New-York tribune., 1905-08-18
WOMEN SOCIALISTS.
Part They WiU Take an Coming
Municipal Campaign.

with the publication or the citys new list OF
registered voters, September !. nearly one hun
Cred women viii start on & house 10 house can
vass in behalf Of the Socialist party. Each will
take list OF voters names and addresses in a
certain section. and viii go from house to house,
talking TO the voter or his women folk. and try
ing 70 secure all the voters in the family for the
socialist ticket
The field of their labors VIII be mainly the
lower East Side and in what is called Yorkville,
around East S6th-st. The party has found the
Efforts OF women particularly useful in this line,
often e woman gain hearing when q man
would be turned out of the house.
I'VE had forty women house TO house workers
in the campaign year ago." said U. Solo
man, financial secretary OF the New-York or
ganization. at the headquarters. No. GA East
4th-st, yesterday.
To-day we have seventy-hve waiting for the
publication OF the voters list TO start work. and
by the time the list is out there will be num-
ber OF others. am getting two or three letters
q day from women who not only state their will
ipgness 10 work, but beg that work may be given
them 10 90"
Mr.. soloman opened drawer and took out a
bunch OF letters, all OF this kind Each stated
the desire OF the writer 10 90 anything that
might he assigned her TO help the party. one
SAID: 'I am a woman. but hope that VIII NOT
exclude me from the party"
.'on the contrary" said Mr.. soloman, I'VE vel
come every woman as much as every man. In
the first place, & woman's money Is as good as a
mans. and no one can be enrolled a regular
member Of our party without paying dues IN
the second place, we estimate that every woman
is ss good for at least one vote as every man Is
And last and greatest Of all, our women mem
hers are better workers than our men. Four
teen per cent Of our entire membership in New
T2r-@- -Jxy- -i1a xrl7O az
IL per cent are active workers, while of the SO
per cent OF men members, a large number DO
nothing but pay their dues and vote. a much
larger percentage OF the women members OF the
party than OF the give time and EFFORT 10
spreading our propaganda.
Then there is q much larger number Of
women who are not paying members OF the
party. but who active sympathizers. We
reckon that OF all our sympathizers outside the
party 80 per cent are women Many of these
women work quite as actively regular mem
bers They distribute literature. talk propa-
ganda and raise money for the party. There is
Miss Newman who is the chairman Of street
meeting at the corner of Pitt and Grand SITS. TO-
night. She will probably be arrested tonight"
He spoke in a perfectly matter Of fact way.
as If il were part OF the regular duties Of
women members TO get arrested.
Miss Johanna Dahme. on East S7th-st.," he
continued, lis one of our most eloquent speak
ers. Miss Margaret Wien. now in Paris, is
member Of our executive committee Miss Flor
ence Lee, sister OF our candidate for Mayor. is
q member Of the general committee MISS
Annie Berman, OF N 161 Ridge-st-. is one OF
our speakers. So is Elsa Barker, whose poems
are seen in the leading magazines Of America
We had a general instruction meeting last
night 10 instruct campaign workers. FIVE nun
snd ffry were women. All these are volunteer
workers. you understand. This increase IN the
number Of women workers Is me crop ~ rom Idse
winters meetings. Nearly al the newcomers
have told they were converted IN some
meeting or other last winter
What is the characteristic Of our women
members? Brains" said Mr. Solomon 1t is Il
curious fact that the average Of Intellect ana
education IS considerably higher among our
women members than our men How do 1 eH-
plain il? ! don't explain 1t. III leave mat 10
you"
Miss Frances NJ. Gill, however, member Of
the general committee. was not al all in doubt
rs to the explanation. Miss Gill has place OF
business Of her own at No. IA Broadway
where she readily discussed the subject
'Leboring men, both skilled and unskllleds
SAID she, have come IN contact with soclallsI
rFopaganda in their work IN their trades unions,
and in political meetings. But the wives OF
these men do not come under such influences.
They ale at home in the kitchen, or taking care
Of their children. The women who have come
into the party have got there through mental
avenues entirely, through books ana lectures
They are largely professional and business
women. Office workers arUsts, writers ana the
ike and skilled labor is represented among the
women OF the party, but do not think unskilled
labor is
As for their work 1 don't believe any other
psrtv ever commanded SO much unpaid labor.
IN all the branches you VIII find women working
in the agitation department. folding, directing
and mailing literature distributing ii by hand,
or telling il at meetings. myself have given
many hours Of professional service without pay
- the party. Then Mrs. Marian Lalng and my
self. rnembe Of Branch No p OF Assembly Dis
tr3ct no. 30 took certain section III The Bronx
and distributed literature 10 every family. 1t
vas the section bounded by Union-ave-. 10th
St Iutervale-ave and 169th-st-. filed with two
family houses and the better class OF tenement
houses. We left literature in every family and
talked with some. Everybody treated US nicely
The time is coming very soon," said another
woman member. when great field Of work for
women VIII open up in the Socialist party. Some
definite systematic course of teaching has got