anner. The next
attempt to secure woman's suffrage was made in 1897, but it was
unsuccessful. During the Boer War woman's suffrage receded into the
background, and not until March 14, 1904, was a woman's suffrage bill
again introduced; this bill did not become law. At that time the woman's
suffrage movement was lifeless, and in a thoroughly hopeless condition.
All the usual means of propaganda had been exhausted,--meetings,
petitions, and personal work during campaigns made no impressions either
on the members of Parliament, the government, or on public opinion. It was
no longer possible to educe arguments _against_ the right of _qualified_
women to vote (it was not a question of universal suffrage, but, just as
in the case of the men, it was a matter of granting the franchise to women
holding property in their own name and earning their own living).
Governments, however, wish to be _coerced_ into granting the franchise,
and the representatives of the woman's suffrage movement were not
determined enough to exercise the necessary coercion. Therefore, the
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies transferred the leadership of
the movement to the National Women's Social and Political Union, whose
members are known by the name of suffragettes. This transference of
leadership took place during the autumn of 1905.

The suffragettes then adopted militant tactics, making the government
their point of attack. This was a good stroke, for since 1905 England has
had a Liberal Cabinet, and several of the ministers and over 400 of the
600 members of the House of Commons have declared themselves as friends of
woman's suffrage. "Then why don't you grant us our political freedom?"
asked the suffragettes.

The women are heads of families, they pay rent and taxes, just as the men.
All their conditions of livelihood are as dependent upon the laws as are
those of the men. A _liberal_ government and _liberal_ members of
Parliament ought to be liberal towards women and grant them the suffrage.
Many of these ministers and many members of Parliament owe their political
careers, their election, and their influence to the practical campaign
activities of women or to the woman's suffrage movement, which they
supported in order to enlarge their political influence. They have made
use of the woman's suffrage movement and now wish to do nothing in return.
The fate of all woman's suffrage bills introduced since 1870 (13 in
number) proves that it i