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Helen Keller A Militant

Creator: n/a
Date: May 6, 1913
Publication: The New York Times
Source: Available at selected libraries

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Blind Girl Believes Suffrage Will Lead to Socialism.

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Special to The New York Times.

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PHILADELPHIA, May 5. -- Helen Keller is a militant suffragette. She believes in the smashing of windows, hunger strikes, anything that will bring publicity to the cause. In an interview given here to-night, the blind girl announced she was a suffragette because she believed the cause eventually would lead to Socialism.

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"I believe the women of England are doing right," said Miss Keller. "Mrs. Pankhurst is a great leader. The women of America should follow her example. They would get the ballot much faster if they did. They cannot hope to get anything unless they are willing to fight and suffer for it. The pangs of hunger during their hunger strikes simply are a sample of the suffering they must expect.

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"But I am a militant suffragette because I believe suffrage will lead to Socialism, and to me Socialism is the ideal cause."