My own story
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MRS. PANKHURST'S OWN STORY
MY OWN STORY
BY
EMMELINE PANKHURST
ILLUSTRATED
LONDON
EVELEIGH NASH
1914
Copyright, 1914, by
HEARSTS'S INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY CO., INC.
_All rights reserved, including the translation into foreign
languages, including the Scandinavian._
CONTENTS
BOOK I
THE MAKING OF A MILITANT
CHAPTER PAGE
I 1
II 18
III 37
IV 57
BOOK II
FOUR YEARS OF PEACEFUL MILITANCY
CHAPTER PAGE
I 81
II 97
III 116
IV 131
V 149
VI 160
VII 166
VIII 185
BOOK III
THE WOMEN'S REVOLUTION
CHAPTER PAGE
I 205
II 221
III 249
IV 270
V 285
VI 303
VII 323
VIII 339
IX 350
ILLUSTRATIONS
Portrait of Mrs. Pankhurst _Frontispiece_
FACING
PAGE
Mrs. Pankhurst addressing a by-election crowd 74
Mrs. Pankhurst and Christabel hiding from the police
on the roof garden at Clements Inn, October, 1908 120
Christabel, Mrs. Drummond and Mrs. Pankhurst in the
dock, First Conspiracy Trial, October, 1908 126
Mrs. Pankhurst and Miss Christabel Pankhurst in prison
dress 132
Inspector Wells conducting Mrs. Pankhurst to the
House of Commons, June, 1908 140
Over 1,000 women had been in prison--Broad arrows in
the 1910 parade 170
The head of the deputation on Black Friday, November,
1910 178
For hours scenes like this were enacted on Black Friday,
November, 1910 180
Riot scenes on Black Friday, November, 1910 186
In this manner thousands of women throughout the
Kingdom slept in unoccupied houses over census night 194
The argument of the broken window pane 218
A suffragette throwing a bag of flour at Mr. Asquith
in Chester 260
Re-Arrest of Mrs. Pankhurst at Woking, May 26,
1913 312
Mrs. Pankhurst and Christabel in the garden of
Christabel's home in Paris 324
"Arrested at the King's gate!" May, 1914 348
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author wishes to express her deep obligation to Rheta Childe Dorr
for invaluable editorial services performed in the preparation of this
volume, especially the American edition.
FOREWORD
The closing paragraphs of this book were written in the late summer of
1914, when the armies of every great power in Europe were being
mobilised for savage, unsparing, barbarous warfare--against one another,
against small and unaggressive nations, against helpless women and
children, against civilisation itself. How mild, by comparison with the
despatches in the daily newspapers, will seem this chronicle of women's
militant struggle against political and social injustice in one small
corner of Europe. Yet let it stand as it was written, with
peace--so-called, and civilisation, and orderly government as the
background for heroism such as the world has seldom witnessed. The
militancy of men, through all the centuries, has drenched the world with
blood, and for these deeds of horror and destruction men have been
rewarded with monuments, with great songs and epics. The militancy of
women has harmed no human life save the lives of those who fought the
battle of righteousness. Time alone will reveal what reward will be
allotted to the women.
This we know, that in the black hour that has just struck in Europe, the
men are turning to their women and calling on them to take up the work
of keeping civilisation alive. Through all the harvest fields, in
orchards and vineyards, women are garnering food for the men who fight,
as well as for the children left fatherless by war. In the cities the
women are keeping open the shops, they are driving trucks and trams, and
are altogether attending to a multitude of business.
When the remnants of the armies return, when the commerce of Europe is
resumed by men, will they forget the part the women so nobly played?
Will they forget in England how women in all ranks of life put aside
their own interests and organised, not only to nurse the wounded, care
for the destitute, comfort the sick and lonely, but actually to maintain
the existence of the nation? Thus far, it must be admitted, there are
few indications that the English Government are mindful of the unselfish
devotion manifested by the women. Thus far all Government schemes for
overcoming unemployment have been directed towards the unemployment of
men. The work of women, making garments, etc., has in some cases been
taken away.
