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
answer to Sir Edward Grey's appeal and promise, a little white cotton
banner, inscribed with the words, "VOTES FOR WOMEN," was put up in the
centre of the hall, and a woman was heard asking what the Government
would do to make the women politically free. Almost simultaneously two
or three men were upon their feet demanding information upon other
questions. The men were at once replied to, but the woman's question
was ignored. She therefore stood up again and pressed for an answer to
her question, but the men sitting near her forced her down into her
seat, and one of the stewards of the meeting held his hat over her
face. Meanwhile, the hall was filled with a babel of conflicting sound.
Shouts of "Sit down!" "Be quiet!" "What's the matter?" and "Let the
lady speak!" were heard on every hand. As the noise subsided a little,
a second woman sitting beside the first got up and asked again, "Will
the Liberal Government give women the vote?" but Sir Edward Grey made
no answer, and again arose the tumult of cries and counter cries. Then
the Chief Constable of Manchester, Mr. William Peacock, came down from
the platform to where the women were sitting, and asked them to write
out the question that they had put to Sir Edward Grey, saying that he
would himself take it to the Chairman and make sure that it received a
reply. The women agreed to this suggestion, and the one who had first
spoken now wrote:
Will the Liberal Government give votes to working women?
Signed on behalf of the Women's Social and Political Union,
ANNIE KENNEY,
Member of the Oldham Committee of the
Card and Blowing Room Operatives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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