Suffragette (8 page)

Asquith was speaking in Birmingham last night. Some regional WSPU members climbed up on to the roof of a neighbouring building, lifted off some slates and hurled them at his car as it drew up.
Windows and lamps were smashed, but they were careful to avoid hitting the Prime Minister himself. Their intention was to be heard, not to cause physical violence. They yelled out to him that we
won’t give up until we have the vote. The police were called and hosepipes were turned on the women, who were driven down by the force of the water and by stones thrown at them. They were led
away to prison, soaked to the skin, having lost their shoes in the struggle. One of them was injured, but the article didn’t report the seriousness of the injury.

I almost wish that I had been there. I can’t imagine myself smashing windows, throwing slates at cars or being arrested, but anything is better than sitting in a classroom all day. School
is so lady-like.

21st September 1909

The Birmingham demonstrators have been arrested and have received sentences of three and, in Mary-Leigh’s case, four months. They are now in Winson Green prison in
Birmingham, on hunger strike. The authorities are refusing to release them. Instead they have begun the unthinkable: they are force-feeding our women!

Flora and I talked about the matter over breakfast after she had read out a letter in this morning’s
Times
written by Christabel Pankhurst. Christabel has stated that women are
being driven to stone-throwing by the government. They are banned from attending public meetings and Mr Asquith continues to refuse to meet with the Union and will not discuss the matter. Every
avenue to the vote is being blocked.

“I think these acts will do more harm than good,” said Flora.

“But what else can we do?” I retaliated.

“We? I sincerely hope, Dollie, that you are not involved with such carryings-on. I told you that I do not approve of unconstitutional acts to win the vote. I am as passionate about our
place in society as you are, but these methods will not gain us respect. In fact, I believe they will turn public support against us.”

I finished my tea and set off for school without another word. During morning break, I asked one of my classmates, Celia, who seems rather nice, what she thinks about the Birmingham
women’s fate. Her answer was worse than Flora’s.

“They deserve to be force-fed,” she said.

I’d better keep my opinions to myself then.

24th September 1909

I attended a meeting at the WSPU offices this evening. It is the first I have been to since school began. Usually I arrive early and make tea. We always serve cakes on these
occasions, but as a mark of respect tonight we drank water. The place was packed. Women had come long distances to be with us. Christabel Pankhurst was chairing the evening. There was real concern
about the welfare of the imprisoned women.

The meeting began with the reading of a letter written by our treasurer, Mrs Emmeline Pethwick-Lawrence, and published in today’s edition of
Votes for Women
. Naturally, it denounces
the force-feeding of women. It received applause and cheers. Questions followed. These were answered by Christabel, who assured us that her mother has a plan. She stated that, as leaders of the
WSPU, she and her mother and Mrs Pethwick-Lawrence are officially supporting the acts of the prisoners, including the stone-throwing, and that they intend to make a public statement tomorrow.

During the break, the point at which we usually serve tea, I heard one or two members suggesting that Emmeline and Christabel had no choice but to stand behind the stone-throwers, even though
the Birmingham women acted on their own initiative. I have no idea whether this is true or not.

Afterwards, another letter was read aloud to us, a truly shocking one. It had been written to Marion Wallace Dunlop by a force-fed prisoner and described her ordeal. When Marion had finished,
the room was silent. Another lady, who announced herself as a doctor, rose to inform us that the inserted tubes used for force-feeding are frequently unsterilized and infection is possible.

I walked to the bus with Harriet Kerr, but we didn’t talk much. I think we both felt sickened.

25th September 1909

Today Mrs Pankhurst, Christabel and Mrs Pethwick-Lawrence have publicly supported the imprisoned women and denounced the government for inflicting such pain and humiliation on
them.

At school, one of the teachers talked about what was happening. It turned into a class debate and I was relieved to discover that many of the girls were strongly against the government’s
actions.

Celia and I ate our lunch together. She seemed less disapproving of the Birmingham women today – I think the debate this morning has made her reconsider her opinions – and I offered
to lend her my suffrage scrapbook. “It might give you an idea how long this battle has been going on,” I said.

