The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-16
WOMEN APOLOGIZE TO TAFT
SUFFRiGISTS DISCLAIM RI
SPONSTBTLITY FOR MISSING

ia MIght Have fBeen the WSrk a the
suHraGettrs - ARtIs. TNey Explain
Tue President Thanked Toe FSh apeerh
WASHINGTON. April iS.-Ths National
American Woman suffrage Association
spent a large portion Of the day trying
Co make amends for the discourtesy
shown the President oG the United States
last night when his speech before the
association WIS Kissed. The members
of the association won't admit that they
are responsible for the unseemly incident,
hut they were nevertheless very busy
to-day drawing up a letter To the Presi-
dent and passing resolutions designed 10
set themselves in hotter light before the
public. Members oi the association were
inclined TO shove the responsibility for
the misses and catcalls upon their old
time enemies. the "antis." You couldn't
get any u the officers of the association
to stand for this charge. hut there was
leuty Of talk Of Ire affroNt being q
skiIfuIly planned move on the part of
tho enemies IN woman suffrage. Appar-
entity these anti-suifraGists ha a sifted In
one by one and taken their seats uncb-
served throughout the hall. Then. sym
pathiying with every word the Freaidsut
was uttering. they hiss.'d. just for the
purpose u putting the ruHra gists In a
bad light before the public.
but there 10 also the explanation that the
80. H.. a
the suffragettes. The sufvragettes. 10
seems. are the militant ones who believe
in crying their cause at every four corners
and who never hesitate to beard the
legislator in his den. The suffrasists-
and that Is what the members OF the
national association here call themselves
believe IN getting votes for women by
the gentlcr art OF moral suasion. some
of the suhragists who were certain that
they themselves did not hiss are inclined,
therefore. to blame their more militant
sisters. IL. Of course. IL really was not tho
-antis-
The only official statement Of the Incl
dent is contained in the letter which Mrs.
Frances squire Potter Of New York.
corresponding secretary Of abe A<socia-
ton. sent tn the President after IL had
been authorized by a unanimous vote Of
the association. In this letter the oficiAl
hoard OF the association assures Mr..
Taft that they deeply depIore the incident
and disclaim all responsibility for u.
Here IN Mrs. Potier's letter:
W,Hiarp Bovfrd Tor. WkIc Hogss Uash-
tHgfnH. n =.
MY pF.R President: The enrIo.ed rsso-
buttons Introduced by tho national COM
" ttes on convention resolutions we're
passed unaniIn ousiv bv the National Asso-
cation Of Women suffrage Associations &C
the opening OF the morning session to-day
7 am instructed ny the unanimous vote
30 the official hoard and Of the delegates
now assembled 10 send "a YOU With the con-
ventions resolutions this orfici Al communi-
cation
n. oficial board and delegates we're
hut small part Of the very large gathering
ASSEM- hlcd To hear YOUR greeting last s,e-
uing. bat a. the national representatives Of
the Nat isnal Asso, taiion nj Women Suhra 20
Arsy, tatlpn- these delegates feel great sor-
row that any on" present. either a member
of our a-sociaI ION or outsider. should have
interrupted your address hy an evpre-sion
OF personal feeling. and they herewith dis
,laim such interruption and ask your az
'eptIH,e 1f this expression OF regret I'm the
~l'iTi' "a which 90 wa- gwen ~in'eTsiv
ours FENN'rs SOuiEE PoTTER.
torr--pondinr Secretary
The resolutions which accompF niHd
~" letter cited thFt President TAFT m
welcoming IA" forty --ecund an nual con
vcntion - the aS-oc iation had l5"en tiis
Crit incumbent - that high ofica -
recognize officially the d"terminJ tim
~ thu rp-Th"r~ of ~" association - 49,
cur' a couHI-te democracy. thereby
t.-tiIyIng 10 hi con virtion a. to ~ power
aud grow tn IL VA further -st forth
IN the resolution that President TafI's
..crIo,.snc-s. honesty and friendliuoss
'unyyrted what might hav" son an efrTtv
form INTO an official courtesy. hi~tn.iJ
ahk" for him and for 10
The association resolved To- conway
'tp President William How ard Taft
she thanks and appreciation 81 this con
N"ution for his welcome. assuring ham
al the anne time that the patriotism and
pubiIc spirit ~ the women 81 Anart a
intend to make themselves distinctly
felt IN the Government uf whrh no IL
III honored head and that at no dis
tanf dat.
Tbs rs--olut ion was adopted 81 the
Open'nR 81 the morning session The
Delegates ~ they assembled were N a
mighty unhappy frame of mind Most
of them earned three or four newspapers
under their arms. and a. they swApped
headlines there was n running string
~ ordinations. such as -Oh, my. ISN'T
. awful?- WHAT do YOU think the Pres
ideHt will say about n?- and who could
have done the hissing''
Mrs Potter. who - chairman % the
committee on resolutions. Arose as soon
a. order had been obtained and an
nounced that she had q resolution TO
preseu' Nearly everybody knew some
thing was going 10 he done. but all feared
that the officers Of the association might
APOLOGIZE in a way that would put the
responsibility for the Kissing sq'IArely
upon the association. and that Of course
would never do. The Potter resolus ion.
however. was satisfactory. and u was
adopted by a standing vote.
Before the afternoon session had been
called to order though the oficial board
~ the association had begun TO fear
that the resolutions were not q sufficiently