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Show HORRORS OF AN ENGLISH PRISON, EXPERIENCED BY WOMAN SUFFRAGISTS Tho January Women's Homo Companion Com-panion contains a vivid account of militant woman suffrago as tho campaign cam-paign Is enrried on in England. Tho vlolcnco Indulged In has resulted In the Imprisoning of a great many women. wo-men. Of tho experiences In prison that these women havo undergone tho artjclo goes on to say: "Once in prison, tho ndvantago is on tho side of tho government, slnco technically, these women are crlml- nnlB, and can by law bo so treated. Tho Hfo of a common criminal In an English Jail Ib not easy for a refined woman, educnted in modern germ the ories, to follow. There Is hard work, coarse, monotonous food, association with crlmlnnls, and rules thnt nre both rigid and humiliating. Sho must undress In public, surrender nil her garments and personal belongings, take down her hair, and then, with her arms stretched above her head sho must submit to a thorough search wearing only a prison chemise. "Then she must get Into a dingy Iron bath tub and batho where hundreds hun-dreds of crlmlnnls boforo her have bathed. Sho inherits their prison shoes, their torn, patched garments, and their corsets. She must scrub her cell floor and, In certain cases, stand most unhcalthful odors from unsanitary cpndltlons. Her window docs not open, nnd sho may exercise out of door3 only three times a week then sho must walk with tho other prisoners In single flic, nnd without communication. "It Is not against theso personal hardships, however, that the suffragettes suffrag-ettes nre protesting. They feel that they declnrcd war openly upon thc government, that they are fighting In a body for political freedom, and that they aro no criminals, but prisoners pris-oners of war. "Men rioters against tho government govern-ment nro deprived only of their liberty. lib-erty. Tho uso their own furniture, clothing, and books; order their own food, beer, and tobacco, and may, If practical, contlnuo their work. The women feel that It is belittling thc cause of suffrago to allow themselves to bo ranked as criminals. They began be-gan their protest against this treatment treat-ment by smashing tholr windows In nn effort to get pure nlr. For this they were put Into solitary confinement confine-ment In punishment cells." |
