SUFFRAGISTS AND THE KING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3946, 31 May 1913, Page 10

SUFFRAGISTS AND THE KING.

ANOTHER INSTANCE OF FOLLY

LONDON, March 14. As might have been expected, the opening of Parliament by the King last Alonday was marked by another instance of Suffragist folly. Unless these women are secret enemies of the cause for which they profess to suffer, it is difficult to understand how they can continue their present tactics. Their only hope of obtaining the vote is to get public opinion or. their side,' but the“militants” have been doing everything in their power to create a feeling of intense hostility and intolerance, and it is a wonder that the five foolish creatures who sought to bombard the Royal carriage with suffragist petitions on Alonday were not badly man-handled for their pains. There was. of course, nothing really wrong in their . attempt to throw petitions into the King’s carriage. .All through the history of this country the fact has been recorded that from time to time persons with grievances have taken,advantage of the passages of kings jind quegns through tfie streets to present petitions. But on Monday the precedent was a most dangerous one for the suffragists to act upon, for the crowds of sightseers lining.the Royal route were nit to know that the harmless-looking rolls of paper tied with suffragist ribbons were just wh'at they seemed; and v. hen women do not hesitate to burn railway stations, blow up houses, /and indulge in all manner of wanton destruction, the p’ublic must be forgiven if it credits them with the capacity for even more sinister designs and deeds.

It was very lucky indeed for the five women- on Monday that the crowd at the point where they made their attempt was mainly composed of m9n and women of the sort who do not

readily "take the law into their own hands,” and that there was an ample force of police and soldiery to. check h'ny attempt of the rougher element ■present to signify their disapproval of the suffragists’ actions than vocally.

They chose as the point of attack the part of the Mall as nearly opposite St. James’ Palace and Marlborough House, where a dense crowd had collected, kept in positions by lines of police and Guards. Each of the women had in her possession a copy of the petition, which was in the form cf a roll, decorated with ribbons of the suffragist colors. Just as the Royal carriage, a minute or two after leaving Buckingham Palace, had reached tli? spot, the women made a rush forward. A number of the-by-standers and policemen, however, caught som? of them before they could pass through the line ef Guards, who •were keeping the route, but two of them succeeded in getting in close proximity to the carriage. They attempted to throw the petition into tiie carriage, but were stopped in time. The King and Queen turned their heads in the direction from which the disturbance came, but paid no particular attention, and the procession passed on, the five women arrested being taken with all speed to tli? nearest police station, where they were charged with “obstructing the police in the execution of their duty.” As a matter of fact, they were not really “run in” so much for this heinous offence as for their own safety.