The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-18
WOMEN TO PLEAD FOR HER.
THEY VIM ASK cor. ROOSETELT TO
SPfRE PL4CE'S life

national expansion aud the death penalty
for women-und the discussion on both was
spirited. The meeting was held in Genea-
logical Hall. 22G West Fifty eighth street.
Mrs. r. 81. John Gafrncy presided. aud there
was u large turnout of politicians and guests.
Mrs. Ida TrafTord Bell was COMMISSIONS
months Hgo TO prepare a paper on the %rcstric-
ton OF immigration. Instead. in her parcr
yesterday, slo made an eloquent plea for eN-
pansion. 1t is true that she touched briefly
on her given subject. but very briefly, and tho
wav the women rallied TO the support Of cX.
pansion would have surprised certain United
States Senators and Congressman. Senator
lIoar's ears and those Of Grover Cleveland
must have burned. since It Is generally be-
lieved that ears do burn whom dlsngreeable
things are being said about their owners.
After disposing of expansion the society took
up capitol punishment, and IL was resolved to
send u petition to Gov. Roosevelt at once ask
ing him to spare Mrs. Place, the Brooklyn woo
man, under sentence Of death for numbering
her stepdauEhter and then hacking her hus-
band almost TO death with an axe. Tho mat
ter was brought up by Mrs. IIettio w. Ora
ham. who said that she was opposed to capital
punishment, and that If possible tho Cover
nur'S pardon should be obtained for Mrs.
Place.
We want equal rights with men" said Mrs.
ltl'N phNIltll'llh SIilNl III tllNNtl w Aiilps
and while | do not believe in capital punish
ment either, l say. if men murderers are put to
death for their crimes, women murdcrcrs
should not be differently treated
Whom women have equal rights. then let
them be electrOcutcd,' cried an excited voice
from the rear.
when I can vote / am ready to be electro
cuted,' solemnly announced Mrs. Devereux
blake.
The Rev. Phehc Hanaford made a motion
that on the ground of humanity, and as there
was doubt about Mrs. Places sanity. Il petit
ton should he sent to the Governor asking
that tho death sentence be revoked. The mo-
ton was a badly Jumblcd affair. but Mrs. An
ME T. Rotter promptly seconded 1t. saying:
IF six men and six women had convicted this
woman. l should say. let her die. But men
alone have Judged her crime
This is a momentous moment said Mrs.
GaTney. asking Mrs. Smith to take the chair.
1T may give n terrible setback 20 our cause
If we ask the Governor TO commute this wo-
mans sentence because she is Il woman.
and
"Oh, no. no. no." cried a dozen voices.
1t isn't because she is a woman" explained
Mrs. Graham.
Then let us as humanitarians set our faces
against capital punishment for men and wo-
men, suggested DR.. Ella Z. Miles, and Mrs.
llanaford put this sentiment in the form Ola
Mrs. Blake and Mrs. Hanaford we're appoint
ed by the Chair to prepare IA formal petition
to Gov. Roosevelt.
Mrs. Bells paper was in the main a ringing
call to Americans to boldly face the new du:
ties imposed upon the nation as a result OF
the late war, and a sharp rebuke 70 the faint
hearted ones who decry expansion. In eN-
PLANTATION Of her course in abandoning the
topic originally assigned to her. Mrs. Bell said
toward the end OF her paper;
By this time you must be wondering why,
away back in the months before the war. | ac-
cepted your commission TO present IL paper
upon the restriction Of immigration, and now
real questions by PLAYING hide and seek, as it
We're. in the great forest of a-American-
ism. | will tell you. Ii Is because at that time.
which, reckoned by the course Of events is
the old America. ! was living. in, and think
ing and, seeing, from the old fashioned log
hehrthstone Of its great. yawning fireplace
with senator Hoar aud his grandmother, and
drinking in his apt quotations Of the words OF
wisdom that had fallen from the lbs or Adams. |
Jefferson and jackson, as trod my little
SSthers.T a = v];eriittabIe, yyietimi of the seniie text and
teachings. hoary old age and isolation. and saw
and thought only from that standpoint.
Il was then pre- disposed to mild attacks OF
fatty degeneration of the patriotic heart, and
Gleyelandir excess Of adip2se tissue. which
makes. one feel that any further expansion is
not only dangerous, but must certainly result
in dropsy, a]popieNy aud dissolution. And
with such as these. old constitutionals, WAS in
clined to think that We had no more room for
the stranger within our gates. and that we
must neither enlarge our hearts nor extend
our borders. But that spell has been sud- "nly
broken and all barriers have been so suddenly
swept away that our gales now the
earth and the u"onl" thereof, aud We Amert-
cans, must rs. o. the occasion, and, accounting
and eniC res the best and strongest of laws for
seil-goVe rnmeur, foster the eyer-grDwinE love
hasten the day when i. can he truly said thar
the Anglo-SaNon, not britannia. rules the
Mrs. futile was asked to preside during the
discussion which Miss AmericalPhillips opened.
Miss Phillips had Il great deal T. say against
she made remarks about the Irish. Germans
and jews that angered some Of her sister poll
subject abruptly. however. by saying:
! must sreak on this subiec' OF exhaustion.
Of PATRIOTS. true Americans. and cant forget
that / live under a Constitution that still re;
f EJECT IN 9" Grd r@Ege dEii man ana vb4 W ! afe TO- . FAY a w W9 Fra
our old Constitution and this republic, | know
lutte of expansion and care less. ] love our
islands through greed. /. like Senator Hoar.
dare say that, i like, q republic better tiom a
alton Of republics on this side Of The seas, but
to take Il m2nErels, lepfrs, Ep}e2nIs who soG%Hk
have no IlEht to i~ncornprate. any island that
we cannot take in a. a state.
clure4 Dt, keatingo, "Becaq-e we are Justly
proud of our country and what II represents
in the Church. in, politics and in civilization.
we would bo moral towards To shrink from do
ing what we can to Giytiize and CnristianIze
people. To 80 back 70 our subject, m
wen be Ohlg"d to think Of II in
connection with the Philippines. No person
from any country should bc allowed to land
here whose name sIand' On IA criminal record
or who has an incurable disease, unless, in the
latter case, some one - here who will guar
nntee that the invalid shah not become "A Iub-
lie charge.
pr. Miles here paid a tribute to John Me
CullaGh; Forty years. ago, she said. there
here a family Of immigrants who came
Z" seek comfort. Among The many children
was a - year-old boy. To-day that little
immigrant is in Havana regulating the police
OF the island; lie is doing a work no one else
seemed qualified 20 do: he is Il man with a
record rs White A. paper. feel proud to call
him friend. proud Of all he has done When
! received a letter from his wife to-day telling
mo that ne had taken his life in his hands. as
Wariug did. | trli that avery woman hero
to-day would be glad 10 do honor 10 John Nc
,uInGh. A. Tor Miss Phillips's slur ON the
Irish. / am the daughter ui an freshman and
glory in n. Who bore arms more braNelY in
the late war than tho Irish
All Of as here are immigrants asserted
Mrs. Blake suOthinglv. u don ( oppose any