The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-07-14


which ended the struggle was TAX
en- on the night Of Monday, June
20, and the following report Of the
sitting is taken from the London
Times of the following morning:
WESTMINSTER, Tuesday.
The House of Commons tonight &C.
cepted the principle of woman sui.
frage by the overwhelming majority
of $50 in a House of 440. In the
decisive division, 385 members voted
for the change and only SIS against it
1t was free vote of the House
The Government Whips were with.
drawn, and two members Of the
Speakers Conference, Mr.. Dickinson
and Sir William Bull, were the tellers
for the majority. Among those who
voted for woman suffrage we're the
Prime Minister, Mr.. Bonar Law, Mr.
Balfour, Mr.. Asquith, Mr.. McKenna
Sir George Cave, Mr.. Churchill, Mr.
Prothero, Sir John Simon, Lord Rob.
ert Cecil, Mr.. Long, Mr.. Duke, and
Sir F. E. Smith. The majority OF
Ministers, as we'll as ex-Ministers
were in the AYE" lobby.
The debate which eliminated IN
this decision was not particularly i'm
pressve. 1t was thoughtful in tone
and there was little of the levity
which marred some earlier debates
on the subject. Members seemed tc
realize that the question was no Ion
ger an academic one, and that they
were called upon at last to vote upon
it as a living issue. But sense OF
responsibility alone cannot make a
House of Commons debate attractive
or exciting. Great Parliamentary
situations can only spring from en-
FILTERED passions, novel arguments
fine speaking, or a closely contested
division, with the issue in doubt tc
the end.
None of these conditions was pres
ent last night. The result was &C.
cepted throughout as foregone con-
cluslOn. The arguments used on both
sides were of a familiar kind The
chief orators of the House took nc
par y the debate. There was nc
l"G from beginning to end. II
w gery interesting, as marking
the al of a long and imprisoned
political struggle, but it was not the
powerful sort of drama which used tt
be staged at st. Stephens. 1t wa!
just plain, sober, honest discussion
with as little sentiment as could pos
sibly be impaired to subject touch
ling closely the relations Of the sexes
Sir F. Banbury's Arguments.
There was not a larg House, ever
judged by wartime standards, whe1
the Chairman of Committees cleared
the road for straight vote on tn,
principle by ruling out of order Mr.
Arnold Wards amendment to max,
the adoption of woman suffrage de
pendent on a referendum. Sir Fred
erick Banbury was at once callet
upon to move the amendment, whicl
challenged directly the granting o
parliamentary vote to any woman, NJ
matter what her age, condition, o
occupation might be. On this amend
ment the House debated the mail
question for the remainder Of the sit
ting.
Sir Frederick Banbury urged thre
arguments in chief against the pro
posal to etxend the franchise to wo
men at this time. In the first place
the present House had neither tn,
mandate nor any fitness for introduc
ing such resolution, Secondly, wo
men had not suffered from not hav
ing the vote. Lastly, women wert
constitutionally averse from takinl
strong action. Sir Charles Hobhousl
seconded the amendment, and baseC
his opposition on what may be callet
domestic grounds. He insisted tina
the proposal was based on total!
false conception of what womel
ought to be asked to do. 1t was hi
belief that the capacity Of women wa
best utilized when 1t was directed tt
domestic and local activities rathe
than to external and Political Consid
creations.
Lord Hugh Cecil made light Of thi
Of argument in speech which was full
of fun and Of shrewd thrusts agains
human prejudice. The experience o
the war, he declared had carried u
far beyond the point when it could b.
soberly maintained that woman
however foolish, was incapable Of tn,
very small mental task involved Il
giving a vote. he argued that tn
general relations Of the sexes and tn
general position Of women IN lif
would not be profoundly affected b,
the grant of the franchise to women
Roundly chafting the extremists o.
both sides, Lord Hugh Cecil describ
ed them as either pink or white, &C
cording to the colour Of their com
plexion as they discussed the cues
ton. He then gave a synopsis to
House shaking with laughter Of tw,
romances illustrating the opposing
points Of view. The title Of the frs
romance, written for the extrem,
sufiraglsts, would be Saved 10y Tia
q Vote "a Tale Of Isawless Love Y nh
author would work Il up to the,ppin
Eat which fenalc virtue would W nv