New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-01
WOMEN DEBATE BALLOT
Kisses and Kisses Rewards Dur
ing and After 0ratory.
FACTIONS EQUALLY DIVIDED
One Convert, at Least, for the
suffragettes Reported at
Waldorf Gathering.

Women ought 20 60 into the green neIos
instead OF TO the ballot box.
Men have done worse, therefore militant
methods are justified.
Woman's influence Is needed in public
life: ther~fore she should vote.
suffrage IL six states has been success
therefore women should vote.
II hasn't. therefore, she shouldn't.
These arc only samples OF the lmpas-
stoned suffrage and anti suffrage oratory
which flowed for three hours yesterday az
ternoon in tho grand ballroom OF the Wal
dorf Astoria.
The audience was large and fashionable.
II pounded on the floor with its umbrellas
and N Kissed. Judging from the noise the
factions were about equally divided, but
the kissing came from suffrage sympa-
thizers.
Miss Toma Lewis. anti" was pointing
out that even the militant suffragettes of
England had special privileges because OF
their sex.
When did the government value the life
of man prisoner SO much" she demand
ed. that when he sulked and wouldn't eat
they forced his food down his throat
"Ss-ss-ssv'
Please 60 right on Missing she con
tinued sweetly. I've so often wanted -
hiss at suffrage meetings and haven't been
ellowed to-"
Miss Lewis stirred up more emotions
considerably mixed they were) when she
described the fight of Christabel Pank-
hurst.
She left few poor working girls 10
serve out their terms in prison" she SAID
and fled from England herself But d1d
she go to Australia, where women make
the laws, or our suffrage states, where her
own sex would have been in power TO pro-
tect herr
No; she came 20 New York end found
shelter under our n1an-made laws.
We'll, it's news to me that Christaoei
Pankhurst is In New York" was the SUI
fragists' rebuttal. and as for sneaking out
of prison and leaving few poor WORMS
girls there, she left her own mother ana
Mr.. and Mrs Pethick Lawrence who
finance the suffrage work"
Mrs. Pearce Bailey said that men were
as illogical al women in their way because
they admitted the theory Of evolution
about everything except women. They let
them study with them. play with them
work with them. but wouldn't let them
vote with them
why should not the womanly QUALITIES
which are so useful in the home be used
for the benefit Of the larger life OUTSIDE
the homc?" she demanded.
Men have been in charge Of prisons ever
since prisons began and the horrors or
Them were unspeakable,' she continued.
..t was women who instituted prison re-
forms. The maternal instinct is valuable
in public life, but philanthropy loses much
of it's mower without the ballot to enforce
=, Women can never labor effectively in
these fields until they have the ballot
Mrs John Jerome Rooney answered this
bv saving that II women would try harder
In the home there would be no prisons or
hospitals
ANY way" She continued, "the world is
TOO much with us. let the woman take
her children by the hand and go forth into
the green fields and gaze up into the blue
SIX. Then she will think Of nohler things
Tran the ballot box. Then remember the
\ vile stories and lies told i'm political life
II and do the LADIES ask if they too, may put
their hands I'm the mire?'
Miss Elizabeth Freeman Jumped UP and
replied that il was just because tha women
wore fighting to wine away from political
liCo all tho nasty. filthy, vile. muddy
things" that the English suffraGettes had
taken to nilitancy For forty years they
had been asking to be allowed to help
clean things M, and had been refused so
now they were doing more than asking, at
the advice OF England's leading statesmen.
As for the last window smashing cam
ralen. Americans ought TO be- ashamed OF
themselves for crticising it," size said.
1--WE hear so much about those innocent
ranes Of glass and the poor, dear innocent
shopkeepers.
americans never worry about the inno-
cent tea that WAS scattered upon the in
nocent sea in innocent Boston llartor. To-
dar We are what VIC are because cur fore
fathers and foremothers were militants.
The six suffrage states Of the West are
always a particularly juicy bone OF conten-
ton at suffrage debates. and when It comes
10 I,tah-well, the fur flies Yesterday was
no exception Mrs. Priscilla ID. HackstsH
POINTED out that the six Governors had ad-
dressed letters to the people Of Ohio urging
them 10 adopt the suffrage amendment, and
cited laws and statistics al infnitHm.
Mrs Albert T.. Jones and Mrs Clarence
II. Wildcs cited laws and statistics with
eoual volubiity. Tho sufragists distributed
literature and the ants pictures showing
a Denver woman taking box OF candy as
payment for her vote.
In conclusion. Mrs. Jones said; They
accuse men politicians of being tricksters
Lat us women not lose our powers In that
direction. Trickcry is the pith of our charm.
We should cultivate more trickery not 50
much throwing of bricks
The audience did not wait for Mrs Henry
G. Backus presiding officer, 20 declare the
debate ended They swarmed over the plat
form. kissing their friends the orators At
the doorway Miss Ethel Gross, secretary Of
the Equal Franchise Society distributed
pledges TO march in the suffrage parade.
wen, i always was an anti before" de-
clared one woman TO her friends in the ele-
vator. but I'm the other thing now, all
Hsht-ee.'
The complete lineup OF the battle was as
foliows:
''Toual sunraeo"-AffrmatiNe Mrs Ida
Epsted Harpcr: negative. Mrs. Gilbert +. Jones.
hfoeals Of &Onen SuffIsge affirmative Mrs.
rearce Bailey; negative, Mrs. John Jerome
Rooney, - -,
Militant sge'-Aflfmati Miss Eliza
toth Freeman: negative. Miss Toms Lewis.
tine Six suffrage States Affirmative, Mrs
Priscilla ID. Hackstan; negative. Mfs Clarence
II. Widcs.
lG,-. Henry e. Baci,us, presiding