Davison responded with an efficient and individually targeted effort.

September. 30, 1911, to the Editor of The Schoolmaster

Sir, — The wail of the Anti is loud in the land at the approaching nemesis of woman suffrage.

It has even penetrated into the progressive ranks of the N.U.T. [National Union of Teachers]

in the form of a swansong by Mr. Arthur Charles Gronno, one of the local secretaries, which he is

giving in long drawn-out sweetness to all members of the Union. The lament bears the un-euphonic

title of ‘The Attempt to Capture the National Union of Teachers by Woman-Suffragists.’ Will you

kindly allow me to descant upon some of the varied harmonious themes of this dirge?

The first theme which attracts my attention is that woman-suffrage is outside the

objects for which the N.U.T. was founded. Mr. Gronno asserts that of those objects, twelve

in number, ‘not one of them except No. IX., dealing with the Provident Society and the

Benevolent and Orphan Fund, aims at anything beyond educational or professional benefit.’

I turn to the twelve objects and find No. V. is ‘To secure the effective representation of

educational interest in Parliament.’ That N.U.T. interests can be effectively represented

when 38,380 members are women to the 30,693 men, probably even Mr. Gronno would

not venture to assert, especially as ‘men are men and women are women.’

Mr. Gronno assures us in dulcet tones that the greater number of the N.U.T. are

opposed to woman-suffrage. He no doubt hopes to hoodwink his audience by the fact that

the resolution was not adopted at Aberystwyth. But they are not such greenhorns as to

ignore that the mass of delegates there voted not against woman-suffrage, but against the

urgency of the question.

Mr. Gronno revels in the theme of the anti-suffrage canvass of women municipal

electors, although he knows that these canvasses have been very seriously discredited even

by newspapers with anti-suffragist tendencies. He also forgets that the apathetic and

stupid majority are always less to be considered than the intelligent minority. Mr. Gronno

descants at great length on ‘the fact that women pay rates and taxes has nothing to do with

the vote.’ Here our critical voice rises high. The franchise in England to-day is entirely on a

taxation basis either directly or indirectly. It was on the principle that ‘those who pay the

piper call the tune,’ that the civil war took place in England, and that minor conflicts have

since taken place. Mr. Gronno says, ‘rates and taxes are money paid for value received,’ to

which women reply ‘Has the one who pays not the right to demand value?’ Women, for

instance, may have any Budget imposed on them without so much as a ‘by your leave.’

The sapient Mr. Gronno says that majorities must always rule, apparently ignoring

the fact that the number of women both in the N.U.T. and in the nation are in the majority.

He then goes on to the last theme of the Anti that physical force is the ultima ratio.

According to this contention, the black race ought to rule the white, the prize fighters ought

to sit in the Cabinet! Is not Mr. Gronno in his teaching capacity constantly seeing the

spectacle of a gentle man or woman dominating classes sometimes of sixty big boys or

girls? How? Not by physical force!

Lastly, Mr. Gronno winds up with the theme that twice has the Woman’s Liberal

Association refused to consider the question of woman suffrage. Considering that

suffragists have all along pressed for this reform from the Liberal Party, which as a party

has refused to deal with it and has accordingly suffered, it is not astonishing that these

women who put party before all else, even principle, think woman suffrage a dangerous

subject. But the N.U.T. is not in that position, being, as Mr. Gronno so kindly reminds us,

entirely ‘non part,’ and therefore fearless and progressive.

Eheu fugaces, O Antis! [ref. to Horace: Alas, the fleeting years….]

31 Coram-street, W.C.

EMILY WILDING DAVISON

September, 1911 to the Editor of The Finsbury and City Teachers’ Journal

Sir,

The wail of the Anti is loud in the land at the approaching Nemesis of Woman

Suffrage. It has even penetrated into the progressive ranks of the N.U.T. in the form of a

swansong by Mr. Arthur Charles Gronno, one of the local secretaries, which he is giving in

long drawn-out sweetness to all members of the Union. The lament bears the uneuphonic

title of ‘The Attempt to Capture the National Union of Teachers by Woman Suffragists.”

Will you kindly allow me to descant upon some of the varied harmonious themes of this

dirge?

The first theme which attracts my attention is that Woman Suffrage is outside the

objects for which the N.U.T. was founded. Mr. Gronno asserts that of those objects, twelve

in number, ‘not one of them except IX., dealing with the Provident Society, and the

Benevolent and Orphan Fund, aims at anything beyond educational or professional benefit.’

I turn to the twelve objects and find No. V. is ‘To secure the effective representation and

educational interests in Parliament.’ That N.U.T. interests can be effectively represented by

a man when 38,380 members are women to the 30,693 men, probably even Mr. Gronno

would not venture to assert, especially as ‘men are men and women are women.’

The dirge next assumes the noisy theme of invective against Suffragists, who are

asserted to be feminists, which betrays a shocking lack of knowledge on the part of the

composer. He also shows the reality of his fear of Woman Suffragists by indicating that a

clever minority is carrying all things against an apathetic or stupid majority. As an example

he warbles about the ineffectiveness of Women Suffragists at elections and by-elections. By

quoting the brave attempt made by the N.U.W.S.S. in two constituencies to see if men really

cared enough about women’s interests to put the Women’s Cause before everything else,

which, of course, failed, he artfully manages to ignore the splendid work of the W.S.P.U. at

the recent General Elections, or at such a by-election as that of Mr. Masterman at West

Ham, where the damage done to him was attributed by Government organs greatly to the

women, or again the Times’ caustic remark on the present Kilmarnock fight:–

‘What may be described as one of the inevitable incidents of elections in these times

is the pertinacious activity of the Women’s Social and Political Union. Miss Christabel

Pankhurst will be the principal speaker for Mr. McKerrell at a meeting here at the end of

the week.’

Mr. Gronno assures us in dulcet tones that the greater number of the N.U.T. are

opposed to Woman Suffrage. He no doubt hopes to hoodwink his audience by the fact that

the resolution was not adopted at Aberystwyth. But they are not such greenhorns as to

ignore that the mass of delegates there voted not against Woman Suffrage, but against the

urgency of the question.

Mr. Gronno revels in the theme of the Anti-Suffrage canvass of Women Municipal

Electors, although he knows that these canvasses have been very seriously discredited

even by newspapers with Anti-Suffragist tendencies. He also forgets that the apathetic and

stupid majority are always less to be considered than the intelligent minority.

The subject following is that at the Aberystwyth occurrence every attempt was

made to ‘make it a fight of women against men.’ Those who were there will know that

many of the men were as keen as the women on the passing of the Resolution.

Mr. Gronno descants at great length on ‘the fact that women pay rates and taxes

have nothing to do with the vote.’ Here our critical voice rises high. The franchise in

England to-day is entirely on a taxation basis, either directly or indirectly. It was on the

principle that ‘those who pay the piper call the tune’ that the civil war took place in

England, and that… [incomplete….]