New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-09
ALL THE FAULT OF MEN
Even Anti-Suffragists Sorry for
HunneWeII. kan.. Mayor.
DECLARE, 81 TOLD YOU so"
Suffragists Themselves, How
ever, Not Dismayed Because
of One Bitter Experience.


Unhappy Mayor OF Hunnewell. Kan,
She is Disguised with politics and says she
wishes she was out of IT. for politics Is
not a wOmans game
This announcement yesterday created
some little excitement among the women
of New York who have been watching the
experiment in Kansas The "antis" said It
was just what was to be expected when
women go into politics. The suffracsts
expressed themselves as sorry, but were
otherwise serene
Il don't believe in arguing from single
instances" said Mrs. Helen Hoy Greeley.
lawyer and leader of the 18th Assembly
District OF the Woman Suffrage party.
Mrs Wilson's experience proves nothing
about the great cause of suffrage. There
have been successful women mayors In
England for long time and twenty-five
women mayors in the United States.
Suffrage is inevitable because 1t is the
next step forward in democracy. but the
ants don't see that. They argue from
petty incidents They lack genealogical
perspective. or, If you like. they suffer
from social astigma tism and myopia
Mrs. Wilson must be very broad minded
woman" said Mrs Julian Heath. secretary
of the newly organized anti Society for
Maintaining American Institutions. Other
wise she would not have been willing 10
admit. even in the light of experience, that
politics f. not a womans game. her
troubles prove Just what ant-suffragists
have always maintained, that the value oil
voter depends on the power Of the vote
. Il
do not possess Mrs Wilson has had TO
appeal to men to uphold her authority.
"Of course, II may be argued that all
the powers Of government being In the
hands Of men she had no one else to ap-
peal to- but even If this were not the case
and we had women governors and other
high officials tie last appeal would al
wavs be 10 men-in other words, to those
who possess the physical power to enforce
their wishes 1t IS for this reason and not
merely because of the corruption and dis
agreea bleness of politics that ! agree with
Mrs Wilson in thinking politics no
Uomans game.
THE mere fact that politics is dirty
would he no reason for women Keeping
ont of them On the contrary. 1t would he
= reason for their going in and trying TO
]
clean things up"
Mrs Barclay Hazard, although long
known as vigorous opponent of votes Tor
women. extends her sympathy to the
! "plucky Mayor of Hunnewell,' and is sure
that all women whether they wish to vote
or not will do the same.
although duly elected" she said, this
NOR woman finds herself in a very trying
n
huitv without authority and obligations
without the power to enforce them. NO
wonder she SAYS she has discovered that
/ politics is no womans game. Like
good American. however. she means to ighl
II ont now that she has started on her
career.
Women who do not wish TO vote will see
in this case an exempli1cauon OF their
theory that to force all women into the po-
utical arena would be q serious misfortune.
The suffra gists assure their anti sisters
that even If the franchise were EXTENDED 70
their sex they need not vote unless they
wish 10 do so We have. however, sur
fcient confidence in American women 70
know that il they were once thrown into
the whirlpool Of politics, much as they
might dislike il. they would. like their Kan
sas sister. fight il out to the bitter END.
Of ne hone they may be long saved such
q struggle.
"It would also seem as II this experience
Of the Mayor Of Iunnewell rather upsets
the suffrage theory that If women had the
vote they would secure additional respec'
from men The women in Kansas vote az
municipal elections end have for years; the
Mayor Of Hunnewell was elected by tne
combined votes of men and women. ana Vet
the men show the Mayor Of their choice n
disrespec, which we have never witnessed
displaved toward women in official appoint
i've positions in the non-suffrage states
| Mrs. Dinnies T s. Dennison, ex-president
of the General Federation of Women
! Clubs. although she does not approve OF
women in politics. also expressed sympathy
for the harassed Mayor Of Hunnewell.
Those men," she said, have simply
started in 10 make things disagreeable for
! Mrs. Wilson because she is a woman. She
/ was rash to take the Office under the cir
/ Cumstances. and a man would probably
! have known better than 10 do 80. But
women are impulsive They don't look at
! all sides and I think that II they go into
/ notifies they will find as Mrs. Wilson has.
| # she is correctly quoted, that II rs no
! woman's game / know lot about poll
| tics. and don't Ike 10 think Of any woman
/ I care about being associated with IT.
I Men and women are different They never
! look AT things in the same way. OF course.
! this may be matter Of education. but
/ think it's the way the Lord made us
Mrs William Warren Penfield, acting
! chairman Of the Woman Suffrage party In
the absence Of Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait.
declined to believe that Mrs. Wilson made
| the remarks attributed to her.
Il have been following the matter very
closely" she said, and tins does not sound
! HE Mrs Wilson don't believe she ever
/ said anything Of the kind