New-York tribune., 1908-02-20
WOMEN TALK AT ALBANY
Legislature and Governor Hear Ar-
euments For and Il gaillst Suffrage.


making display mingled with racetrack follow
ers, ministers, politicians and the generally GU
rious crowd about the legislative corridors thls
afternoon, to attend the hearing on the proposed
constitutional amendment which would strike
the limiting male" from the constitutional
provision regarding the right TO vote rms
hearing WED in interestasrith that on the race
track bills and held in the Senate chafnber
while the racing question being thrashed Out
III the Assembly chamber.
The suffragists by means had II all Ihelr
way. for strong delegation Of women from
all parts of the state was present in opposition
tc the suffrage proposition Later III
the afternoon the of both sides croWueo
the executive chamber 10 present their argu-
ments pro and con Governor Hughes.
The speakers for the proposed amendment m
cluded Mrs Mary E Craigie, Brooklyn; Mrs r. ).
Van Valkenburgh, Albany; DR.. Lavina s. DAVIS
Oneida; Mrs. B. b Ford. Chautauqua: Mrs Maude
:. Nathan New York Mrs. Harriet stanton
Blatch New York; Mrs. Belle De Rivera. New
York: Miss Anna F, Miller, Geneva; Mrs George
Howard Lewis. Buffalo; Mrs. Henry Willard New
York: Miss Julie R Jenney. Syracuse; Mrs. Frank
D. Bliss. Buffalo. Mrs Harry Hutchings, New
York: Miss Caroline Lexow. New York; Miss Har-
May Mills Syracuse and Mrs. Annie Garlin
Spencer New York
Mrs. Arthur NJ. Dodge. OF New York conducted
the hearing for the opposition and introduced Mrs
Francis NJ Scott of New York. Mrs Richard X
Noye jr., of New York. and Mrs W. ". Crannell
of Albany, read short papers and were followed by
Miss Adeline Knapp who spoke as follows:
The claim is made that working women in this
fheV have non fh -franchise If THIS claim can
he 's,ibsts,tjatad = bas a ,ary- direct bearing
upon the whole question enfranchising women,
but those who made it very definite in eX-
planning how this alleged handicap operates.
Certainly ii does not operate to close the door
Of opportunity women The industrial field is
to-day wide open to them. in this country. and
the American woman has not been slow to enter
Il These avenues have opened, more
over not as result OF the DalIoI or OF asltalloi
for the franchise, but in the general course OF
their share, and quite independently of womens
But the claim is that this handicap operates
against women as wage carriers We are told
that they must have the ballot to help them oh
tain the same pay as men, for equal service. We
are not told. however. how the ballot Will do this
N9T do n the & facts M Under Under fd f present ccum
We are told that when women can vote we shall
ment but the laws of this state relating not
exceeding! 1ali ana sINe women d ui''iIlc' aU-
vantage over men in many ways
~ these laws Women, are aI1ordeo equal @ PRO Pro?
lives and Iiberfies In cases Where the law does
discriminate it is in the womens favor a
ried woman, for instance, has far freer control
over her own property however acquired. than
married man has his Her earnings. If she
l. a wage worker. are absolutely and solely her
own and she IS under no obIlgalon 10 proFlae iQa
the extent Of paving her altmony If she gets
a woman in business is exempt from arrest in
53ggn - man @ 5bt Is no. o+a3ad 56Ts Certain ex
'ioy except when he has a family provide for
There are. moreover. many special statutes de
signed TO benefit and protect women employed in
New York, as, for instance, the one WhlGH pro pro
privilege Of bail and that none Of his property Is
wages Of a female ernpIoye up 10 $50
We have seen, then, that IN TINS state every
seen that the scale of women's wages is deter
mined by considerations entirely apart from tneir
protection and advantage of working women.
Women
many personal taxes which are put upon male
citizenship. such as the requirement to serye on On
jury. help put out fires. 10 make arrests; 10
help quen riots and to bear arms when their
c0untry's need requires them.
a question Of expediency the extension OF
fu measure. There are about five million working
women in this country or these II IS fSItlafeo @
and cease to he wage earners at about the time
they reach that age The position of women as in
.or75S,rs rarcertape NJ these workers their en-
ployrnent is but transient makeshift. and their
relation TO the business world would, IN no wise
ne changed oy en- III ir ras,a, eihi1+ies
without putting any real power into their hands
Governor Hughes devoted an hour to hearing the
arguments presented TO him. They practically
the same as those made TO the legislative commit
tees and practically by the same persons.
At the conclusion the Governor addressed the
women briefly. He said that the question is not
one in which he was charged with any official re-
sponsihJv. being a proposed amendments to the
constitution, which does not require the Governor
signature. He said in part:
I believe most heartily in the Importance of hav-
ing every question of this sort fully debate1-de-
bated as YOU have debated it-in 3 calm and Tea-
s0uable manner. that from the conflicting views
that are presented the truth may emerge and be
appraciated For whatever is right, as say, IN re
gard such matter, whether we agree with II at
this time DO not agree with II at THIS Inle,
whatever is right Will eventually appear TO he
right and in this country of Intelligence. Where so
much effort is devoted to the aScert tlnmeIt OF
r1I,5f+onS and 70 the Improvement OF conditions,
viii he Ultimately established -.-,-.. -
am going to express any opinion upon
s1,5a rs
practical statement that firmly believe that the
decision of this viii ultimately rest with the
women themselves. What the women In this state
really wanr-aud ! do not mean by that a nuTnerl-
,I ma jorv b1t mean the force of opinion among
me intelligent of the state. who VIII torn
The g1uhlic opinion OF women with regard to this
queston-that what@Eer lne N2htH III .Ll4 sens
really want they will have That demand on lhe
mart 0f women Will ne in the course OF time IRE
Sisrihle and the question $ simply W NAT 40
tha women want? For the men, the voters OF the
ef.re ,Tho viii pass upon this subject when ii is
r,racer-a6 will eventually. IN my Judgment. act IN
a-cordanCe with the demand which they feel aCtu- |
ally exists the part Of those VINO VIII be affected
"ST am ,erT glad indeed TO have heard YOU. and
c0n era uate YOU upon the way in which the matter
has been presented
The hearing before the joint legislative commit |
-aas on judiciary continued for several hours. the
seating capacitz Of the Senate chamber being taxed
10 lie fullest capacity. The arguments prac-
ticaIfv the same as those which have been pre-
scented for several years past. The supporters of
the bin argued in favor of giving the a
voice in elections and aboIshng taxation without
representation" while those opposed contended |
that there was no great demand for woman sut- !
frage and that woman had sufficient duties already |
without burdening her with those Of politics.