New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-09

Plans Which the Leaders of the Movement Expect
to Garry Into Effect at Once Call for Most
Energetic Propaganda, and Will Result
in Success Here, They Believe Be-
fore 1t Is Attained in England.

in recent outlook suggests that II
would be a good scheme to put box In
every polling booth, so that the women
could trot in and put in their little votes
as to whether they wanted to vote or not.
Sounds rather ingenious" I hazard.
DIR. Abbott is so out Of touch with the
technique of politics" says Mrs. Batch
commiseratingly. and
II should Just love to see DR.. Abbott ar
rive on Election Day. with his little ballot
box under his arm, and try TO put II IN
one Of those small, crowded polling places
where with my own eyes I have noticed
that the voters have scarcely room TO get In
and out"
We have a cute little feminine laugh at
the ballot box and the special election.
such masculine logic" we say in chorus
what do you think will be the initial
outcome Of the coming enfranchisement?
ask No one uses the word If TO Mrs.
Batch, imagine.
I'VE are not inferior TO our grand
mothers. They taught their children at
home. did the sewing. mending, cooking,
baking. cured the fish, spun the garments.
took care of the decrepit, orphans insane,
paupers. Where has all that work gone!
make the expressive gesture apparently
expected of me, embracing the whole at
mosphere.
Exactly. The state stepped in and took
! Il all away, but they did not take away
the feminine energy. The woman has no
alternative She must follow her duties
! into the world.
You mean that the economic conditions
men have brought about have forced
woman. oftentmes against her WILL into
the place where she must have legislative
| freedom"
| Exactly. She must still go on looking
! out for her poor, her orphans, her insane
| and her sick, and must search them out
| in the places where the state has put them
| So she must have the legal right as we'll
! as the moral right 10 go 10 the hospital.
the prison, the institution. the school, and
| sec that laws relating to their well-oelng
/ are made and enforced"
! Mrs Batch agrees that one OF the hXed
posts OF masculine opponents 10 woman
! suffrage is the fear that the vote Of the
outcast class will outweigh that Of the
| other element. She says:
II think the answer has been given r.
| that objection The vote in the already en-
|
is any danger Of this kind. What that
! class breads more than anything else IS
publicity. They don't want their names
! and addresses known, which the strict
registration laws demand They live Sc
cret. furtive lives. They abhor the search
light. AS a matter of fact, wish they
would come out OF hiding. I would like to
get their views on this subject
"Why?" I ask. quite shrinky.
II want facts In regard to police graft
want To- know what laws could be passed t'
protect young girls from seeking the streets
Z as a livelihood and how their mode OF
living Is made commercialized industry.
Mildly az Mrs Batch puts this, It sounds
some way like a threat.
| Wont the opposition be even more siren
uous than ever when such a searchlight Is
turned on to stay?"
| mo. | don't believe so. | know that
there are many unthinking mon who do moi
have the physical and moral welfare o
their race at heart. and will fight to thf
last gasp to protect these corrupt enter
prises. but where there IS one of this klnc
there are ten who stand out and approve
every measure which stands for the better
ment OF humanity in the future. and this
latter class desire woman suffrage for tbs
reason that they believe women have the
moral courage to make this fight and mer
have not"
1T does require a lot of courage, does II
not?"
Woman may lack physical force, but
She has never lacked the other kind. This
| u.oe ,,pexpac,edlv brought home 10 me the
other day when | went TO Dobbs Ferry 10
see the Budget Exhibit Although not a
suffrage measure, the women engaged IN