New-York tribune., 1894-03-26
SELECTIONS FROM THE NAIL.

VALUE OF MONSTER PETITIONS"
GETTING SIGNATURES FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE
WHY PEOPLE SIGN.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: III we can get 100000 OF signatures to our
petition to the Constitutional Amendment Com
mittee asking that the word male be stricken out
of Section Of Article II OF the Constitution. which
provides the qualifications for voters we SHALL in
all probability gain our cause and the women OF
the Empire State Will get the ballot 50 say the
sufragst leaders OF NewYork State as they go
from county to county holding mass-meeiinss ana
calling for signatures to the petition which enthi-
sastic agents carrying from house to house. the
carefully devised scheme including every household
In the State
Now if any has doubt that 100000 ana
more signatures will be obtained. let him ponder
upon what happened at neiGhbors door
few days ago. Her housemaid Katie is Cana
dian lately imported Katies conceptions Of the
political relations existing between the British Hon
and the American eagle vague. to say thf
least. fond as she is OF declaIming upon the SUP
ject This morning friend became CONSCIOUS.
while reading in the upper hall. that a prolonsei
debate was being held at her front door ana that
KatIe's Rift for specchifying having fun play
"Of course. write my name AMI It's more
than that I can write f. please. ! am Canadian.
Madam. am subject Of Queen Victoria Lean
Ing over the stair rail my friend n wc-dr'ssed
elderly woman outside the door. one OF the pc
titiOn books in her hand. Sne caught SoIl'''i"e
she was saying to Katie about women having
voice in the Government. that Canadians recog-
nized woman's right n voice in public AFFAIRS IN
their allegiance to Queen Victoria. and that Her
Majesty was decidedly in favor of political equality
"A smooth now OF wnsome words. very fattering
to Katie who was about leading the speaker to the
library table when my friend hurried below. with
affections to Katles signing the paper upon the
score that she had not been na.uralized. and that
her signature. II challenged. would not help the
petition. Katie yielded reluctantly. the soHctor
declining let her sign. Bu: would my friend
sign the petition? Was she content to be CLASSIFIED
with criminals and diots'
Perfectly So long az her protection by the
State was thereby assured Nor had she any OBJ
lection to being classified with infants ard minors
ceased to interest her she thought It a dead Issue:
she would neither sign petition for nor against
II; o ,s sh' to prove that they Would make
little or no use OF it. and so there would come an
Then why not sign the petition? It Is your sig
nature We want. That and not your conVlctohs'
ask for" ,, -.
NY friend did not sign. She besgGd to look ,ni a,
men were among the slgncrs; and so many; many
names that old resident Ike her In that local'y
had never heard OF before. ,,
such petitions mean nothing to me she said
returning the book "a petition signed by r. 0nrs
ten representative citizens would have iar NOR"
weight and influence accordns to nv nnSs ON
this list. was the placid retort Would you deny
the privilege Of petition to the humpie anu '''
obscure? -,
Then my neghbor ran over 20 know " had
signed | confessed that what had seen tha hly
before had nearly converted me 20 the SnHrdtc
cause | had happened 70 be downtown Whrn thr
newspaper Offices put up their bulletins oi tlr r."
suit OF the prlZe-fght anl when IN" nr"+n,S
walks in front Of the Offices had hc"n impass1ble
for the crowd Of men eager for IN" news, lipr'
Florida. Nearly every man met was r'HulhH +"
papar rs ho walked: little bows Wore 'NcitedlF h'-
scribng the brutal affair. The whoi" inaIc pop"-
latlor IN short was doing NOR" IN Ten minutes
TO persuade me that as they were degen"r2 ING
and untitled 10 guide. unaidcd hy woman me mn.
of State than all IN" woman sufrar" niEnhl.h'S
I evor listened TO- felt. as do when 500 mem
b,eenlup in noisy crowds 10 4 h1s'h1ll match. ihat
T. was hleh tlrn~ their political rule was supple.
mented by a constituency Of hiSh-InlndeI E'''
women.
"Eut dd you sign
40 aid not Iu could see how many women
had done and would d. 50. upon suil"n lmpnS''
n11ltliudca who had never before taken sides mo"
Inc question Had I met woman with th1t pen,
iion Just after had gone ont int" me s'i'r',
should have written Wy name uiDn o. aul NV
written II loud How true II Is -" said tha'
manv Important questions and elections are o.
cldcl by Just such persons who gre ~ me nal',..y
ON that nnd every monster petition, iuesouie. IN
decided people who sign thclr names NANNY, i'i
Tho qualification ~ their self-importancr or iroi"
sudden Impulse" Who was Il that siia thti re
believed ne could get loo signatures - p'lt ~
asking that all " tho signers should u" hauE'"i
81 little consideration 10 many give - the w"riins
Of what sign providing y u presenter ~ II
friend or important names ar" among ne SiSUtl
,ures An opposition petition 10 mat oi IN" SUI
fragists would beat h ont and ont In me nuinrr
permitted to sign Bu' what would II siEh'ly :
Katie would sign both u she hai IN" Cn.ny" vy,r,-
Rochester y. Y. March l. 1894