I sat next to a sweet old lady on the bus this evening who said she “had never heard the like in all her years”. Personally, I feel so angry and frustrated that it makes me want to
run round the streets of London, breaking windows and shouting.

28th September 1909

When I arrived home from school this evening, Mrs Millicent Fawcett was visiting with Flora. Flora called me into the drawing room to be introduced. I did not mention that Lady
Violet had presented me to her ages ago in Gloucestershire.

“I want you to hear this, Dollie,” Flora said, and because their expressions were both so serious, I thought I must have done something wrong.

Mrs Fawcett then informed me that she had recently written to the Prime Minister requesting an audience with him.

“Do you know what he has answered, Dollie?” Flora asked me.

I shook my head. The way they both quizzed me I felt personally responsible.

“He has refused to see me,” Mrs Fawcett explained flatly. “Do you know why?”

Again, I shook my head.

“His argument is that, although I am not connected with the troublemakers, the organization discrediting the case for women’s franchise, he is too busy with urgent political business
to see anyone from any group connected to the Women’s Suffrage movement.”

I glanced at Flora who was staring hard at me.

“Forgive me if this sounds impolite,” I said. “I really don’t intend it to, but this government has slammed the door on all peaceable negotiations and now it criticizes
us because we have been driven to other means!”

“
Us
? Dollie, are you telling me that you are involved in these terrible acts?”

I couldn’t speak.

“Dollie, Flora has told me all about you and I think it is splendid that you are so committed to our cause,” Mrs Fawcett continued quickly, “but won’t you put your
energies with us? We will win the vote, but we will do it without acts of violence and without turning the British public against us.”

I agreed to think about it and then excused myself, saying that I had homework to do. I hurried to my room, feeling – what? Betrayed by Flora, I think.

29th September 1909

Mr Keir Hardie was one of the guests at dinner this evening. What a nice man he is! Inevitably the conversation turned to the hunger strikes and the government’s
response.

“I don’t know how this Liberal government hopes to regain respect. Force-feeding women is barbaric.” The voice of Virginia Stephen. “As an eminent Labour MP, Keir, what
is your opinion?”

Mr Hardie then recounted how he had challenged the government in the House yesterday. “I begged to know how a Liberal government could justify an act of such cruelty against the female
sex. In answer, I was informed by the Home Secretary’s speaker that it is common practice in hospitals to force-feed patients when they refuse to eat.”

Elizabeth Robins, also a guest, was furious when she heard this. “What nonsense!” she cried. “The only patients who are force-fed in hospitals are the mentally
insane.”

“Asquith is refusing to meet with Millicent, saying that if he sees her he must also give an audience to the WSPU, but, whatever his excuses, he will be forced to put an end to this
inhumanity. His government is being condemned from every quarter,” were Flora’s words on the subject.

“Might the Home Secretary, the government and prison authorities judge suffrage women mentally unstable?” I ventured. “Perhaps that’s the message they want to put across
to the British people?”

“That’s a very good question!” bellowed Mr Hardie.

I blushed, but was thrilled to have been taken seriously.

4 October 1909

No school today. So I went to the WSPU.

Miss Baker, who I haven’t seen in ages, asked me about my new school. I told her it was fine but that I preferred being tutored by her.

“Have you made any friends yet?”

“There’s a nice girl, Celia Loverton, but she isn’t madly interested in our cause and she’s posh, so… What’s been happening here?” I changed the
subject because I am fed up with everyone asking me about school.

“Letters are arriving by the sackload at the offices of all the national newspapers in protest against the treatment of the Birmingham women,” Miss Baker said, handing me a copy of
the latest issue of
Votes for Women
. “Emmeline has written an article in which she demands: ‘How can a Liberal government in free England torture women in an attempt to crush
their struggle for citizenship rights?’ She intends to begin proceedings against the Home Secretary and the prison authorities on the grounds that a physical assault has been committed
against these women. She is choosing one prisoner from the group, Mary Leigh, and will fight it as a test case.”

