New-York tribune., 1907-06-28
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Women Fight to Keep 1t Ont of
Ncac Society's Constitution.

The mysterious body Of women that has become
known to fame as the Womens League and that
is popGlarly supposed to be pursuit the ballot
held public meeting at the Waldorf-Astoria yes
terday afternoon. Mrs. Dore Lyon. in stunning
frock of brown silk and lace. with a large hat
adorned with two shaded gray plumes presided,
amd the meeting divided its time between talking
about how # going to get the franchise and
denying that = had any special interest in so
doing
If go TO Albany in large enough numbers. -
said AIRS. Belle de Rivera, president OF the New
York Equal Suffrage League we will get the
suffrage. That Is why the teachers succeeded. Il
IS Tiiful 10 handful of women going TO Al
bany year after year asking for the franchise
Mrs. John Fowler Trow quoted masculine opinion
10 the same effect. man to whom she outlined
the plan OF organization said: IF you do that you
will have the suffrage il your pocket or anything
else you want" Not" she added hastily. that
are going TO work for suffrage specially"
Thereupon Mrs Julian Heath, who is officer
in an anti-sufrage organization arose and gave
voice sumbering feeling of dissatisfaction that
pervaded the assemblage.
I am heart and soul with your plans for indus
trial work she said. but when you press suffrage
much ] afraid. All the state and the
city there IS a division this subject. Would We
not be making mistake if We made suffrage the
paramount issue2'
For an instant there was a silence that could be
felt. But the chairman to the occasion with
the declaration that they had no idea of making
Suffrage the paramount issue.
We only want il where il IS necessary for the
sake OF getting something else And the audience
mortal ever wanted 4 vote for any other reason.
Mrs. De Rivera added that state suffrage or
Canzation already existed and she would consider
that she loyal 10 that organization If she
attempted form another in which suffrage was
the paramount issue.
Various speakers denied also that the movement
antaSonistic 20 the state federation, but
Rfterward of the ringeaders said:
The saEae thing that was al the bottom Of all
the in the State Fedora ton is at the bottom
Of this movement. The federation does nothing
but talk 1t has nothing show but little
trade school a reason FOR its existence. We
want 10 do something
In introducing the subject TO the meeting Mrs
Lyon said that the first meeting had been called
in response to suggestions from ali the state
from who satisfied with existing
organizations She stated further that they didn't
intend TO spend their time in election fights. and
for tie purpose Of avoiding them she suggested
long terms Of Office.
This isn't club movement she concluded. 1T
will draw its members from women who are not
associated with clubs. and expect have A
good many labor union members
The meeting voted that ii would proceed
organize Immediately which means fall and
the chair was empowered appoint a committee
10 draft a constitution.
Then the women came near having their first
roT over their name. They didn't like the Women's
League, and the Professional Women's League
doesn't like il either. In fact. they Sol
Smith and Miss Brown to defend their rights
Civic and Industrial Organization of New York.
Stale and this met with considerable favor but the
pGrliamentarian, Mrs TroW. insisted that they
must name themselves then and there. and nearly
every one else wanted merely to recommend the
name TO the committee. The parliamentarian re-
FUSED 10 recede from her position, and the chair
overruled her. No bones broken and the
meeting adjourned