Page:The case for women's suffrage.djvu/46

 THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT

OMEN'S Suffrage has now a place among the practical political questions of the day. It has not so much agitated the public mind since 1884. In that year the Representation of the People Act was introduced. The Act applied only to men, but an amendment to include women was moved. This amendment was strongly supported in the country, but was rejected by the House of Commons in consequence of the opposition of the Liberal Government.

At the ensuing General Election the Liberal Party barely escaped defeat. Had the Women Suffragists been well advised they would have offered strenuous opposition to Liberal candidates, in order to prevent the return to power of a Party which had so recently refused to enfranchise women. The Women's Suffrage Amendment to the County Franchise Bill had been supported by the Conservative leaders, and if the Women Suffragists had brought about the defeat of the Liberals, a Conservative Government would