The sun., 1897-11-16
UPSTATE WOMEN vEXED.
DARKFr Attribute "TAMFANF
METHODS TO SoROSIS

Federation Election, at which Mrs. Hell
Euth Beat MRS. Lynch Tor rPresidont-Sorosis
Smiles. with Not q Modish Feather Rufned'
There seems TO DO trouble among tho club
vomeR Of New York State. Last week tho State
Federation Of Women's Clubs met ut Syracuse.
and the echoes Of the affair arc stl reverberating
with increasing rather than diminishing force.
1t seems that thero was an election OF officers
and that Mrs. William Tod Holmuth OF this city,
ex-President OF Sorosis and n woman we'll known
In social as well rs club life, was the winning
candidate. She received SO votes, while Mrs. Van
Loon Lynch Of Syracuse received 73 votos. The
election occurred on Friday. On Saturday even.
ing Syracuse paper published what p6rportcd
to be an interview with Mrs. Lynch in the course
of which sho made remarks about Mrs. Hol-
muth In particular ana Sorosis in general; re-
marks which would be calculated to ruffle the
c4.mest womans mind.
"The election Of officers yesterday" says the
Interview, was entirely illegal The point re.
gardng representation was thoroughly can
vassed last year, but owing to the fact Of the
precedent established, the delegates who came
representing ono or more clubs were allowed
the privilege OF casting votes for them, but 1t
was most distinctly stated and understood at
Buffalo last year that another year it could not
be done, But Sorosis members, following theiI
usual methods, took no notice Of this, and scnt
on delegates representing one or moro clubs.
Mrs. f. L. Cory Of New York represented four
different clubs, and cast vote for each. An
other fragrant error was that Mrs. Helmuth ap-
pointed her own tellers, which 10 absolutely
unconstitutional and without precedent. No
roll call Of delegates was made previous to tho
election, which allowed any Of the many visi-
tors to drop in ballot. In all elections inspec-
tors are always appointed, and 1t should have
been done in this case. In my opinion Mrs.
MI I'M al tion
ter. She was in q position OF power and she
used 1t to her own advantage. Julia Ward Howo.
at tho recent convention in Springfield said
that II Mrs. Helmuth was elected. the whole fed
Grafton would degenerate into millinery and
dress exhibition"
Mrs. Lynch is reported in the same paper to
sAttribute her defeat largely to tho fact that
Mrs. w. W. Teall of Syracuse. mother of Ollie
Tesll of New York. worked industriously against
her in the convention on the ground that she
was Catholic"
A SUN reporter showed Mrs. Helmuth the re-
marks here quoted, but Mrs. Helmuth did not
wish 10 enter into any public discussion of the
matter.
you may quote me as saying, sincerely and
emphatically." she said, "that do not believe
Mrs. Lynch ever said these things. have too
high regard and respect for her to believe it.
1t may be that Somo overzealous friends have
been led into such expressions because of disap-
pointment, but I am confident that Mrs Lynch
10 not responsible for them. As for her being
Catholic, did not even know she was one until
was on my way back to New York"
letter from an up-the-State woman was also
shown to Mrs. Helmuth. The letter, which was
personal one, was quite as explicit as the news
payer interview. 1t was as follows:
1T has been rather : q bad moment at the
federation this week. 1t was the old fight
against Tammany and Tammany methods, and
Tammany woA Personally. am unable to re-
cover from my e:sappontment that Mrs. Mont
gomery could neither be present nor accept the
reelection which was unanimously offered her.
The best thing the State Federation ever did was
to appreciate Mrs. Montgomery. II she had
been here we should have been saved a great
many humiliating though humorous specta-
cles and should have been able to accomplish
something besides the engrossng and all absorb
ing task Of eecting officers.
Mrs Lynch, the defeated candidate. feels
very bitterly, I understand and in an int erview
IN the Syracuse Herald last night claims unfair
opposition candidate should employ similar
methods to those Of the Tammany party.
ing Of Women two two We Weeks ago. s should @ think i
that this is all that can be expected of collec-
when saw those other women take up their
business and dispose of 1t, quietly, expeditions
@eomprehensivenes col pre- that was really impressive pre- I
I concluded that it was not sex only that was
the matter with the State Federation Of New
.."In addition to the wrangle over President
the Syracuse women themselves are in heroe
excitement because they weren' all asked to dis
com. nto personal % contact @ WITH three dierens
grown women that ! wonder how much longer ger
the federation at ali It really doesn't affect me
xsTy closely sHo5Eh. of course one cannot help
The reference to "the Tammany methods" of
the successful candidate made Mrs. Helmuth
There seems to be an intimation that there
Was illegal voting" she said. well the roll
call showed possible vote of 202.. As q matter
two more were cast, but were lost because tie
ballots were not properly marked. Eleven OF
ton was not at ali altered By throw wing them out
Mrs. Montgomery was the President last year
When Mrs. Montgomery . illness prevented her
from Il, taking ing the otiics ga second year Mrs Lypeh
were SO placed on the ticket. but was elected
BY majority Of few votes The election was
Ea% wSS tn.
meeting of the Federation, but who does NOT
Eish to be quoted by name. was more detailed
We are always Identified with. sorosisi We
go as delegates from soross at all; but that
makes no difference. AS soon as It Is discov
cred that We belong to Sorosis everything else Ia
forgotten, Mrs. Helmuth went as q delegate
from another club: AS for the so.called Sorosil
methods which Mrs. Lynch says wero used. ]
don't know what she means. Mrs. Helmuth
won on her merits; that is the truth. Sho pro
sided in the absence of Mrs. Montgomery, and
with such an object lesson before them. the
wagering ones Immediately turned to her side
THE roll was called in the morning. don't
know whether II was called Immediately before
the election. However, II there was such al
omission, any one could have risen and do
mended the call of the roll. Yes. Mrs. Helmutt
oia sppoint the tellers. She was the presiding
the Federation met 1t was her duty to dc
This. She appointed ono woman from Staten
Island, one from a distant part of the State, anc
one from Syracuse, member of Mrs. Lynch'l
own club woman got up and suggested that
watchers be appointed TO superintend the
counting Of the votes. Mrs. Helmuth promptly
appointed the woman herself as watcher The
ers would not be necessary.
The names OF the candidates had been so
iecteq by a. committee appointed some time ago
BY Mrs. MONTGOMERY. The retrinr PresidanI