At the first alarm of war the militants proclaimed a truce, which was
answered half-heartedly by the announcement that the Government would
release all suffrage prisoners who would give an undertaking "not to
commit further crimes or outrages." Since the truce had already been
proclaimed, no suffrage prisoner deigned to reply to the Home
Secretary's provision. A few days later, no doubt influenced by
representations made to the Government by men and women of every
political faith--many of them never having been supporters of
revolutionary tactics--Mr. McKenna announced in the House of Commons
that it was the intention of the Government, within a few days, to
release unconditionally, all suffrage prisoners. So ends, for the
present, the war of women against men. As of old, the women become the
nurturing mothers of men, their sisters and uncomplaining helpmates. The
future lies far ahead, but let this preface and this volume close with
the assurance that the struggle for the full enfranchisement of women
has not been abandoned; it has simply, for the moment, been placed in
abeyance. When the clash of arms ceases, when normal, peaceful, rational
society resumes its functions, the demand will again be made. If it is
not quickly granted, then once more the women will take up the arms they
to-day generously lay down. There can be no real peace in the world
until woman, the mother half of the human family, is given liberty in
the councils of the world.
BOOK I
THE MAKING OF A MILITANT
Mrs. Pankhurst's Own Story
CHAPTER I
Those men and women are fortunate who are born at a time when a great
struggle for human freedom is in progress. It is an added good fortune
to have parents who take a personal part in the great movements of their
time. I am glad and thankful that this was my case.
One of my earliest recollections is of a great bazaar which was held in
my native city of Manchester, the object of the bazaar being to raise
money to relieve the poverty of the newly emancipated negro slaves in
the United States. My mother took an active part in this effort, and I,
as a small child, was entrusted with a lucky bag by means of which I
helped to collect money.
Young as I was--I could not have been older than five years--I knew
perfectly well the meaning of the words slavery and emancipation. From
infancy I had been accustomed to hear pro and con discussions of slavery
and the American Civil War. Although the British government finally
decided not to recognise the Confederacy, public opinion in England was
sharply divided on the questions both of slavery and of secession.
Broadly speaking, the propertied classes were pro-slavery, but there
were many exceptions to the rule. Most of those who formed the circle
of our family friends were opposed to slavery, and my father, Robert
Goulden, was always a most ardent abolitionist. He was prominent enough
in the movement to be appointed on a committee to meet and welcome Henry
Ward Beecher when he arrived in England for a lecture tour. Mrs. Harriet
Beecher Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," was so great a favourite
with my mother that she used it continually as a source of bedtime
stories for our fascinated ears. Those stories, told almost fifty years
ago, are as fresh in my mind to-day as events detailed in the morning's
papers. Indeed they are more vivid, because they made a much deeper
impression on my consciousness. I can still definitely recall the thrill
I experienced every time my mother related the tale of Eliza's race for
freedom over the broken ice of the Ohio River, the agonizing pursuit,
and the final rescue at the hands of the determined old Quaker. Another
thrilling tale was the story of a negro boy's flight from the plantation
of his cruel master. The boy had never seen a railroad train, and when,
staggering along the unfamiliar railroad track, he heard the roar of an
approaching train, the clattering car-wheels seemed to his strained
imagination to be repeating over and over again the awful words, "Catch
a nigger--catch a nigger--catch a nigger--" This was a terrible story,
and throughout my childhood, whenever I rode in a train, I thought of
that poor runaway slave escaping from the pursuing monster.
These stories, with the bazaars and the relief funds and subscriptions
of which I heard so much talk, I am sure made a permanent impression on
my brain and my character. They awakened in me the two sets of
sensations to which all my life I have most readily responded: first,
admiration for that spirit of fighting and heroic sacrifice by which
alone the soul of civilisation is saved; and next after that,
appreciation of the gentler spirit which is moved to mend and repair the
ravages of war.
I do not remember a time when I could not read, nor any time when
reading was not a joy and a solace. As far back as my memory runs I
loved tales, especially those of a romantic and idealistic character.
"Pilgrim's Progress" was an early favourite, as well as another of
Bunyan's visionary romances, which does not seem to be as well known,
his "Holy War." At nine I discovered the Odyssey and very soon after
that another classic which has remained all my life a source of
inspiration. This was Carlyle's "French Revolution," and I received it
with much the same emotion that Keats experienced when he read Chapman's
translation of Homer--" ... like some watcher of the skies, When a new
planet swims into his ken."
I never lost that first impression, and it strongly affected my attitude
toward events which were occurring around my childhood. Manchester is a
city which has witnessed a great many stirring episodes, especially of a
political character. Generally speaking, its citizens have been liberal
in their sentiments, defenders of free speech and liberty of opinion. In
the late sixties there occurred in Manchester one of those dreadful
events that prove an exception to the rule. This was in connection with
the Fenian Revolt in Ireland. There was a Fenian riot, and the police
arrested the leaders. These men were being taken to the jail in a prison
van. On the way the van was stopped and an attempt was made to rescue