New-York tribune., 1912-02-17
SUFFRAGE ROW IN FED"
Mrs. Rossiter Johnson Quits the
lnti.Suffrage Craftsmanship.
RESOLUTION AT THE BOTTOM
nriticises Action Which, She
Says, Committed Body to
Votes for Women.

,.., the New York City Federation of
,,-....n's Clubs stand committed to votes
'.s vomen? Mrs. William Grant Brown,
-. 49, r,sident. says 1t does not, but Mrs,
no..Itsr Johnson. who was but is no longer
.S.,rrnan Of its committee on anti
.nnrage. says that it does, and that the
.t,I,ude means its disruption.
,srbe federation has disrupted itself" she
Ia yesterday at her house, No. West
s-,h street, "and it will reap the injury"
Tha trouble grows out of a resolution
rosssd al the Feds" convention in the
uotel Asor two weeks ago yesterday. The
r.,olution declared that women should have
,Sa ballot 10 stamp out the white slave
,raA5c and 1t was put through with sheaf
a, other resolutions at s o'clock p. m, long
after Mrs. Johnson had gone home.
.G attended tho morning session. she
,vnlalned 10 the Tribune reporter, because
,,s programme put my report as anti
,,frsge chairman in the mornings pro-
.sedings. ] saw that the suffrage COM
ulttee report came before mine. and so
vent 10 the platform and said that should
wish 10 be heard. was asked TO take a
seat In one of the boxes. My report was
nat called for, and so at last got up and,
begging pardon for interrupting the pro-
eeedings said that my place on the pro-
gramme had been passed. and had an en-
rsgement and must go, and didn't wish TO
70 without saying word for. .anti-suffrage
Mrs. Brown said that they didn't expect
10 find the chairmen in boxes, but ] told
her that ] had been sent to this box.
heard afterward that Mrs. Brown asked
those near her where Miss Ida Craft.
chairman Of the committee on suffrage
was, but Miss Craft was home. Ill, and
well, my report was not called for. Then
a few days afterward I heard that the
federation had passed a resolution indors-
ing woman suffrage"
Mrs. Johnson didn't know yesterday how
the resolution was worded, for though she
had written three letters, she said, one
Inelosing stamped envelope. to Mrs. John
Francis Yawger, chairman of the commit
tee on resolutions, asking for copy Of the
suffrage one. Mrs. Yawger had failed to
give up.
'T wish I could get it," Mrs. johnson
said anxiously. "for / don't wish TO write
ny letter Of resignation as chairman until
] have seen 1t. But, of course. / have
resigned, and they know It. And the Guidon
Study Club, which is anti-suffrage, and of
which am president, has withdrawn from
the federation, and I am calling on other
snti-suffrage clubs to do the same
This is no personal feeling with inc.
Tbs point is that the federation cannot con-
n al arIg
principles held by any Of the clubs that
compose it. 1t has gone against its consti-
luton and has placed in very trying
positop the women of the many nom
PARTISAN clubs that wish to work with II.
Now they will feel that 1t is an acknowl-
edged political body. The federation has
disrupted itself. In making it necessary tor
anu-suffrage clubs to withdraw It loses the
only clubs I know that are doing active
work
Now, ] want TO make il plain that there
nothing personal in my feeling, but l
am so interested for women, and woman
suffrage will break up the home. 1t has
zone so where il obtains. If woman suffrage
comes, chaos comes"
Mrs. Johnson is positive that most Of the
women Of the federation are really and
truly FOR anti-suffrage.
Il have seen their eyes respond to me
shen J talked on anti-suffrage." she said
But the suffragists make the noise and
The federation is differed by suffragists
lhough l do have q feeling that Mrs
Brown is not for suffrage, and that she re-
te's mat the federation is swept away by
anna Shaw and Harriet May Mills and
nose women who want TO work their will
10 spite Of everything. Well, it iust shows
now women can be swept away. I nut Il
al down TO socialism. The federation has
oesn getting in the Henry George League
ana other socialist organizations. And
woman suffrage sprang from socialism, and
"a going hack 10 IT,"
MRS Johnson said she knew this much
seout the resolution that was passed-it
vas t'blind" resolution.
" dldn't carry its meaning on the face
IL she said: "and Mrs. Brown felt
oensed TO say when it was offered Ladies.
'als commits US TO votes for women. The
leaeration was doubly indebted not TO pass
mat reselution--irst because it WAS l1n-
Constitutional. and, second because they
Haa created the office OF chairman of the
'omnittee on anu-suffrage. They created
pe once and Invited me TO iii IT,"
On that resolution" said the Fed s."
PRESIDENT. Mrs. Brown, when asked about
y iast night at her home at Breton Hall.
s'oadway and s6th street. "why. that
Soh commit the federation to suffrage.
vas not introduced by our committee on
saurase II was passed TO please the leg
s'allVs league which has been working
asalnst the white slave traffic. and which
ANS The vote. The resolution committed
nothing. You see. there's a techni-
'ty involved"
st brown said that Mrs Yawger had
"rs'ed Mrs. Johnson's letters asking for
= Wpy Of the resolution, but that IL
e0u'ant be sent her because 1t wasn't
Printed yet.
"is' Gilbert Jones. head of the Anti-Suf-
sse League for the Civic Education of
,V'''fn' said that she regretted Mrs. John
ns attitude exceedingly.
40 take offence al thing like that" >"
observed severely, lis narrow and
se"F' work on broad and governmental
That is the only way to do. And
legislative League Is doing good work
e'a snoald be indorsed."
s' S0iFson and her husband, Rossiter
unison resigned from the board Of di-
'Sls ,oi Mrs. Jones's league more than a
var ago. along with DR.. Charles ii. Park
st and other directors. Mr.. Johnson
treasurer of the league at that time