Free Suffragette by Carol Drinkwater Page B

government in free England torture women in an attempt to crush
their struggle for citizenship rights?’ She intends to begin proceedings against the Home Secretary and the prison authorities on the grounds that a physical assault has been committed
against these women. She is choosing one prisoner from the group, Mary Leigh, and will fight it as a test case.”
    “That’s a terrific idea!” I cried. “She’s bound to win.”
    6th October 1909
    Asquith has received a protest letter signed by 116 doctors opposing the force-feeding of women prisoners:
    We the undersigned, being medical practitioners, do most urgently protest against the treatment of artificial feeding of the Suffragist prisoners now in Birmingham Gaol.
    We submit to you, that this method of feeding when the patient resists is attended with the gravest of risks, that unforeseen accidents are liable to occur, and that the subsequent health of
the person may be seriously injured. In our opinion this action is unwise and inhumane…
    I believe my mother’s doctor, Caroline Sturge, is on the list.
    Editors are resigning from their newspapers if their journal expresses support for the government on this issue.
    It is true to say that this has caused a national outcry, both from suffrage sympathizers and opponents alike. And so it should. But the depressing fact is that the Prime Minister is still
adamantly refusing to back a women’s suffrage bill. Nothing we do or say seems to make any difference.

10 November 1909
    My birthday. Fifteen years old. Flora has given me the most wonderful gift in the world. My very own typewriter! I cannot begin to describe how touched I am by her generosity.
It made me ashamed for the anger I have felt towards her lately.
    Celia gave me a new scrapbook. I was amazed. She really enjoyed my suffrage one. “I hadn’t really understood before what it was all about,” she said.
    I invited her to come to Clements Inn with me, to one of the monthly meetings. She said that she’d think about it.
    I visited Mother this evening. She looked much stronger and was happy to see me. We talked about school, but when I spoke of the WSPU she waved her hand impatiently. “You’ll end up
in trouble mixing with that lot. I don’t want you going against Flora,” she warned. “She may be a toff, but you are bloody lucky to have ’er.”
    Sometimes I feel quite on my own. But I am happy about Celia. I want to introduce her to Miss Baker.

11th December 1909
    What a bitterly disappointing end to one of the most pressing issues of this year. Mrs Pankhurst’s case against the Home Secretary and the prison authorities, which she
has been fighting for the past two months, was lost the day before yesterday. The grounds for the decision were that forcible feeding was necessary to save Miss Leigh’s life. It was also
stated that only the most minimal force was used. This means that the Home Secretary is within his rights to order the feeding of every woman prisoner who chooses hunger strike as a last means of
protest.
    Mrs Pankhurst is required to pay the court costs or face prison herself. She learned of this judgement as she disembarked from the ship that had returned her from a successful lecture tour of
America. What a terrible welcome home!
    12th December 1909
    An unknown supporter has paid Mrs Pankhurst’s fine. That is cheering, but I hoped that we would have so much more to celebrate by this year’s end.
    I must be positive! Mother’s health is greatly improved and that is cause for celebration. She looked blooming this evening.
    Celia Loverton told me today that she lives with her grandmother because her parents are in India. Her father is employed by the British Consulate in Delhi, and they are not coming home for the
holidays.
    14th December 1909
    Everyone is preparing for a General Election early next year. There is hope that the Tories might win. My choice is Mr Hardie and the Labour Party, but the important thing is to