THE SUFFRAGETTES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 15, 10 September 1912, Page 7

THE SUFFRAGETTES.

One of the most extraordinary reasons for recorded was adyqnped in Lcxndpn by Dr. Etlhel Smythe', who was invited by a court of law. to explain why she had broken the windows of Mr Lewis Harcourt, the Secretary of State for the Colonies. It appea.rs that Mr Harcourt's windows were not broken merely upon general principles. Dr. Ethel Smytho "went for to do it," so to speak. She had determined that if no other windows were broken, these should be. She had marked them for her own. She had gone forth filled with lire and fury to wreak vengeance upon the luckless Harcourt. But why? Let us give the reasons in the language of tibe fair Ethel herself. Mr Harcourt, discussing the question of the suffrage, had said in public that ho would be happy to give the vote to women if all of them were as intelligent and in every way admirable as his own wife. This had appeared to the window-breaking Ethel as the most impudent and the most fatuous thing she had ever heard, and she determined that Mr Harcourt's windows should pay the price for it. Did lie then suppose that he had the pick of tsbe basket, and that there wore no other women whose virtues were equal to those of Mrs Harcourt? Now really this seems to be hard upon Harcourt. All decent men believe their wives to be the pick of the basket, and they are usually applauded for saying so. Of course we all know that the other man's wife is not the pick of the basket, for tibie simple reason that we secured the pick our3eive<;, but all the same we smile indulgently upon him and recognise that in spite of the mistake the sentiment does' him credit. But Ethel Smytho takes it as a personal insult that must be expiated in broken glass. Now suppose Mr Harcourt had reversed his statement. Would Ike have given any greater satisfaction ? It is to be feared not. Suppose he had said that lie would heartily oppose the suffrage : f only ho could be convinced that all women were as stupid, as ill-balanced, and as unreliable as his own wife. Would that have been any improvement ? Would that have saved his windows ?— Sydney Sun.