The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-06-23
ENGLISH WOMEN
GET The BALLOT
Suffrage Wins in the English
House of Commons by Vote
of 386 to Sc.
find ARGUMENT IN AMERICA
British Give Fair Sex Vote, Even II
1t Does Admit Them to ParIia-
rnent-Mlss Rankin Cited
by Opponents.

London, June 21.-The principle Of
woman suffrage was adopted in the
house Of commons by the overwhelm-
ing majority of $50 votes. Sir Fred
erick Banbury's amendment against
the proposal was rejected by 386 to SO.
The entire evening was occupied in
debating the Banbury amendment. The
discussion, while showing the existence
of still considerable opposition to the
reform, revealed no new argument.
Many speakers supported the amend
ment on the ground that the present
parliament Is too stale to possess an
authentic mandate to deal with such
an important question. Others ap-
peared to fear that granting a vote to
women would lead eventually to wom-
en- being elected to sit In parliament.
The argument that a large body Of
women was Indifferent to the cause
was employed by several members,
who advocated female pleblscite.
Means Women In Parliament.
Ramsay Macdonald, socialist repre-
sentative, strongly supported giving
women he vote, as did Lord Hugh Ce-
eli. Sir Joseph Compton -Rickett, pres
ident Of the national council Of Evan
gelical free churches, said that giving
the vote to women meant their en-.
trance into parliament, the government
| and diplomatic service, but ha urged
| the house to grant the concession un
! grudgingly 10 fhe women who hat
.sbFnvcly helped the nation III Ss is1n8
OF difficulty.
Sir Stuart Coates, head Of the Grea
| Anglo-American thread firm, quoted
opinions from the United States tt
show that granting the women the
vote had proved a failure In those
states which adopted 1t.
America was quoted on the opposite
side Of the question by Lord Robert
Cecil, who pointed out that at the re-
cent presidential election both candi-
dates pledged themselves to woman
suffrage.
Makes for Contentment.
Lord Robert said that one of the
main reasons why he supported wom-
an suffrage was that 1t made for con-
tentment with the government and Gre
ated the sense that the people were
governing themselves. For that rea-
son 1t was indefensible to perpetuate
a system under which half the popula-
tion was not represented In parliament.
He said it would be criminal to disre-
gard the voice of women in postwar
problems and he expressed the hope
that the house would reject the amend
ment with no uncertain voice.
Miss Rankin Cited as Argument.
The opponents of suffrage made the
best use they could Of the report re-
ceived here Of the attitude of Miss
Jeanette Rankin, the only woman rep
resentative In the American congress,
on the question of the entry of the
United States into the war.
Sir Frederick Banbury, unionist, de-
scribed Miss Rankin as having been
hysterlcal and unable to vote, but this
and other pleas against the ability of
woman to exercise the franchise fell
on deaf ears, and when the division
was called, the members tro0ped into
the house with the aim of putting an
end once for all to question which
they had made up their minds no
longer was an academic one by voting
upon 1t as live issue.
So assured were the supporters of
the measure Of the outcome Of the d.
vision that even the magnitude of the
majority in its favor did not move
them to any unusual demonstration
when the figures were announced.