The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-28
Women Must Decide.

Senator MCMAHON advised the woman
sufragists wisely when he told their repre-
sentatives at Albany on Thursday to ask
for their entire right at once and squarely.
and not to seek to get it by piecemeal.
These woman suffragists went before the
Assembly Judiciary Committee to beg that
in the proposed Constitutional Convention
the women Of the State should be allowed
sixteen delegates. or numher'equal to the
number Of delegates at large allowed each
party. When Miss SUSAN B. ANTHONY had
presented her case the Chairman asked her
IL she would be satisfied with delegates ap-
pointed by the Governor. but denied the
right OF voting in the Convention. She re-
piled that she would be thankful for what
she could get.
Her answer was great mistake. She
gave up the principle for which sho was
contending. She had demanded that
woman's rights should be recognized at the
polling booth. and yet she was willing that
they should be denied in the Convention il
tho Legislature would consent to let in n
few appointed women delegates and give
them only chance to talk.
1t was a fatal compromise. Senator Nc
MAHON was better representative OF the
women OF the State than Miss ANTHONY.
and Drawer defender OF them. Instead of
accepting such a compromise. he pledged
his support to any movement to give every
woman the right to vote. by striking out
the word "male" in the Constitution. Stand
by that principle. he said in substance. and
you will succeed. You will get what you
want and all you want. Otherwise tho agita-
ton of forty years for woman suffrage will
have proved vain.
Nothing could be truer than these words OF
Senator MCMAHON. The movement for
woman's suffrage was started in this State
more than q generation ago, and it Is no
further ahead now than it was in the early
days OF the womanhood OF Miss ANTHONY.
1t Is as far Off from becoming question or
an issue OF practical politics as it was then.
1t is subject for the amusement
OF legislators rather than for their
serious consideration. though it is one OF
the most momentous questions ever
brought before society. 1t concerns the
enfranchisement OF the majority OF the
population Of this State. Negro suffrage
was OF small comparative consequence. It
means turning over the government OF the
State to women. IL they desire 1t. Women
and not men would possess the political
control vested in the majority.
This supreme authority. as Senator Nc
MAHON says, the women Of New York can
get whenever they want it. II they demand
that tho constitutional restriction OF the
suffrage to men shall be stricken out. out it
will go.
Instead OF insisting on the full right OF
the suffrage as principle. the woman suf-
frnglsts OF recent years more especially
have abandoned 1t by making compromises
or by asking for 1t piecemeal. to use Sena-
tor McMAHoN's words. They have asked
for the privilege Of voting for school off,
Gers. though il that Is their right. they are
entitled to vote for oil officers. They have
submitted to discrimination subversve OF
the whole principle. They asked that
the suffrage should be extended only
to women who work for their living
as wage earncrs. at tho same sacrifice
and at the price OF the betrayal OF the
rights OF the wives and mothers OF the
State. They made concession dishonor-
ing to womanhood. which arrayed against
them every man who Is worthy OF
womans respect. They gave away their
whole cause. Now Miss ANTHONY Is ready
to accept with thanks the admission OF
feminine delegates to the Constitutional
Convention In complete violation Of the
principle Of woman's suffrage. She is
willing to have them so In on other terms
than those Of equality. They may talk. but
the men only can vote. though the right to
vote on equal terms with men Is the very
principle for which she Is contending.
The efforts of Miss ANTHONY and her ASSOC
ciates should be expended on women. and
not on men. Convert the women OF the
state 10 woman suffrage, and the battle
will be won. The men will do as the women
WISH. She can rely upon that. The only
way to bring about the conversion. II 1t
can be. accomplished st all Is to stand