The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26

soc nSer DeaieTt Association Of Manhattan
s sW,.,i Inc bronx--whioh wss AZ follors:
we are going into politics We beg leave to
say that Te are men Engaged In business
conducted under the laws OF this State:
that VIC have In our ranks members Of eli
their respective parti6 q Is dete rmined by the
terests" "
Exactly 70. There may be various
pubic questions OF great moment on which
Ties, parties take totally different sides.
but they are Of small consequence, as .our"
allegiance is based solely on tho effect OF
the party policy on our interests The
pronounciamento concludes: TN this re-
spect we diffcr from no class OF our citi-
zens.'
Now how much weight would this quiet.
simple statement carry IL made by BODY
that had no votes and controlled none?
And Is II true that In thus serving notice
OF their intentions toward the party which
is hostile to their interests they stand ON a
par with every other class OF citizens?
suppose that The State w. c. 7. T., the
Woman Suffrage Association and the FEEDER
alton Of Women's Clubs should meet and
resolve that, not only had they borne their
sh na s 81 ,saa'ion to support the dependent
can editors. but far more than their share
OF the personal care and the shame and
sorrow produced by these unfortunates,
and that they proposed to punish the polti-
ca, parties e, under ss whose protection The
wax and grow strong. Would this d'clara-
ton produce the CULVER OF an eyeld among
the politicians5 Well, yes; probably every
one Of them would wink one eye. And
women are far stronger than the liquor
dealers. Wherein lbs the difference
then? Simply In the fact that the latter
repre- scnt votes and the former do not.
Though one should argue until doomsday,
he would be forced at last 20 this conclu-
sion.
Justice Julius Mayer Of the Court of
Special Sessions. who addressed the State
Woman's Republican Association a few
DAYS go on How Can Women Do Good
in Poli,ics?' is entitled 10 great deal Of
respect for telling his audience that women
had no political influence. 1t was pre-
cisely the dose they needed. Here is this
body OF women every campaign begging
money, getting up. rallies and tramping
ture. and yet they do not ask for the suf-
frage and do not allow the subject 70 b, dis
cussed at their meetings: They are OF about
as much consequence politicallyas band OF
, Chinese parading the streets with lighted
punksticks. The party. would be fully
justified in repudiating them. and its lead
ers would render them a service by speak
! ing as plainly as Justice Mayer. The
| men have made up their minds on political
questions" he said. The proper work
| generation In other words, Go home
and talk TO the children; you are on the
same level with them
Now. II these women believe that the
cess OF the Republican party. let them
leave politics to the men-who can't do any
worse than they already have done-for
while longer and devote their energies 20
securing the ballot They can then work
| for their party with some advantage to
| il and some dignity to themselves. In
stead Of puttering around a. now, making
| themselves nuisance and a laughing
stock in their vain Efforts to influence
the men. they can do their work among
they can go to the polls az the peer OF any
! American citizen. and no man there, even
| the highest and miehtiest. will dare to say.
| You have no political influence
When distinguished man passes away
and his eulogies are fpoken by press and
| tongue they almost never take account OF
] his attitude toward the question OF political
| rights for women. They tell what he did
and said for the oppressed Of his own race,
for his party, but they ignore completely
any services he may have rendered to
those who have been struggling half a
century for a recognition Of the principle
This has just been the case with Rabbi
Emeritus Gustav Gottheil Of New York,
the profound scholar and liberal divine.
In 1887 he made an address In Masonic
Hall in advocacy Of the franchise for women
In 1894 he signed the petition to the Con-
stitutional Convention for suffrage amend-
ment. and he was always an able and con-
sistent friend to this cause.
Columbia University has jus. estab-
lished a scholarship for women to be called
The Margaret Fuller Post Graduate
Scholarship in English Literature ard
Letters And yet it is within the memory
Of living man that Margaret. Fuller was
almost ostraciz.d in Boston because she
sat in the public library and read. No
woman had ever before done so immodest
a thing. II IL such striking contrasts as
the above which inspire the hope that a
few generations more will see vast broad
ening Of the narrowness and prejudice
of the present age. We are not so be-
nighted as our ancestors, but there is
ample room for our posterity TO improve
upon Us IDA Hustled HARPER.