Suffragette Violence in England
The suffragettes in England have brought things to the place where many of the leading men of the government say that their nation is facing mob rule. The women are put in jail for breaking up property and for other misdemeanors; and after being jailed, they refuse to eat, and resort to various exposures so that they may take cold, sicken, and die. Efforts have been made to pry open their jaws and force food upon them, for it was evident that they would starve to death in jail; and that is the very martyrdom that some of them are seeking. Members of Parliament express the fear that lynch law will be invoked unless something can be done to stop the work of the fanatics among the women. Most people have deliberately come to the conclusion that the average woman is as intelligent as the average man, and that she is fully as capable of voting. It is difficult to see how those who have pleasant memories of their mothers and sisters could believe that the female part of humanity belongs to some kind of inferior order of creatures. But all such questions as this are placed in the background by the rioting and violence that is being stirred up by the discussion. Reforms of many kinds have been freely discussed for the relief of the people. But poverty and misery of every kind go on increasing. It is thought by many of the reformers that, if the women can only be allowed to vote, we will soon have a great betterment of conditions. These discussions have continued until the whole of society is inflamed and ready at the slightest provocation for almost any violent outbreak. The people have been educated to believe that they are greatly wronged; and they stand ready to take matters in their own hands. Violence and anarchy are coming more and more to be the order of the day, and these conditions will continue to get worse and worse.