The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1913. THE SUFFRAGETTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 231, 18 February 1913, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1913. THE SUFFRAGETTES.

The militant suffragettes at Home are going rapidly from bad to wor.se. and they are stopping at nothing short of the taking of human life. The wanton mischief that they are engaged in lias absolutely no exeu.se. for they arc injuring not only their own cause, but they are putting many of their friends and supporters to serious discomfort and discouragement. Xo practical end can he served by behaviour of this character: indeed, the foolish and wicked destruction of property which they ha vp made part of their agitation for an extension of the franchise seriously raises the question whether, after all, in view of their irresponsibility, they should he entrusted wit.ii votes at all. If they were to exercise their votes in the same spirit as they exercise their restrictions, we should see some curious developments in polities. We do not for one moment, however, believe that the few uiisehiefmaking militants represent the majority ot the women of (,'reat Britain. and it is only a realisation of this that is inducing the ■(Government and Parliament, to exercise some degree of patience where (lie movement is concerned, (tut lure, of course, in the light of our own experience, we have no doubt whatever of the righteousness of women being

given equal rights with men where the franchise is concerned, but we doubt if

the privilege would ever hare been accorded had our women acted in the silly and hysterical manner tli.it the suffragettes at Home are doing. We realise that "the woman's cause is man's,"' and perhaps if Mrs. Pankhurst and her insane band of wanton wreckers were to make ail intelligent study of Tennyson's ''Princess," they would realise that where men and women are concerned no revolution of social usage tan ever readjust a faulty basis where either the domestic or the political relations of the sexes are concerned. Punishment seems to have little effect 011 these selfconstituted martyrs, but, of course, tliey cannot be allowed to break the law with impunity, and the authorities have 110 option save to continue their restrictive measures. All we can hope for is that an active campaign of moral suasion by the saner section of the sull'ragette party will teach these misguided and unfortunate women the error of their ways, and bring about the desired result along constitutional lines.