o the average, every-day women in
their present condition as subjects take a very lively interest
in the real welfare of the State? Hardly, and are not men and
children affected by this indifference? It could scarcely be
otherwise. It may be said that average men, notwithstanding their
possession of the ballot, are indifferent to the public weal, but
are they not rendered doubly so by continually associating with a
class that feels no allegiance to the State?... In the political
subjection and consequent political ignorance and indifference of
women, men are unconsciously forging their own fetters. They can
not retain their rights unless they share them with women. This
is the true significance of the woman suffrage movement
throughout the world. It is a vast attempt at the establishing of
real government by the people of republics which, being real,
shall endure; and as such it is as much a movement for men's
rights as for women's.

The "militant" suffrage movement in Great Britain, at this time in its
early stage, was attracting world-wide attention and Mrs. Snowden
devoted much of her address to explaining it, saying in part: "Our
methods may seem strange to you, for perhaps you do not fully
understand. We have the Municipal vote and have used it for many
years. Today an Englishwoman may vote for every official except a
member of Parliament; she may sit in every political body except the
Parliament and we are after that last right. We have 420 members out
of 670 of its members pledged to this reform. When the full suffrage
bill went to its second reading the votes stood three to one in favor.
We want that vote put through but it is the British Cabinet we must
get at to approve finally the act when it has passed the two Houses.
It is the Government we are trying to annoy. Our Government never
moves in any radical way until it is kicked. Sir Henry Campbell
Bannerman, when prime minister, advised the women to harass the
Government until they got what they wanted and that is just what we
are doing today. The Liberal Government, helped into power by at least
80,000 tax-paying women, promised to grant their rights. How have they
kept that promise?"

Speaking of the two "militant" societies Mrs. Snowden said: "Our
policy of aggressiveness has been justified by its results. When we
began almost every newspaper in England was against us. Now, with on