The two letters below appeared in in The Schoolmaster of Sept. 30, 1911 and in The
Finsbury and City Teachers’ Journal. They are similar, but not identical, suggesting that
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….]