New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-23
SUFFRAG[STS ELECT
MRS. BELMONT ABSENT
Her Letter and Statement
Read at TrOu.


Howard Shaw, Of New York, president of
the National Woman Suffrage Association.
arrived here to-day to take part in the
convention of the New York State Woman
Suffrage Association in progress at the
Young Mems Christian Association hall.
At the afternoon session she spoke briefly
on Our Progress, as Indicated by the
Press" and in the evening on National
Suffrage"
The following officers were elected: Presi-
dent, Mrs. Ella Hawley Crossett, of War
saw; vice-president. Miss Harriet Mary
Mills, of New York; corresponding secre-
tary, Mrs. Frank Shuler, of Buffalo, re-
cording secretary, Mrs. Nicholas Shaw
Fraser. Of Geneseo; treasurer, Mrs Will
lam NJ. WINS, of New York; auditors, Mrs.
Eliza Wright Osborne. Of Auburn, and Mrs.
Fanny Garrison Willard, of New York
Resolutions were adopted as follows:
Resolved, That we call upon the en-
franchised half of the state to grant the
ballot TO women. in order that they may
be enabled to perform the duties of citizen
ship.
Resolved. That we ask the Senators and
Assemblymen OF this state 10 unite I'm
passing in the coming Legislature a con-
current resolution 10 strike out the word
Constitution, thereby comforting on women
full citizenship.
SEVERAL SPEAKERS ABSENT.
In connection with these resolutions it
was affirmed that equal opportunities for
education were afforded women with men
and that from one-third to one-half Of the
property of the state was owned by intelli-
gent women, who were taxed without rep
resentation; also that 20 per cent of the
instruction OF the youth OF the country in
the duties OF citizenship was i'm the hands
Of disfranchised women Several of the
women slated for addresses in the after
noon were unable to be present, and they
sent letters OF regret. These included Mrs.
Clarence H. Mackay. president Of the Equal
Franchise Society, and Mrs. Oliver H. P.
Belmont. Mrs. Belmont's letter follows:
NV dear Mrs Crossett:
| have waited until the last moment to
write you this note. hoping in the mean
while ] would be able 10 undertake the
I have lust had consultation of doctors.
and they strongly advise me not to think
/ regret greatly that / am therefore
nave the pleasure of meeting the delegates
and the ladies to whom ! wrote
| hoped 10 have the pleasure OF explain
ing IN a few words my interest in woman
suffrage Finding this impossible, | in
close a hurried statement of what l eX-
Ponce once more expressing my deep regret at
my inability TO be with you on this great
o' SincereIy yours. ALvA E. BELMONT.
Mrs Ella HaWley Crossett,
President, New York State Womsn Suf-
frage Association, Troy. n. Y.
MRS. BELMONT's STATEMENT.
Mrs Relmont's statement follows:
believe in woman suffrage because
have a logical mind and because l believe
in justice.
of a seated woman. they placed scales In
her hands and a bandage over her eyes,
and even now this figure is emblematic OF
/ ask yoti women. and 1 ask you men, TO
realize that the hour Is at hand, all over
the world and especially here in this land
of boasted liberty ask you to under
stand that this blind deity must be re-
placed by the woman Of the twentieth cen
tury For women shall no longer remain
seated and they are not blind.
Thousands of children go unschooled; our
streets are dirty; our police force inefn-
cient. vicious; the public money is misused
or stolen We know Of evil after evil. and
that all this Is the work of public officials.
TO enumerate 1t would be huge. impos-
TO sweep, to dust, to scrub this house
hold of political corruption is part OF
woman's new mission. Willingly would
we have stood aside from these offensive
duties but this motherhood which men
for centuries have clamored Ia our Voca-
ton we intend now more than doubly TO
TnotheF of children, a gift we prize 50
ereatly We shall see to IT thar this moth
erhOod shall grow and grow; that not only
the voices OF children shall call to us but
We mean that the cities, The states, the
whole Union, shall look TO us. as repre-
senting I'm its truest sense the motherhood
OF the land
lot7 Because ] want them 10 be sef-re
snecting self-supporting. seif-reliaEt and
eree citizens OF the United States. Po-
itfcallv women rank now with the men
in the state prisons and the lunatics and
in,beciles of our asylums. Do you know
mis- Won women who are here? And are
Won proud of your status? II you are, 1
do not intend that men shall mark out
nv iiu1itations Women must be free 10
-pynuete and those who ara incapable or
unWorthy like men Of the same caibsr.
an fail But 10 us must belong the same
rights that men have. Then only can we
work effectively for high moral, civic
and political code
THE evils Of old systems Will not vanish
ia night buf the better element ia our
communities viii learn that the women who
Il afr mill gfr ri