Smyrna times., 1894-05-16
The Woman Suffrage Question in
New York.

u6 Otdbt vi 1NCW i VI n ltto bCCOAhO
the scene of pitched battle between |
the forces that favor and oppose the |
granting of suffrage to women. The |
convention to revise the constitution of |
the State assembled on May l, in AL |
| bany, and the effort of the woman suH- |
ragists is to convince that body of the |
| justice of their cause and persuade it |
| to adopt an amendment striking the
word male" from the clause of the
organic law which defines the qualili-
cations of voters.
With this end in view they have
been busily circulating petitions to the
convention and their purpose is to Sc
cure a round million of signatures to
them, bind them all together and have
them carried into the convention cham
ber after the triumphant manner in
which the famous collaT-and-cuH
petition of Troy was not long since
carried on the floor of Congress. Mon
ster petitions, like other monstrOus
things, command a certain Difference.
Quality is always impressive, if there
is enough of it. At the same time he
was true photographer who first re-
marked that to know the true meaning
and value of votes they must be
weighed as well as counted" Quality,
in the last analysis, is as important as
quality in determining the real drift of
intelligent opinion.
The suffrage seeking women of New
York have not been blind to this con-
sideration of the character as well as
the number Of their signatures. They
have large quota of leading and in
AueDtial names among them. William
D. Howells and Edgar Fawcett, the
novelsts; Frederic COudert, who rep
resented the country before the seal
fisheries arbitration tribunal; Col. Rob
ert G.. Ingersoll, who needs no further
designation; Walter Damrosch, the
famous musical conductor and sOn-in.
law of the late James G.. Blaine; Mrs
Mary Mapes Dodge, editor of the ST
i Nicholas, and many other legal, lite:
ary and art folk including, ii is claimed
a majority of the editors Of the New
York dailes are on the roll of petition
T. ers for giving women the ballot in New
IN York Wealth, too, is represented il
re- the ranks of the female suffragsts
as Miss Helen Gould, mistress of man,
# millions inherited from her famou
n father, is a petitioner for the ballot. 5
Mt is Mrs. Russell Sage, wife Of the mil
ng lionaire made famous by Norcross
re- bomb and Laidlaw's suit for damage:
ng And so, too, is Mrs. John D. RockC
OF feller, wife of the Standard Oil Cr9su:
M The clergy of all denominations hav
IN. also signed the mammoth petition tina
m. is to be sent to the Albany COnventiO
.1rnl next month Father McGlynn, tn
s." celebrated Henry Georgeite, Rev. D
W.; VIZ RainsfOrd, Rev. DR.. Macarthur, an
lie many other brilliant men of the metre
re- politan pulpit, are found to be of II
ler same opinion-on this question only
as Colonel Ingersoll.
But there is another side to Il
. shield. While the men of New Yor
have not made any active opposition
this very energetic crusade of the "
man suffragists, there has arisen vel
formidable body OfremOnstrants amor
the women of New York themselvt
1t started among the leaders of Broo
lyn society on the locally celebrate
Columbia Heights, where the wealt
culture and fashion of the City
Churches have their historic home.
formal protest has been sent out broa
cast to be signed in opposition to t
monster petition of the women who a
to be enfranchised. The first sigr
lures to this protest are those of sol
sixty women, all of whom are recogni2
as social leaders in Brooklyn. TIL
include that of Mrs. Abbott, wife
Rev. DR.. Lyman Abbott, the pastor
Plymouth church, where Beecher, W
was warm friend of the woman-sU
rage cause once preached. In publ:
ing their remOnstrance against bel
made voters these socially inauent
women present series of ten reasC
for their action. The first is, "becal
suffrage is to be regarded not as
privilege to be enjoyed, but as a dl
to be performed" The gist Of the
manning nine is that women prOtesta
do not want the ballot; would not
it if they had it; do not believe thai
would improve politics if they did;
. not regard women as injured for !,
of direct representation, and, fna
believe "it is better for the cOmmur
that they devote their energies to
most efficient performance of Il
present work than to divert them
new fields ofactivity. Baltimore S