England. in 1884. The Keynote
Of all the speeches was opposition TO
Gladstone's programme TO enrranchise
tho farm laborer. At a table modestly
placed below the speakers table sat a
group Of men, all I'm the characteristic
smock frocks, with the exception Of one,
who was in his Sunday best, shop-bouSht
clothes. The POSTMASTER In calling on
this man to speak for his class quoted
Lord Saiisburys description of the pro-
posals OF the Liberal party for electoral
and local government reform as the vii
lsge circus" Not feeling the insult in
the least, the farm laborer rose and with
the motion Indicative OF pulling the fore
lock, the gesture then commonly made by
the peasant I'm approaching a superior
said that such as he knew nothing Of
government, and the interests OF the ag-
ricultural laborers would be best looked
after by leaving the vote in the hands
OF the gentry. This was the first time
had ever witnessed establishment in
any class. and the argument had with
myself as to the cause and cure of the
slave spirit I'm humanity helped me to
understand t1e meaning VI drll-Suliid-
gism when II developed ten years later
in the movement for the political en-
reimbursement OF women.
Surely Mr.. Martin has not also for
gotten that the farm laborer was so
we'll organized in the Conservative party
and so little appreciative OF the service
rendered him I'm his enfranchisement
that his class lined up against the Lib
eral party for years? But all this lack
of self-respect. lack OF love of freedom.
IN tho farm laborer did not balk John
Martin any more than II did me I'm the
days when he and were fellow Fabians
I'm England. One wonders what there
Is I'm the atmosphere OF Staten Island
that has filled one adopted citizen with
political doubts and negations AS 10
the facts in regard to the attitude OF
suffragists toward referendum to
women on the question OF suffrage. the
difficulty with Mr. Martin is not the
Innocence of his heart" but the lack
OF information I'm his head This is
government OF written constitutions. and
under the constitution OF the state or
New York there is no provision for a