THE SUFFRAGETTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 298, 9 May 1913, Page 5

THE SUFFRAGETTES.

THE MOVEMENT RETROGRESSING. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, May 7. The fact that the women's suffrage movement is in a worse position than a year ago is ascribed by the newspapers .as largely due to militancy. The Westminster Gazette states that Parliament felt that if it passed the Dickinson Bill it would be acting in the teeth of public opinion. Yesterday's majority against the Bill included many members who favor a small number of women voters, but not six millions forthwith. A POWERFUL BOMB. London, May 7. The two bombs which were discovered cci.itained detonators, clockwork, screws, b its and explosives. The ticking of clockwork in the bomb at St. Paul's attracted a verger's notice. ITow it was placed in the Choir is a mystery. The St. Paul's bomb was the size of a pound mustard tin. Its explosion would have wrecked the Choir, the marble r.eredos, and the Crindling Gibbons -carvings. The police describe the bomb as small but fiendishly powerful. Miss Ada Ward, who was arrested in connection with the bomb at the Grand Hotel, was discharged, the police being satisfied with lier alibi. RAMPANT INCENDIARIES. London, May 7. The suffragettes burnt the cricket pavilion at Fulham, and also set fire to an unoccupied house at Finchley, and attempted to burn two bungalows at Boxhill. THE BOMB OUTRAGES. A THANKSGIVING SERVICE. Received 8, 11.10 p.m. ' London, May 8. i The mechanism of the bombs found in t St. Paul's, and at Bouverie street, was ' clumsy and defective. i The Bishop of London invited a large evening congregation at St. Paul's to < join in thanksgiving for the preserva- 1 tion of the building. He denounced • those who were doing the Devil's work. f A WOMEN'S PROTEST. a ___ A Received 8, 11.10 p.m. f London, May 8. J The Women's Liberal Federation has ± adopted a resolution expressing consternation at the defeat of the Franchise 1 Bill, and has protested against seventy- j five Liberals voting against the Bill. THE MILITANTS. CAPACITY FOR ORGANISATION. On Sunday there was a remarkable ® scene in Hyde Park (wrote a London cor-. respondent on March 14). Thousands of men surged excitedly round a few militant Suffragettes. From a distance you might have thought the women were B! in extreme danger of being • torn to pieces. The shouting indicated anger,' 1' arid the presence of a strong body of foot. si and mounted po!ice suggested that the r< authorities took a serious view of the a l position. As you get closer, however, and mingled witli the shouting multitude you found them all very good-humored. They were moved by po strong feeling, but were merely out for a little pastime., Perhaps the majority hoped that some,thing would happen. . There would have been much cheering had rough hands been laid upon the Suffragettes' van B; and their platform destroyed. But everybody waited for the other fellow to start, and beyond howling down Mrs. , Drummond and others who attempted to fo speak, nothing was done.' Generally a speaking, the English public is extraor- ai dinarily tolerant about the doings of lis these militant women. ■ 1 ,i;

The Government is widely condemned for its; clemency against those who-are' in prison. But it is easier to suggest repressive measures than to carry them' into effect. Mettrbers Of the Cabinet are astute enough to see that the utmost care must he taken against allowing the Suffragettes to pose as martyrs. There is no doubt that, on the whole, militancy lias paid. Had it not been for the Pank- . hursts.'Mr. and MrsAPethrick Lawrence', Mrs. Drummond and others who have encouraged or actually engaged in whole-" sale assault and breakage, the movement '< in favor of women's votes would not be where it is in the United Kingdom today. With peaceful methods of advocacy, the vote would probably have been neglected for the next 50 years. There js no doubt that the great majority of .British women are indifferent about the suffrage. The only wide exception to this is to be found among the wives of the trades unionists. The Labor Party is the only political party which has given the subject prominence. But without the militants Labor could have accomplished very little. T/ie militants are undoubtedly to be given the credit for advancing the cause to where it stood three months ago. Up to that time, their chief outrages had been directed iagainst members of the Cabinet, and to the interruption of the proceedings of Parliament and public meetings. Their weakness was that they did not know when to stop. They did their cause a lot of harm when they began to destroy the plate-glass windows of the West End shopkeepers, and when their madness advanced to the destruction of public property they alienated friends by the million. Until then they had appealed to the sporting instincts of the ;nation, and so long as they confined their hostilities to Mr. Asquith and his colleagues, they were assured in these days of bitter partisanship of the sympathy of nearly all Conservatives. They have now alienated their friends in all directions. The House of Commons has suddenly gone-cold upon the subject, and it is very doubtful whether the opportunity presented by Mr. Asquith for the granting of the vote during the present session will be of any value. It is not surprising that political leaders who are constantly in danger of assault, and whose property is liable to destruction at any moment, should have their ardor about women's rights somewhat (lamped. If all the women in favor of the vote were militants, there is no question that the movement would be shelved, for the time being at least.

The little body of militant women have displayed an extraordinary talent for organisation. Take a meeting addressed by Mrs. Panklmrst at Glasgow last night as an example. University students upwards of a hundred strong assembled at the back of the hall, determined to prevent Mrs. Panklmrst from speaking, and confident the position was entirely in their hands. Mrs. Panklmrst rose smiling; the students greeted her with an uproar. On the moment the students found themselves surrounded by'a swarm of hostile male stewards, made up eliiedv of stalwart working men. The struggle was desperate; the students fought strongly, but were quickly overpowered,

and most of them thrown out. Blood llowed freely, black eyes were general: and all the while hundreds of women stoe- upon tlie seats, and screamed encouragement to the stewards. When or

der was restored, only a handful of students remained, and they were completely tamed, and listened to the speeches like lambs. The militants had decisively beaten the cock-sure undergraduates.