The Kevin courier. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1922, 1922-07-05
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created a peer. A year later his rank
was raised from that OF baron to Wis
count. In 1919 he died. Succession
to the title threw young Astor" out
OF the house of into the
house of lords. With the fall from
power Of Asquith-the principal OBJ
stacle to votes for women-came the
extension Of the suffrage, just In the
nick of time for Lady Astor.
I'm here because the women have
the vote" said Lady Aston at the
Baltimore conference. Think what a
disaster for the world If / had been
hidden In a two-room cottage instead
of the house Of commons she added
with a laugh of mockery.
Now, as to this first woman In
parliament" business-again the magic
wand of the fairy godmother is much
in evidence. In the Coupon" cleo
ton of November, 1913, there were
at least four important women can
didates for the MINOR Three of
these were: Mrs. Despard, a sister
of Lord French who had spent her
life relieving the English poor; Mary
Macarthur, leader of trade unionism
for women; the r~edoubtable Christa-
bel Pankhurst of militant suffrage
fame. All Of these women got a large
vote and two of them nearly secured
election.
The fourth "a a lady Of Irish
blood, a Gore-Booth by family and by
marriage the Countess Markievicz.
The countess was elected. She thus
beat the viscountess to it by IL
months. But the countess was Sim
Fein and refused to take her seat In
parliament. A year later Lady Aston
was ~elected-and did take her seat,
Lady Astor's coercion law bill" is |
a story in itself. Briefly, it's this:
The English are horse-race enthu-
siasts. Even King George has his rae
ing stable and probably would give
his crown to win the EPSON Derby.
And everybody plays the races. The
Owen Peel, twenty-eight,
member of a historic English family,
war veteran, and Violet Margaret
Florence Jardine Peel. his young and
beautiful wife, daughter of Sir Rob-
ert and Lady Jardine-got the winner
Of a race by telephone. back-dated a
Of betting kilograms to several
Dookmakers and won" $4,000. Some
Of the bookmakers paid the Peels
$1,000; the others charged fraud.
of the Peels repaid the SILL
700, but the government, which runs
he telegraph, prosecuted the Peels.
Captain Peel was convicted and sent
o prison for a year. His wife was
;hown to be equally guilty, having
participated actively in the fraud.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Justice Darling In
'tructed the jury to find Mrs. Peel not
and she was set at liberty.
The court ruled In accordance with
he Flaw of coercion" which dates !
ack to King Ina of the West Saxons, !
1ho reigned In 712; King Canute, 300
ears later, enacted a similar law. /,
law presumes the wife to be the |
roperty of her husband and subject l
D his commands. I
The Peel case shook England In two Z
'ays. The Peels committed the un- '
ardonable sin In English society Il
heating at cards or betting. 8
But that shock was mild compared 0
:, that suffered by the women when
ley learned that-though citizens and $
oters-they were still In the eyes OF 0
lie law the property of their hus- p
ands and Incapable Of Independent d
There was an outburst Of pro- 4
st which still continues In the press, 0.
] the platform and in social gather
There Is "a CULVER Of feminine +
dfgnation" from Lands End to the
order. O