On Thursday Mr. Asquith received an influential deputa- tion of
Anti-Suffragists in his room at Downing Street. The deputation was introduced by Lord Curzon, and Mrs: Humphry Ward, Sir Charles Henry, a Liberal M.P., and Miss Violet Markham, also a Liberal, spoke. We regret to note that Mr. Asquith refused to admit the possibility of con- sulting the country by means of the Referendum, though that course was very powerfully urged upon him by Lord Curzon. If the reference were to the existing electorate, he did not think that the verdict would be accepted. With all deference to Mr. Asquith, this is begging the question. The proposal is not to find something which the Suffra- gists will accept, but to find out whether the holders of political sovereignty in this country—that is, the present electors—do or do not wish to surrender part of their electoral power to women. After all, the Suffragists must abide by
the decision of the male representatives of males. Therefore, why is it any greater hardship to go direct to the males who elect those representatives
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