Evening journal., 1919-01-30

As newspaper man. / have been
called upon to cover demonstrations or
the National Woman's Party before the
White House and In Lafayette Park.
When, in my department, the word has
been passed '5he suffs are having a
riot" / perforce have done the double
to the scene.
have readily enough located the
riot" though In this placid city the
true picture of riotlng is possessed
neither by citizens nor police, and Just
as readily ] have located the rioters
With a good many years OF paper
work behind me, ! pronounce the
rioters" very poor-and usually very
young-speclmens Of men. On the other
hand. the women from party headquar-
ers. uneXeeptionally, have been about
the most outstanding type Of person
possible. IL would not be too much to
say that their sisters volunteered for
the Battalion Of Death in the days be-
fore Rupssia went mad
This is not a brief for the National
Womans Party. ! am not in any way
affiliated with II and knew little of its
activities until as "a police reporter
was assigned TO speech-burnings and
subsequent arrests of sentinels and
torch-bearers in the Capitals heart.
Il Is a brief, in just as few words as
! can limit myself to, efor the spirit
which actuates those women posted
before the White House, forewarned Of
the insults which they must undergo
from a puerile rabble. These are the
rioters" the rabble.
II ought to pull the heart from a de-
cent man TO see mop-haired and un-
washed boys who don't know the trst
sentence Of the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence, put their hands upon the ban
ners and torches borne by clear-faced
women, fat against the iron rails of ths
White House fence. 1t ought to force
men to aake a hand when this real
scum touches the garments Of those
women. In this matter. the police
have nothing to do but make polite ar
rests. The cure for semi-ass3ult Of
your flag and torch-bearers, members
Of the National Woman's Party, lies in
the commands and. If need be, clenched
hands Of the real men in your audience
They are officers Of the Army, Navy
and Marine Corps. A few words from
them, on any Of these shameful occa-
sions. would have sent your prosecutors
flying as far as the State War Navy
| building.
wish to lay before you my tribute
and that Of many other newspaper men
Of Washington for your quiet and tire
less appearance with your torches and
your flags. It must be unpleasant,
mildly speaking, in a way no man can
appreciate for you to stand oblivious to
the taunts and contemptuous acts OF
the pitiful rioters" 1t is worse than
obnoxious to any man who has seen
service in the great war. The police
have a right to arrest you under a
statute, perhaps, but they have no right
to allow persistent insults TO be levelled
at your sentinels.
The spirit Of the National Woman's
Party sentinels is admirable and COM
pelling to all thinking persons, disre-
garding the advisability or inadvisabil-
ity Of this method Of securing uniVer-
sal enfranchisement in the United
States. They are the spiritual descen-
dents Of Joan of Arc, Boadicea, Char
lotte Corday. It cannot be imagined
that they would not fulfill as high a
destiny If called to it as any Of the
women whose names are writ large
upon the pages OF history.
| II this came from the pen OF person
well known to be a proselyte Of your
party's cause, it would not be worth
its burning. But It is the true view Of