“That’s a terrific idea!” I cried. “She’s bound to win.”

6th October 1909

Asquith has received a protest letter signed by 116 doctors opposing the force-feeding of women prisoners:

We the undersigned, being medical practitioners, do most urgently protest against the treatment of artificial feeding of the Suffragist prisoners now in Birmingham Gaol.

We submit to you, that this method of feeding when the patient resists is attended with the gravest of risks, that unforeseen accidents are liable to occur, and that the subsequent health of
the person may be seriously injured. In our opinion this action is unwise and inhumane…

I believe my mother’s doctor, Caroline Sturge, is on the list.

Editors are resigning from their newspapers if their journal expresses support for the government on this issue.

It is true to say that this has caused a national outcry, both from suffrage sympathizers and opponents alike. And so it should. But the depressing fact is that the Prime Minister is still
adamantly refusing to back a women’s suffrage bill. Nothing we do or say seems to make any difference.

10 November 1909

My birthday. Fifteen years old. Flora has given me the most wonderful gift in the world. My very own typewriter! I cannot begin to describe how touched I am by her generosity.
It made me ashamed for the anger I have felt towards her lately.

Celia gave me a new scrapbook. I was amazed. She really enjoyed my suffrage one. “I hadn’t really understood before what it was all about,” she said.

I invited her to come to Clements Inn with me, to one of the monthly meetings. She said that she’d think about it.

I visited Mother this evening. She looked much stronger and was happy to see me. We talked about school, but when I spoke of the WSPU she waved her hand impatiently. “You’ll end up
in trouble mixing with that lot. I don’t want you going against Flora,” she warned. “She may be a toff, but you are bloody lucky to have ’er.”

Sometimes I feel quite on my own. But I am happy about Celia. I want to introduce her to Miss Baker.

11th December 1909

What a bitterly disappointing end to one of the most pressing issues of this year. Mrs Pankhurst’s case against the Home Secretary and the prison authorities, which she
has been fighting for the past two months, was lost the day before yesterday. The grounds for the decision were that forcible feeding was necessary to save Miss Leigh’s life. It was also
stated that only the most minimal force was used. This means that the Home Secretary is within his rights to order the feeding of every woman prisoner who chooses hunger strike as a last means of
protest.

Mrs Pankhurst is required to pay the court costs or face prison herself. She learned of this judgement as she disembarked from the ship that had returned her from a successful lecture tour of
America. What a terrible welcome home!

12th December 1909

An unknown supporter has paid Mrs Pankhurst’s fine. That is cheering, but I hoped that we would have so much more to celebrate by this year’s end.

I must be positive! Mother’s health is greatly improved and that is cause for celebration. She looked blooming this evening.

Celia Loverton told me today that she lives with her grandmother because her parents are in India. Her father is employed by the British Consulate in Delhi, and they are not coming home for the
holidays.

14th December 1909

Everyone is preparing for a General Election early next year. There is hope that the Tories might win. My choice is Mr Hardie and the Labour Party, but the important thing is to
oust this anti-suffrage lot!

15th December 1909

It has been snowing! I built a snowman in the yard and then Flora and I had great fun hanging Christmas decorations. She has invited Mother here for the festivities but Mother
says she wouldn’t feel at ease. These are the occasions when I feel torn between my two worlds.

I asked Celia where she feels she belongs.

“With grandmama, I suppose,” she told me. “I rarely see my parents.”

18th December 1909

We had a jolly “Bloomsbury Christmas Party” yesterday evening. Several of Flora’s friends came over for supper. Among them were Cicely Hamilton, actress and
novelist, Elizabeth Robins, who is writing now, and the Irishman, George Bernard Shaw – gosh, he’s brilliant! Their conversation was of plans to form a Women Writers’ Suffrage
League. It is to be fronted by some of the most eminent literary figures of today, men as well as women. The idea would be to support all suffrage leagues, whether militant or constitutional.
It’s so exciting. Flora is right behind it, too.