FRANCHISE BATTLE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3064, 8 December 1908, Page 5

FRANCHISE BATTLE.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association-By Electric Telegraph Copyright. V

MILITANT WOMEN. EXCITNG SCENES AT A MEETING. extraordinary scrimmages. ' interrupters roughly handle!). Received December 7, 8.0 a.m. • LONDON, December 6. The Right Hon. D. Lloyd-George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, attempted to address a crowded meeting of the Women's Liberal Federation upon the subject of women's suffrage, at Ihd Albert Hajl. Militant suffragists refused to give him a hearing, and the stewards carried out dozens of women, struggling gnd fighting. Others chained themselves to pillara and chairs. Finally Mr Lloyd-George was compelled to stop.

Sometimes twenty scrimmages were proceeding simultaneously. The women threw aside their cloaks and appeared in prison dress.

Several of the interrupters were very badly handled by the stewards.

Mr Lloyd-George eventually succeeded in stating that the Government would draft an Electoral Reform Bill, enabling a women's suffrage amendment to be introduced. If it was carried the Government would accept the responsibility, but they were- unable to introduce a Bill themselves, because a sincere and powerful minority of the Cabinet was opposed to the granting of the suffrage to women.

Among the arguments put forth by the Women's Anti-Suffrage League (including many well-known women) against the franchise for women are:—The spirit of sex-' antagonism/ which is being aroused by the agitators, should be met by the recognition of the fact that* the respective spheres of men and women are neither antagonistic nor identical, but complementary; the plea of "notaxation withoutrepresentation" implies that only women of property should have a vote,,which contradicts Afir Asquith's secoiid postulate that the franchise should be democratic; women might be partners in lawmaking, but could not be partners in lawenforcing; many women object to having the vote forced upon them, since if they voted against their husbands or brothers it would create family discord, and if with them it would duplicate their votes. The League makes a sharp distinction between the Parliamentary and municipal franchises. It recognises that much of the work which is done by municipal bodies is work in which women have a right to be heard, and which they can perform as thoroughly as men. But the national sphere of work depends ultimately upon an army and navy, in which women cannot serve, and as to the strength of which they ought to have no voice. .