The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-06
ASSRNBLYMAN ON fHB RACK
DAM az THE arm BEFORE q
FEMININE INQUISITION.


hQana1 suffrage LeaGme wants 70 hmoN
AbSut fass IBin Changing Methods
sf AmsasalRE CsnStitatiSa ami Ahso
Absut Hls Views On W~Hasn voting
I A-seublyman Charles A. Dana % the
. Twenty-seyenth district visited ths head
quarters 81 the Collegiate Equal suffrage
/ League 20 ~ East Thirty third street
YESTERDAY afternoon and permitted the
members to tell him what they thought
II his bill whioh makes more difficult the
amending 81 the state Constitution.
The colIegians weren't az all suro that
Mr. Dana would accept their invitation
90 come and he heckled 90 they COM
snenced the meeting without him.
Mrs James Lees lIAidlaw. who presided.
sid that the hall was n disingenuous one.
II may not have been introduced with
direct view 10 botherinG the suiiragis
hut u Wna certainly a coincidence that u
should 10 up for discussion just when
the fighters for franchise were bending
every energy tn get an amendment
resolution through the Legislature.
L don't see Why 81 many people waste
their time and energy and money trying
20 light the cause of woman suffrage
continued Mrs. i.aiSilaw. 1t 10 bound 20
triumph IN the near future, no matter
what its enemies do The Thousands 81
dollars which both sides ARE spending |
IN campaign work might FAR better he
diverted into philanthropic channels. !
We women are not TO 10 daun.sd by any |
bill"
Al this point thcre were cries Of .Dont |
he afraid. Dana Go up and fncs EN-.
from the hack of the room and the father |
of the bill1waS dragged forward by Joseph |
Larocque and another man.
Here's Dana in the lions den shouted |
a third. who sat near the door.
Really. ladies' began the Assembly. |
man. who was blushing furiotlaly, my \
hill wasn't aimed against woman suffrage |
IA .I,g least ! never thought at votes for 4
wonlen in that connection until my at- |
tenSion Was drawn to the subject by some |
one who attacked my measure. II my !
memory serves me correctly u was a
Mrs Batch
Then MIR. Dana explained az soms !
length that tho Constitution Was the I
foundation stone of the Govenmeut and 7
thai IL was an awful thing To taInpsr with
Il lightly. Whether women voted or
didn't vote. he said. was a small matter
compared 90 this.
While the collegians laughed and muir I
INJURED that the bill. IL Il vas put through. |
would delay the referendum. and that IL !
was undemorratic. Mr.. Dana yold them !
that h- was sure they wouldn't want to |
get the vote unless they got II by large !
5aJorisy.
We'll Nv grateful. no matter how small !
the majority r. said one enthusiasts
promptly.
several women asked in unison whether
the As-emblyman was or was not IN favor
81 woman suffrage. tut he declined to
commit himself.
Won't You tell us what doubts YOU have
concsrning III advisahihtyr- pleaded Mrs [,
lattdlaw.
The legislator shook Ms head. 4 am /
not prepared for debate he said. and I
know you are all primed with arguments .
The puEzling part of the whole thing ~
that I might look In at another meet'ng
"A few block, way and find there another I
assemblage II intelligent women arguing ?
Just an siren uously against Ehat you q
advocate. ! .'elisve that " one-th'rd OF .
the women were really ANXIOUS for the ,
vote they would get q.
but you don't ask men when they are !
u whether they want to vote. protested .
Miss Alice DAVIS. You don't f0rue men 1
TO the polls They have the privilege Of |
no one bothers them DO you think u IL
pressing their opinion on thinRsy'
Mr. Dana said he hadn't thought OF Il. ,
hut Miss Davis wasn't through with him. ,
She wanted tO know what there was 80 ,
sacred about a Constitution anyway.
Conditions were continually changing. .
abe aaid and she didn't $50 Why Consti- .
tutions shouldn't bs changed just a.
often an WAS necessary To meet thees con- /
ditions. What was progress but change. |
ard surely Mr.. Dana approved OF prog !
reNs.
-Oh. 81 course said Mr. Dana hastily /
Then he got into more trouble. In reply .
10 oue 10 several questions which were
hurled at him he admitted that u ma
iority - his constituents wanted him 60 4
do oue thing. and IN his Judgment he ought
to do the other he would follow the die 1
tatss 1T hrs own judgment
The Colleglans nudged each other and /
looked Mortified Mrs Iaidlaw said that :
the personal element WAS a very dan
gero,IS thing In legislative matters, and I
Mrs Henry Wise Miller sad that she Vas I
=osaz &c &C - - that thi- assertion 81 .
the Assenihlyman was spread broad
ca.t
Then tho coileGiAns sserned to think
that perhaps they had hurt Mr.. Dana
feelings arm they assured him several .
times that they hadn't meant 20. because
they liked HIM very much They simply
dIdn Z approve 1t has bill and didn't 2
agree with ms potnt ~ view concerning
the. duty 1t "A legislator to his constitu- :
ents They believed he was sincere. they :
said but mistaken.