THE COURSE OF MILITANCY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16569, 5 June 1914, Page 6

THE COURSE OF MILITANCY.

The suffragette outrages described in the cablegrams lately help to give an. appearance of probability to a prediction mado in London a few months ago that militancy would die a natural dentil before another year had passed. British women are as earnest as ever they were in demanding recognition of their political rights and their agitation for franchise reform will not cease until justice has been done them. But tho militant suffragettes have carried their tactics to a point from which sane opinion recoils instinctively. No woman who is honest with hersolf can believe that the burning of an ancient church, tho destruction of priceless works of art, reckless assaults on public officials and threats to sot lire to tho homes of political opponents are justifiable methods of supporting a demand for enfranchisement, however soundly based that demand may be, and there have been many indications lately that tho militant suffragettes themselves, apart from a few extremists and their hysterical following, arc disposed to cry a halt. A score or two of women who havo been converted into hopeless fanatics by their struggles with the law and tho self-inflicted torture of the hunger strike may continue to behave liko criminals, but before the end of the year wc probably shall see a return to sensible conduct on the part of the great majority of the suffragettes. The chance of securing the electoral reform they require during tho life of tho present House of Commons has gone. Members who were willing to vote for woman suffrage two or three years ago havo changed their attitude in view of tho militant outrages, and oven if they could bo re-convertod the Houso of Lords would bar the way effectively, since there is no time now before the general election to bring tho Parliament Act into operation in the case of a new Bill. But tho womon might, get justice done them by the next Parliament if they could persuade the little group of eager martyrs to let tho nation recover its temper before the general election. Persistence in militancy until the dissolution, either this year or next, would postpone tho reform for many years.