Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1922-07-06
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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 commons 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.
"1'm here because the women have
the vote" said Lady Astor at the
Baltimore conference. "Think what
disaster for the world If l 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-agaln the magic
wand Of the fairy godmother Is much
in evidence. In the Coupon" elec-
tion of November, 1918, there were
at least four important women can
didates for the commons. Three Of
these were: Mrs. Despard, sister
of Lord French who had spent her
life relieving the English poor; Mary
Macarthur, leader Of trade unionism
| for women; the redoubtable Christa-
! bel Punkhurst of militant suffrage
| fame. All Of these women got large
vote and two of them nearly secured
| election.
The fourth was 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 1t by II
months But the countess was Sim
Fein and refused to take her seat in
parliament. A year later Lady Astor
was elected-and did take her seat,
Lady Astor's coercion law bill" Is
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
Peels-Capt. 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
lot Of betting kilograms to several
bookmakers and "won" $4,000. Some
of the bookmakers paid the Peels
$1,000; the others charged fraud.
Relatives of the Peels repaid the SILL
600. but the government. which runs
the telegraph, prosecuted the Peels.
Captain Peel was convicted and sent
to prison for year. His wife was
shown to be equally guilty, having
participated actively in the fraud.
Nevertheless, Mr.. Justice Darling in
structed the jury to find Mrs. Peel not
guilty and she was set at liberty.
The court ruled in accordance with
the claw of coercion" which dates
back to King Ina Of the West Saxons,
who reigned in 712; King Canute, 300
years later, enacted similar law.
This law presumes the wife to be the
property Of her husband and subject
to his commands.
The Peel case shook England in two
ways. The Peels committed the un-
pardonable sin in English society
cheating at cards or betting.
But that shock was mild compared
to that suffered by the women when
they learned that-though citizens and
voters--they were still in the eyes of
the law the property Of their hus-
bands and incapable Of Independent
action. There was an outburst Of pro-
test which still continues in the press,
on the platform and in social gather
ingS. There is "a quiver of feminine
Indignation" from Lands End to the
Border.