THE SUFFRAGETTES,

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1719, 9 April 1913, Page 4

THE SUFFRAGETTES,

.Sir,—British fair play seems n thing of tho past with mun'j', of the English papers when •writing Of alio militant movement of voteless women. Their published accounts' of suffragette doings arc always one-sided and often untrue, ft is now over 'fifty years ago', that women first claimed' representation*-land wo., all kuow how Government after .Government cheated them out of it tiuie after time. Only one, I believe, of the first sufiragists is now alive, ami many, who joined tho movement later on havonow passed away, without: justico heiug'.done .to them. ..Now .their 'grandchildren' '(Energetic, clever, educated, and very' brave, earning their own . living,, and' somd.of-them supporting lins- ■ hands and:^family,too), have decided that they will not submit tamely to tire same' treatment;, This 'hiis been called tho-suf-fragette movement. Its members aye of all classes'and of all ages, tho most cap-; ablo being forced to the front as leaders. MrsvPonlchurst is only one of the leaders, but.without her guidance members might hot have taken their wrpr.gs so patiently, andwoiild have beebmo more militant. It was her wisdom, tact, and patience that has enabled the W.S.I'.U. Society to carry on;a revolution for six years against tremendous odds, ;withont one life endangered or. htirting,'anyone. -.Though the meulbers have often been, grievously injured, and two . were killed by the torture indicted .011 t'liem in. prison, one kuly. dying two days after-her. release and the other a 'week after."'Mrs. I'ankhurst's policy is to' let thVwomen, of England know to what lengths a Liberal Government will go to suppress the, voteless. She has succeeded in this, henco'tho'Tevenne of the. Liberal ,press- "' Thdrtf taW'ttdfr'tftowsands of women prepared to leave-comfortable homes and be tortured in "tirison, i'ather than continue • outsido the Constitution, without rights, -aiHl '-iumble to Mop tho degradation , of '.ilicin^isteis-^sweatihg, l the abominable. 'whitpSfilrt.v'e. traffic, and other kindred evils.'.- liiltlc care such women as these when "the papery' call them wild women, hysterical criminals and lunatics. Let those who blame fhese English women for finding ..tho degradation of their sex aiul their' life'-of-'jlfcabilitics intolerable try and imagino what men would do if they were 'tlmUt'init"of citizenship,•■given; starvation w-»;;es, ; and where even tho law. courts' treat them fairly. Why! there would, of 1 course, be war, ami nqt. a ■ lifcrrcspecting-iva'r such as women , any Uoyiiot'imcigino tho sulfragelto war is bloodless because women are. weak. It-is 'hot .soj'-teit--;women are the lifebriiigers, andknOw'/what life costs.- "Thfljr go'down to tho'gates of death,' and bring up life'for"the'race." To protect this lifethey need, and'will.have, votes for wpmen. Your.. yesterdays issno contained what 1 was.'to mo '.feome: rather discordant'notes,; biit fcliis ono-parayraph contained .the substa'iico of : the whole matter:—■/ "Ono thing is ; certain, that unless the Government ..finds soma lino of action' ivliich;Avill'. iloCi.bb rcduccd to futility by' 'hunger striking,' the suffragist outrages \vill grow and extend and develop towards; ja horrible, elimar." ' . ' ■ This rso : accurately describes the case that I'wish the writer had stated the."line; of action." which tho Government has yet to . find. .I suggest it is votes for. | women ?—I am, etc., ■ s E. 13. OSTLEK. ,'