The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-28
women POCKETS VANISH
Dutch Suffragists Give Up
Present Hope of Gain
ing Franchise.

me Hague. Netherla .,ds.-(Corres. |
pondence of the Associated Press. 81
The suffragist picket. with it's score of |
motto. bearing and yellow beribboned |
women has vanished from the entrance |
to the Dutch parliament. For long
weeks they had stuck to their posts, |
rain or shine. Holland Is apt to be wet
at all times: mostly 50 In the fall, but |
the women kept their vigil standing
drawn up in line, on deal planks laid |
on the dge of the arcaded sidewalk.
They came from different parts of the
country to take their turn on sentry
duty sometimes travelling long dis
tances for the purposes. The guard
had become a familiar sight to the
Hague public, and more particularly to
ministers and parliamentary deputies.
Inside the building their president,
Dr. Aletta Jacobs, accompanied by one
of her followers, had kept faithful
watch occupying a box placed at her
disposal by the chairman of the cham
Der himself. Each morning she drove
up to the chamber in her automobile,
alighted and turned to inspect the com.
pany OF the saluting guard. One day
she petitioned the astOnished chairman
of the chamber to be appointed gov
eminent commissary, charged to assist
the prime minister in dealing with the
suffrage article of the constitution dur
Ing the deliberations of the chamber.
When the suffragists withdrew,
| they fired Il last shot at the parliament,
In the shape of an address protesting,
in the name of thousands and thous-
and in the country" against the fact
| that the popular chamber should have
finally passed this portion Of the re-
| vised constitution without acknowledge
ing women's rights.
| I'VE feel deeply Indignant" declares
the Women's Suffrage association.
| that the interests Of all women have
| been sacrificed to those of a small per-
centage of men. The stream of fine
words in which the importance of
women's suffrage for the state was
demonstrated by the prime minister
and by many deputies, has turned out
to be but empty sounds. 1t has been
acknowledged that women's suffrage
lies in the spirit of the times, that it
must and will speedily come also In
this country, and it is incomprehensi-
BILE that courage should have been lack
ing to grant the vote to women in this
constitutional revision. This inconse-
quence of the second chamber compels
women to resume the stuggle in the
country, struggle which will be hard
er and bitterer than ever"
| However, the women are not entire
ly disappointed, for under the revised
constitution just passed, members of
their sex will be eligible for the pro-
vincial councils and for the council of
| state. Moreover, the constitutional
bolt has been removed from the door
that bars the way to actual womens
suffrage: If the bills in question final
ly reach the state book. women will be
able to get the coveted vote by an ordi-
nary legislative measure that is a bare
parliamentary majority, which was i'm
possible before
Opposition was offered by various
members of the right even to these
l
objected to as in conflict with the call
ing of women as wife and mother. by
the orthodox. old fashioned. conserva-
tive Dutchmen.
The prime minister, Mr.. Cort van
Linden, who is himself in favor of wom-
EMS suffrage, had the parliamentary
wisdom to take what he could get and
he refused at present to embody votes
for women in the constitution on the
ground that women's suffrage would
have to be universal if placed there at
all, so that all women, even those who
did not desire it or were opposed
thereto, would be called upon to go to
the polling both. He apparently thinks
more sufragist educational work among
women is needed and that the vote
should be conferred by a more gradual
process.