The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-05
The CAUSE OF WOMAN.
rur SUFFRAGISTS IN NEW Or
,riNs ~ CONVENTION AND OUT.


n. crescent City Found Them worth
Listening To-work OF the Press Com.
ittee-Three-quarters OF the Matter
II sends 10 the Press 10 Useti-The
women and the Mayor OF stamford
II Prophecy Coming True.
The delegates who have returned from
the National Suffrage Convention In New
Orleans are extremely enthusiastic In their
rports The audiences. they say, grew
larger with each meeting. and fully one
half we're men. After the convention week
had closed the people wanted more, and Mrs.
CHAPMAN Gait was invited to address, the
next evening" the Progressive Union, a
body of 600 men, similar to board Of trade
and. according to the account, people
fairly stood on each others shoulders"
The evening following the Rev. Anna How
ard Shaw was requested to speak to mass
meeting of citizens and, although thunder
storm ragged. there was not vacant seat.
The president of the union and q number
Of other public men announced themselves
thoroughly In favor Of woman suffrage,
among them Bishop Sessums Of the Episco-
pal Church.
The report Of Mrs. Elnora NJ. Babcock,
national superintendent Of press, was among
the most significant features Of the occa-
sion. By a regular system of sbookkeep-
ing it Is ascertained that fully three-fourths
Of the matter furnished by the bureau to
the press is used. During the past year
1000 general articles were sent out. and
about 1000 special articles. In addition
Pennsylvania used $500 special stories
and New York and Massachusetts, a very
large number. A page Of plate matter is
issued every six weeks. New York leads,
nished 3s2 in Pennsylvania. 1872 in Nebraska,
1853 in Illinois. ITO in Ohio. 81 in Iowa, 40 in
Kansas, 80 in Kentucky, &c. These figures
do not so much represent the attitude OF
the press in the various States tow ard
woman suffrage as they show that the press
In others. The average editor will not re-
fuse an article ON this subject IL il il newsy
and well written. This report, of course,
does not include the individ work on
various papers. For brief period last fall
watch was kept for editorial opinions. and
within a few weeks forty-fve large city
papers expressed themselves favorably.
The sentiment Of the Middle and Western
press is much more friendly than that of
the East and South. Each year shows de-
cded progress on the part of the news
papers.
BY the way. several Of the New Orleans
papers. while giving the most glowing
daily three-page accounts OF the suffrage
convention. took occasion to- express edi-
torialy their disapproval Of the cause.
In contrast to the ent husiastic crowds
a. the meetings it certainly looks as II
they did not represent public sentiment.
On the opening day the Picayune came out
with column leader declaring that It was
far from favoring this movement but
admitting that 1t was making progress.
The reason it gives for this Is decidedly
original: -On account OF their use of alco-
Dol ard tobacco il says. 'the decay Of the
masculine part OF every community in
civilized countries Is most rapid and far
reaching The tramps, loafers. hoodlums
and other worthless males reach up into the
hundreds OF thousands. and the women
have to support not only the families which
the men fail to care for. but the drunken
and worthless fathers, husbands, brothers
and sons This has driven women into
the places once monopolized by men, 1t
says, and continues
1t Is not strange that such conditions
should have aroused peculiar feelings on the
numerous worthless male Creatures with
contempt and losthins, and this feeling is
and hoodums are very important factors In
potics and public elections.
II these conditions have operated to imp
women TO seek political recognition IL would
BE- what was to be expected. and II women
have made any progress In securing such
tatlng into functions in which the men have
movement Of women for political recognition
the result Of a wild and fancifui notion on the
part 81 the few erratic women: but Is the
,oslGal ,groTSth, Of causes Operating far down
It is not likely that the women sufYraeists
ere going to score any great and sudden VIC
continue to grow and bear fruit ns they have
done. women will rise TO the summit OF power
through their ability, 10 SEIZE the sceptre
the de@oraized t and dehumaniEed nen sp
The editor of the Picavune was the only
enc who TOOK fall out OF the men during
Tie entire week.
The Times Democrat opened a broadside
he same morning by attacking the record
OF the National Associate ion on the color
question, referring to- Miss Anthony's
recent obnoxious letter" to a meeting Of
coored people in New York, and urging
the women of the South to have nothing
70 d, with the convention. This appeal
TO race prejudice fell very nat. The
national Officers Immediately issued a
statement declaring that -the association
rcoglizes thoroughly the doctrine Of
States rights, and that while individual
members hold the views on the race ques-
Of the country. each State auxiliary arranges
Us own Affairs in accordance with its own
IDEAS
When il was announced q year ago that
the convention would lie held In New Orleans
the Times Democrat came out with column
Of very silly and insulting twaddle. such as
wa used in regard to this question before
the war. A short time previous to the
meeting the Era Club Of New Orleans
offered a prize to the pupils Of the high
schools for the best essay on woman suf-
frage, and this paper rushed into the ring
urging thai -the influence of every father
and mother in the State should be thrown
nitedy and concer eddy against this
opposition and that ~the educational
authorities should not for moment coun-
tnance IT,"
As Charming used TO say. AN this IL but
Ne noiso and dust Of the wagons bringing
The harvest home"
in Stanford Conn, a few days ago a
oesegation from the W. C. T. U. called on
The newly elected Mayor to complain that
The saloons were open all day Sundays,
many mon were drunk and that conditions
verr discraceful, and to urge the enforce
en-, OF toe law. In reply the Mayor In
voted a. follows:
would like very much 70 please you,
31i"s, but really I don't think you under
uand the situation. You know this Is a