New-York tribune., 1907-01-11
MRS. BROWN ELECTED.
Republican Women, Il fter Hot Cam
paigp, Make Her President.

II spite OF the fact that her husband is &C.
cused Of having supported Mr.. Hearst in the
late state election, Mrs. William Grant Brown
was elected president Of the West End Wonan's
Republican Association yesterday at the Hotel
Astor. defeating by an overwhelming majority
her opponent, Mrs. Florence Morrell. The event
was the elimination OF a long and bitter feud
and by means settles the issues at stake for
the two strongest members of the faction whose
presidential candidate was defeated. were elected
Mrs. Stanley Otis. first vice-president, and
Mrs. Helena Secor Tonjes as the chairman of
the eI1cutfve committee.
Mrs Tones the retiring president, said after
the election that she did not know whether she
would retain the position OF chairman not.
though many members had .InpIored her TO do
go. as the only hope OF the clubs salvation. AS
for Mrs. Morrell. she declared hotly that she
hsd been used by both factions. and intended
to shake the dust Of the organization from her
feet forever
The ramifcations Of the Issues at stake are
almost too complicated for an outside mind to
grasp. Not only true blue Republicans
pitted against Republicans with Hearst afilis-
tons. but the friends Of Mrs. Tonnes are drawn
up :n battle array against those who disapprove
OF the latter's administration. The defeat Of
Mrs. Morrell was due partly to the fact that
she believed to be the candidate of Mrs.
Tones
There were three tickets IN the field. an official
ballot naming Mrs. Brown and Mrs Otis for
president and vice. president and Mrs TONES
for chairman of the executive committee: true
blue Republican ticket. with Mrs. Morrelr and
Mrs. Otis in the first two places, and Mrs. TONES
for chairman Of the executive committee. and a.
eo-ca1ed independent-in reality. an anti-Tonjes
ticket, with Mrs. Brown and Mrs MorreH for
president and vice-president and Mrs. Augustine
Wilson. the leader Of this faction, a chairman
Of the executive committee. Mrs. Morrell de-
clared that the use Of her name on this ticket
was unauthorized.
The meeting the most exciting one ever
held in the history Of the club. The old MEM
hers, who seldom appear. turned out to swell the
vote for their favorite candidate. and the air
electric with badly suppressed feelings Of
all kinds. No effort was made to keep things
from the public.
1T has never been custom to exclude re-
porters," said Mrs. Ton5es. when the meeting
was called to order. ''snd whenever did we
found that wireless tslegraphy worked perfectly.
/ don't know how they get their verbatim re-
ports. but they always do. and don't think
there is any use in trying to kick against
the pricks to-day"
Mrs. Charles A. Crossman protested that IL
reporters were allowed to remain she would have
to resign her membership. as her husband didn't
Ike the things the papers said about the club.
and she herself saw no reason why IT should
publish fits discords to the world.
Mrs Crossman." said Mrs. TONES. with great
dignity and severity. there are no discords In
this club any more than in any other woman S
club where there may be a little difference of
opinion We are political and party organiza-
ton. and we cannot expect to do our business
privately"
Mrs Crossrnan subsided and Mrs. TONES pro-
ceeded with her presidential address. In refer
ring to meeting which the association ar
ranged Camp Hughes she took occasion TO
eulogize Mrs. Morrell and to refer to her own
speech tracing the assassination Of President
mckinley TO the paper owned by one or the can
dids,es for Governor.
'I mention this" she said, because some Of
the members OF this club whose husbands voted
for Hearst criticised the use OF this terrible
calamity as a campaign argument as unseemiy
In referring TO the things the club would have
to do IN future Mrs. TONES mentioned the
problem ofevhat 10 DO with women who want
10 be Democrats and Republicans-and might
say Hearstites-at the same time. despite our
constitution.
Al this the opposition stigmatzed "eiec-
tioneering."
Eiectoneering, however, was not confined to
any one party after the polls had been declared
open. Mrs Arthur S. Wilson rose. and when Mrs
TONES refused TO recognize her she appealed to
the house. The house sustained her, and she
appealed TO the members to vote for Mrs Brown
ss president and Mrs Morrell as vice-presdent
She thought this the best way to establish har-
nlony, fnasmuch Mrs. Morrell had originally
supported Mrs. Brown
The ice being thus broken, Mrs William S.
Trafton sprang TO her feet and said that the
situation was not new one
we had member once who worked for Mr..
Low" she said. land she was downed. Another
supported Tammany and also downed-
Now, have two factions-one thoroughly Re-
publican and one headed by woman whose
husband has Hearst Affiliations"
This is woman's club" put in Mrs. +. z.
ADAMS, angered by the reference TO husbands.
I>ua there ara not two factions In IT. eddsd