Page:The Feminist Movement - Snowden - 1912.djvu/171

 three brilliant Englishwomen—Mrs Humphry Ward, Mrs Creighton, and Miss Beatrice Potter (now Mrs Sydney Webb)—who declared that 'the emancipating process has now reached the limits fixed by the physical constitution of women.' Since that time two of these ladies have found reason to change their views and have publicly declared themselves in favour of woman suffrage. No words of admiration of their courage could embellish an act so fine and courageous as this, but it was entirely in harmony with the known character of these two distinguished women, who showed by their action their belief that 'a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.'

The organisation of anti-suffrage sentiment began in 1908 with the formation of a women's anti-suffrage society headed by Mrs Humphry Ward. A similar men's society, formed immediately afterwards, was amalgamated with the women's in 1910, under the presidency of the Earl of Cromer. The National League for Opposing Women's Suffrage began its career with the single ostensible object of rigorously opposing the extension of the Parliamentary suffrage to women; but on discovering that a merely negative programme and policy win little sympathy with the majority of people, they added to their object that of encouraging the activities of women in connection with local government, and of