The Suffragette: The History of the Women's Militant Suffrage Movement, 1905-1910Pankhurst, E. Sylvia (Estelle Sylvia)
History
The Suffragette: The History of the Women's Militant Suffrage Movement, 1905-1910
Pankhurst, E. Sylvia (Estelle Sylvia)
Women -- Suffrage -- Great Britain
I wish you all to be there on the evening of the 13th and I hope that
this will be the end of this movement. On June 30th we succeeded in
driving Mr. Asquith underground; he is afraid of us and so are the
Government. Years ago John Bright told the people that it was only by
lining the streets from Charing Cross to Westminster that they could
impress the Government. Well, we are only taking a leaf out of his
book. We want you to help the women to rush their way into the House
of Commons. You won't get locked up because you have the vote. If you
are afraid, we will take the lead, and you will follow us. We know we
shall win because we are in the right.
Then, just as a child at school who does not understand the words, he
read an extract also from Mrs. Pankhurst's speech:
On Tuesday evening at Caxton Hall we shall ask those who support
the women to come to Parliament Square. There will be a deputation
of women who have no right in the House of Commons to a seat[30]
there such as men have. The Government--does not know--its own
mind--it--changes--so, but we do know--that we want the vote--and mean
to have it. When the people in Parliament Square--
But Mr. Muskett interrupted, he had heard enough. He went on to ask
if it were not a fact that, on Monday morning, Inspector Jarvis had
himself served a summons upon the defendants to appear in court on the
afternoon of the same day and on the Inspector assenting, he said, "I
want to know about this question as to whether they promised to attend
here or not." Inspector Jarvis hesitated, "Well, Miss Christabel," he
began, "I saw her alone, and she said, 'We are not afraid, we shall be
there.'" "Then," said Mr. Muskett, "I believe they were served with a
summons to appear on the following morning at eleven o'clock." "Yes."
"And as they did not put in an appearance then, a warrant was issued?"
"Yes." "And you had to wait there for them until they surrendered to
you?" Again the Inspector assented, looking very much aggrieved.
Christabel Pankhurst began her cross-examination by closely questioning
Mr. Jarvis on this very point and soon drew from him the admission
that no definite promise had been made. As she was speaking to him
his face cleared visibly and he generously owned that he had been
mistaken. Similar evidence from a third Inspector closed the case for
the prosecution.
Christabel then applied for an adjournment and the Magistrate agreed
to allow the case to stand over for a week. The three prisoners being
released on bail for the time being.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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