Suffragists -- United States; Women -- Suffrage -- United States
“Mr. Speaker,” he said, “I do not approve or believe in picketing the
White House, the National Capitol, or any other station to bring about
votes for women. I do not approve of wild militancy, hunger strikes,
and efforts of that sort. I do not approve of the course of those women
that . . ., become agitators, lay off their womanly qualities in their
efforts to secure votes. I do not approve of anything unwomanly
anywhere, any time, and my course to-day in supporting this suffrage
amendment is not guided by such conduct on the part of a very few women
here or elsewhere.” (Applause.)
Representative Langley of Kentucky, Republican, was able to see
picketing in a fairer light:
“Much has been said pro and con about ‘picketing’,-that rather dramatic
chapter in the history of this great movement. It is not my purpose to
speak either in criticism or condemnation of that; but if it be true—I
do not say that it is, because I do not know—but if it be true, as has
been alleged, that certain promises were made, as a result of which a
great campaign was won, and those promises were not kept, I wonder
whether in that silent, peaceful protest that was against this broken
faith, there can be found sufficient warrant for the indignities which
the so-called ‘pickets’ suffered; and when in passing up and down the
Avenue I frequently witnessed cultured, intellectual women arrested and
dragged off to prison because of their method, of giving publicity to
what they believed to be the truth, I will confess that the question
sometimes arose in my mind whether when the impartial history of this
great struggle has been written their names may not be placed upon the
roll of martyrs to the cause to which they were consecrating their
lives in the manner that they deemed most effective.”
Mr. Mays of Utah was one Democrat who placed the responsibility for
militancy where it rightly belonged when he said:
“Some say to-day that they are ashamed of the action of the militants
in picketing the Capitol: . . . But we should be more ashamed of the
unreasonable stubbornness on the part of the men who refused them the
justice they have so long and patiently asked.”
And so the debate ran on. Occasionally one caught a glimmer of real
comprehension, amongst these men about to vote upon our political
liberty; but more often the discussion stayed on a very inferior level.
And there were gems imperishable!
Even friends of the measure had difficulty not to romanticize about
“Woman—God’s noblest creature” . . . “man’s better counterpart” . . .
“humanity’s perennial hope” . . . “the world’s object most to be
admired and loved” . . . and so forth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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