The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25
WOMEN REALLY IN POLITICS.
THEY HAVE OPENED CAMPAIGN
HEADQUARTERS FOR FUSION.
Hold Two Meetings Day Undcr Guidance
Of the Citizens Union, and Though the
Speakers Are Mostly Men the Women
Nun the 1hing-Night Rally Next.

Nun the Thins--Night Rally Next.
When the Women's Municipal League
opened campaign headquarters at 81 Union
Square about a week ago, many Newcomers
began to believe for the first time that
women, or, at least. some women. we're
taking seriously to politics. The news
was variously received.
Men and women who have always talked
contemptuously OF petticoat government.
scowled. Others who believe that with
women helping to direct political machinery
the millennium would not be long in arriv-
ing, openly reJoioed
There can he no doubt that this partic-
ular move on the part Of the Womel's
Municipal League has attracted attention
in new quarters. for although this is not the
first time the league has dabbled in poll
tics never before has it dreamed Of hiring
public headquarters in q populous thor
oughfare and putting the place in charge
| OF women.
Naturally, no one reJoices more over the
occurrence than women suffragists, who
see in it the essential fruition Of their most
cherished desires. Meanwhile, in the strong
hold itself, the women In charge were busy
| receiving visits-more or less fattering-
from men and women-partcularly from
men--and handing out campaign literature.
If any timdity was exhibited on either
side. it was on the side Of the visiting men.
At first some workmen who ventured
through the open door at the noon hour
did 1t with manifest hesitation. not to be
| misunderstood. One Of them confessed
afterward that his wife had warned him to
keep away from the place and that he
had expected to find there the masculine
type of woman with short hair, rainy day
skirt, four-in-hand tie and rampant on her
hobby of good government.
The establishment Of this same man
when, after screwing up his courage to
march in, his hat firmly planted on his
head, he was met by graceful women wear
ing picture hats. the newest skirts and the
most approved Fifth avenue drawing room
smile, took the outspoken form Of well.
guess you're not so different after all
| from the other women" And he took
his hat of.
Three of the leagues smartest membess
from the social point of view form its cam
paign committee They are Miss Margaret
Chanler, chairman; Mrs. Josephine Shaw
Lowell, treasurer; Mrs. Paul Revere Rey.
nolds, secretary. But then. none Of these
women are in evidence In the campaign
headquarters. Oh. dear, mol They are
not that kind of campaigners.
Mrs Lowell never sees reporters under
any circumstances. says the maid who
answers the door at Mrs. Lowells house,
and it Is minated at the headquarters
i tl.~ Ioxl.
welcomes interrogations from outsiders.
Besides this head committee there are
three subcommittee who give their I'M
divided attention, respectively. 10 finance,
publication and meetings.
From financial point Of view there can
be no question that the league s doing good
work. Last week it gave more than 81 900
to the Citizens Union, and it has no Diff
Guilty in meeting all the expenses of publi-
cation, store hire and other incidentals
that will mean before election day mat
ter of several more thousand dollars.
Friends of the league have given generously
to the campaign fund-some as high as
$500 in one donation, with the promise Of
more if needed. The leagues campaign
is not hampered by lack Of funds, even if
oommendable anxiety to turn every sur
plus dollar it has to spare into the treasury
of the Citizens Union. At the start the
campaign literature of the league was dis
tributed and mailed mainly along lines laid
down by the Citizens Union.
Unlike the Dowie crusade the league
makes no house TO house visitations. So
far its members, have not been laid under
the necessity of buttonholing the women
they meet to plead for the fusion ticket to
which they are committed. Instead posters
and cards containing facts about Mayor
Lows administration are sent into every
district to be distributed in stores, private
houses, public buildings- wherever, in fact,
they will be displayed-and over the after
noon tea cups loyal members Of the league
make a point of denying themselves tn g
happiness of discussing the servant ques-
ton and the last importation of fashions
to discourse seriously of what good gov
eminent has done for New York city.
The committee on meetings is, perhaps
the busiest and the most important of the
three 1t has it's hands full. One OF the
most important features Of its work or
what 1t considers the most important lie
providing women speakers to address
meetings, principally for women, and which
are held two OF three times week. mainly
in the tenement districts.
SO far the speakers have boon members
Of the league and they have included Mrs
Frederick Nathan, who addressed large
meeting last Tuesday afternoon at the
College Settlement; Mrs. A. J. Wilson, Mrs
Clarence Burns, Mrs II. $. Tonnes, Mrs.
Lillian d. Belts and others. Meetings of
the same sort were begun during the po =
ltical campaign two years ago, and at that
time met only wit h Indifferent success
Many poor women attended. thinking there
were TO be refreshments afterward. When
they found out their mistake their inter-
esl in the meetings died out.
This year, though, it ia different. Nearly
always the speakers have had good
sized audience which apparently takes
some interest in what is said Mrs Strong
who is at the head OF the Oeetings COM
| mittee said.
"The aim Of the speakers is not No much
TO denounce TammaDy and It's works, a.
| 10 teach The women with whom they CONF
in contact what good government IL and
what the Low al minist ration has done fos
| New York As Ii sort Of addsnGa TO these