New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-05-07
THAT WICKED PALM
II Knocked Out the OiUe Branch at
Suffrage Lore Feast.

II really the palm that did it Everything
was going nicely possible for the reconcil-
.aLSon; Mrs Henry Willard side of the
stage. Mrs. Charlotte b Wilbour the other, and
Miss Mary Garrett Hay. newly elected president
Of the Equal Suffrage League. stood in the middle
with oUtstretched hands at the meeting Of that
organization at the Hotel Astor yesterday, when
Mrs. Belle de Rivera. who used be the president
but isn't any more. dropped in to extend olive
branch. And then. just Miss Hay grasped Mrs
de RtVera's hands and drew her TO the plat
form, malicious palm right behind Miss Hay
tipped the table that held the water
pitcher. and a crash AID a delIge drowned out the
first words OF Mrs de Rivera's speech And now
every is asking. Who threw ice water on Mrs.
de Rivera At the meeting Of the Equal Suffrage
Lacquer
When order was restored Mrs. de Rivera, who is
certainly q mind reader. for she knew just what
the club had been doing before she came in, told
them how delighted she with the policy upon
which they had just settled. This policy one
preached by Mrs Frederick Nathan the first
speaker OF the afternoon who was installed as d
vcepTesident and gave quite little talk, prefactng
her remarks with the statement that she had al
ready made i've speeches this week and was tired.
and didn't intend say anything, because silence
was golden The policy she advised was that Of
turing the ants with
We suffraglsts consort together too rnuch.' she
said. It's very interesting. but should mix
with the 'antis' and convince them Let every
member bring q guest, and let that guest be an
anti Give the guests tea, and when they're feel
i'm and comfortable over the second cup
pour the suffrage arguments into them"
The club took TO this proposition instantly Mrs
Julian Heath of the National League for the Civic
Federation Of Women. happened to wander in ST
the close OF the meeting-not knowing what the
meeting was-and before she could escape half q
dozen able-bodied sunragisrs had closed upon her,
with Miss Hay in the van and were plying her
with flowing cups Of tea and honeyed arguments
Mrs Heath took the tea. but went away without
the votes for women badge which a member
sought TO pin on hen.
There never was such a day Of opportune appear
ances and curious condolences. Just as Miss Hay
was announcing from the platform that the league
had recently acquired nineteen members Mrs.
William Tod Helmuth, the woman who said the
other day that the ''scrapping of the Daughters
In Washington had made her an anti came in,
took seat on the platform and then rose to say:
Miss Hay, Will you allow make the twenti-
eth new member Of the Equal Suffrage Lacquer"
Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Gilman. the speaker of
the day, told a story of q friend who paid 81 10
join the League for the Civic Education OF Women,
under the impression, which she got from reading
the prospectus, that it suffrage orgsniza-
ton.
4 know Of others who were fooled by the same
decoy," said Mrs. Gilman. 1T is pretty poor
game that has 10 send out lures like that.
A learned gentleman at the Colony Club" the
speaker went talked a great deal about the
disabilities Of sex-the feminine sex OF course
there disabilities but we haven't got them
al. The have theirs and the worst is the
masculine propensity 10 fight. Nothing has cost
the world much have its wars They cast Il
up 20 Us that we mustn't vote because We can't
fight. When they tell yeu that say 10 them "A
crime is not claim the ballot Power holds
the world togetheF-yes; but destructive power.
Productive power is the power that counts and Of
this the highest form is motherhood"