New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-16
APOLOGIZE TO Mr.. TAFT
Suffrauists Deny Responsibility
for Kissing.
THE PRESIDENT THANKED
After Disposing of That Incident
Convention Proceeds TO Bust
ness-Progress of Cause.
rFrom The Tribune Bureau. }

Washington. April IL - The kissing of
President Taft al last nights session Of the
National American Woman Suffrage Associ-
alton put all other subjects into the back
ground to-day. OutwaI>dly the convention
Which IS being held al the Arlington Hotel
pursued for the most part the even ana
sches uled tenor Of its W av. but beneath the
surface 81 seethed with mingled emotions.
and h. fore the ofacisl board determined on
formal Reputation OF all responsibility for
TIC hisSlnc there had been much wirepuli-
ing and. a eartbuuring.
As p matter OF .act. the Misses represent
I'd the real feeling OF many Of the women.
and this was openly stabsc. Mrs. l. q.
Barber. Of washfn gton. who Is attending
the sessions. but is not delegate, SAID
she was slad the President was Kissed. and
Ms. nIar guerite du Ponr Lee. 81 Wash
tnrson. a cousin or senator du Pent, voted
s-asast 2 letter OF oology 10 The Pres-
a-,r Miss harriet nIay Mills. vice-presi-
dent Of the New Yerk state Association,
while not attempting to Justify the Kissing,
thought there was cause for u, and one
delegate OF prominence characterized the
reference 70 me possibility OF the Suffrage
Hrin- exe-csssd by the least desirable class
II women as r-eing. i'm the light Of sta
t5e-ics ''oTcTznEeous II was this remark
tlssr csused all the trouble. fer it was con-
ton. but Mary Garrett Hay. Of New
York. expressed the opinion or another
section OF fhe delegates when she said
tirst ms construction was entirely without
iu-tifcafioT.
Some Cal Il "Hnti' Trick
The bisgfns. however. was generally felt
20 be a mistake. and no one was willing
- aa.-44t that the delegates had Anything
TO DO wTCh r. Some declared that & was
~ anti trick intended 20 d1screcut the
cause ard Others even went to the length
~ declaring that Tire Kisses came from
ourside the windows. As payers came in
with big Headlines and l-unaors hcates down
rom che CAPITOL that tho hearing before
Congress was likely IL he cancelled. the
party opposed 10 the administration loudly
complained that the fn-idsnt would areck
The association. Something had 20 he done.
Tire rcrolutbons committee aas hastily sum
ufonee snd the convention When II a.
so11bled. was asked 70 ind5rse the follow
ina Resolution. which II did with one or
t"ro Observing voices
Whereas Tire President Of the r-pifed
states IN welcoming the fort v-seccnd an
nusl convection Of TIRE National American
woman Suffrage Association. has taken the
historic position Of being the first incunn-
cent 81 his office 10 recognize officially our
oetefnl nstron 70 secure a complete den1oc-
racy. thereby testifying his conviction as
20 It's power and growth: and
Whereas. His seriousness. honesty and
triendffness converted what might have
been an empty form into an Official coJfr-
.esy historic alike for him and for US;
Resoived, That We convey 70. President
William y. Tart the thanks and apprecia-
ion Of this convention for his welcome.
sssurirg him AZ the same time that the
pstriotfsr1 and public spirit Of the women
= america intend 70 make themselves
felt in the government of which he Is the
honored head. and that AZ no distant date
Still the opposition was not satisfied. IRE
incident was not one that could lie ignored.
they asserted. and nothing would wipe out
the ins0b but an unqualified apology. and
- much pressure was brought 10 bear on
thc executive that fhe first business OF the
afternoon was the inditiHE of new mes
SAGE 20 the President which was ordered
~ he sers % him along with the earlier
resolution.
The letter ~ tho President was signed hv
Frances Squire Potter corresponding scr
rotsry. and read ~ follows:
Tho incIoscd resolution introduced hv the
ustionsf committee on corN eution resoIu-
lions WAS passed unanimously by the Ma
+ionar American Woman Suffrage Associa-
Tor today ~ tho opening Of It's morning
~eseIdN
7 sal Instructed by the unanimous vote ~
TIE Official Board ana OF the delegates now
assembled 20 send 20 YOU with the conTen-
ton resolution fhis official commune. ton:
Tho oNfciai board and delegates were
bur small part OF the very large gather
iuc % hear YOUR greeting last evening. but
me national ~pl'r~sertstfves Of Tho Na-
ticnsl Woman SunraEe Association these
delegates fFel great sorrow that any ore
pfese1r.. either 1nou7ber ~ our organization
or outsider, should have interrupted sour
address bv an expression If personal feel
tnc, and fhev herewith disrlain response
hilitv for s1ch interruption and ask ysUr
acceptance % this oppression % regret IN
tho spirit IN which ~ IS given.
The only opposition 10 this action was
-rifisn ststeuhut 70 the platform ~ the
.Tecf that she was not = delegate aud had
-is~n when the noes were asked for be-
-suse she was under the impression that
the opinion Of The entire audience was
eanto6
n sn address 81 the afternoon session OF
the convention the Rev Anna Howard
shaw. Cha president Of tho body. said that
5ne ~ the ssddest hours she had ever
spent o. q nstional convention was last
nisht Sh said that none of the officers
bore any responsibility FOR the manifesto
tioo 81 dissent which was exhibited in re-
gard 70 part of the Presidents speech.
and she hoped that none Of the delegates
nerd hear any responsibility. She did not be-
fi,Ne ti5e delegates were responsible for the
demonstration, and, while s. was impossible
10 control ali who might attend the meet
.ng. nevertheless. 81 was the duty OF the
'Tganizaton 70 express its regret az the
occurrence because the President 81 he
1uired states vss present their guest
An Open Air Symposium.
The convention then proceeded 10 = svn,-
postum IN open air meeting and heard from
pi'ss Ray Costello. 81 England. that this
1lm Of propaganda ought % be easy in this
.5urtrt. because. as she understood all the
Eggs are IN cold storage. IN England they
sre not. il appears, and people throw them
a. the heads of the slIffragettes. Vet this
circumstance H. not wholly disadyantaEeous.
che added hacsuEe IL creates sympathy
A4,er the symposium the speakers an De
1aited. under The leadership Of Mr. Harriet