New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-28
SUFFRAGE LEADERS BACK
All Are Eager to Explain
Their Position.
JANE ADOAMS STANDS PAT
Still a Moosette and Sure
That Her Course Helped
Women Cause.

| music yesterday. Ii must be admitted
| that they bore up bravely; like little
men," one might say TO fatter them.
| From Miss Jane Adams, who deserted
her luncheon in order TO convince the
reporters OF her right TO be a Moosette
and a suffragist simultaneously, to Or.
Anna Howard Shaw. who suffered the
presence OF the squad, even up TO the
moment she entered the taxi and started
for her Thanksgiving dinner at home,
| the suffragists, one and all. outdid them
| selves in furnishing statements 90 the
press free gratis for nothing. The reason
was that they all knew they were right
and wanted the public to know it. too.
Miss Adams had the most to explaia,
since IL was she who precipitated all the
trouble by joining the MoOsettes when
she was vice-president Of the National
Woman Suffrage Association.
Certainly" she said. 81 think l had
perfect right 10 follow the course l did.
| didn't injure suffrage by going into poll
! tics. | helped it. Why, in the great po-
litical meetings | addressed, say. the one
in Wichita, Kan, there were eleven thou
sand people assembled. One could never
get an audience like that TO listen to suf-
frage There were men there who would
not be found dead going TO suffrage
meeting, but they listened eagerly when
| talked suffrage from a political plat
| form.
81 never used my suffrage connections
to boom the Progressive party. but time
and time again used the Progressives TO
boom suffrage. When l was invited to
| talk suffrage TO suffrage societies / never
dragged in politics any more than used
10 drag IN suffrage when / addressed peo-
pie interested in social matters-unless
was asked direct question.
Il consider my course perfectly logical.
Ten years ago the problems of social re-
| form in which I was interested began 10
take on a political significance. School
nurses, mothers pensions child labor and
like things began to be subjects for legis-
lation People said: oh, don't let phi
lauthropy get into politics We knew
though that philanthropy must get into
politics 10 be effective II must be the
concern OF the state, not the individual
Now the same thing mas come true OF
suffrage. It has become a political ques-
! ton. Year after year We go 70 the legls-
Iatures to ask 10 have our bills passed.
Now. then suddenly this year political
party IN Dorn which offers to support
| every one Of these measures for which |
have been working for years. have the
| chance to work for them by working for
| H. Must | sit back and say: on, no, [
| can't do anything for those measures2
| I'm Vice president OF tho suffrage associa-
| ton Certainly not. The vice presidency
could not demand OF me that desert the
interests OF twenty years. | am social
worker nrst. a sufrrssst second. N my
suffrage connections meant sacrificing my
larger interests ] would resign the posi-
ton Fortunately, the association Is
broad minded enough 10 see that woman
| las a right 10 retain her freedom even
II she IS a vice-president. so l shall con-
tmue to work for suffrage and for the
Progressive party"
When Miss Adams was told OF the
| suggestion that Theodore Roosevelt had
used" her to get the support Of the
| sunragists OF the country, she laughed
and said:
II don't believe Colonel Roosevelt knew
| 7 was vice-president OF the association.
Few persons dd-only those who were
best informed on suffrage details / don't
imagine that Colonel Roosevelt spends a
great deal Of time reading suffrage litera-
iTe"
Or. Anna Howard Shaw, emerging
weary but triumphant from the ordeal OF
the greatest and most difficult conven-
ton In tho history Of the cause" eI
planned her position on the now famous
n-partisanship amendment by saying:
81 have always been nom PARTISAN. and
always shall be, but Miss Adams has as
much right to be partisan as I have to
he non-partiSan. / always say that, until
my vote can be counted, 7 will never use
my influence 10 boost into power any
party that doesn't recognize me as a
citizen.
You say Miss Adams said the vice.
president could be non-partisan without
compromising the association, but the
president could not? That Is what |
think also. The president represents the
association above all. Her life is devoted
to IT, One cannot expect vice-president
to give up everything else for that. IL
we dema nded that Of every officer, as
Miss Adams says again, We could get
no women of great ability 10 serve
Mrs. Harriott Stanton Batch, the for
mer champion Of -partisanship, ex-
planned her refusal 10 vote for the nom
partisanship resolution I'm this way.
"rhe time IL coming when We suffra-
gists are approaching a great political
opportunity" she said. within a few
years we shall have 80 many statee that
we can put II up 90 the federal govern
ment TO give us a federal amendment.
One OF the great political parties would
doubtless offer to support such an amend
ment. and wouldn't We look foolish then
N We had tied ourselves up in our con-
stitution so that we we're unable to profit
by this offer, when the very life or death
OF our cause hung In the balance? |
don't believe much In constitutions, any
way. We haven't any for this society
Glory be- CALCULATED Mrs. Marcia
Townsend from her corner, and GLORY
be-" echoed Mrs. John Winters Brannan
from hers. Mrs. Blatch smiled and con-
tinted
1T was due 10 Miss Addams's efforts for
the Progressyes that the two other par
ties endorsed suffrage In this state. Miss
Adams did not use suffrage 10 boom her
politics. AS soon as any woman used
the association to further her own belief
the association would jump on her IA
II did on Jessie Ashley"
According 10 other suffragists. though,