New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-17
SUFFRAGE SMOKE DENSER
oscar for the Cause, but Is
Shocked at Cigarette Sale.
STUNT FAILED TO DRAW"
Coffin Nails Bought at Church
Fair, Mrs. Townsend Says
Big Week, Women Insist.


Yesterday father declared himself. He
e Cor woman suffrage, yes, certainly; out
"a doesn't approve of the suffragists SELL
Inc cIgarettes-not In the lobby of his
,seatre anyhow.
I, was the Womens Political Union
,bieb had pretty girls selling Votes for
Women" cigarettes at the Victoria Theatre
during the first part of suffrage week.
Cr,y the FIRST part, for last Thursday
oscar Hammerstein, wearing his famous
hat happened along
What Is this lac said, taking UP one
osthe boxes cute little boxes. with Votes
,or Women" printed in purple and green
on each Of the cigarettes inside.
only Q cents" said the pretty girl.
enticingly.
Mr. Hammerstein didn't buy. and a lit
he later he gave a few instructions. and
the sufragettes didn't offer anything for
sale-either cigarettes, candy, flowers or
suffrage litera;ure-in the lobby Of that
theatre durinc the rest of suffrage week.
Mr.. Hammerstein said yesterday that
he thought II was beneath the dignity"
Of the suffragists to appear in vaudeville.
They should have their meetings in
Carnegie Hall. and talk there" ne said.
1T is not up 10 the dignity Of their
arguments 10 talk on a vaudeville stage.
You say they wish 10 catch our vaude-
vile audiences? oh. very well; I have
no objection 10 their doing so. / am in
sympathy with suffrage views myself. and
lent the suffragists my theatre IN Lon
don. Just after they had been smashing
windows too.
But they must not sell things IN the
Hobbies Of my theatres. The Victoria
Theatre is not a fair, nor a bazaar; II Is
a vaudeville theatre People come there
10 see vaudeville they do not wish TO
be pestered with requests TO buy things
Might Have Sold Gowns"
The suffragists began with pencils.
then they sold clgsrettes--why. IL they
kept or they might sell hats and gowns
there"
Mr. Hammerstein said ne didn't object
50 especially 10 the cigarettes: il was the
idea Of having the theatre turned irto
fair Nothing was ssid about their
selling anything when the arrangements
we're made" he said. The arrangements
were that they we're 10 present their ar
guments on our stage. But / did no. have
anything 10 do with that This vaudeville
theatre is my sons
Suffrage the elder Hammerstein said
hadn't helped the box Office any. IT
kept people away" he declared The
house is generally packed Saturdays Last
Saturday there were q good many empty
seats"
Mrs James Lees LaidlaW. chairman OF
The Borough Of Manhattan for the Woman
Suffrage party, was a good deal worked
up over the cigarette episode. Mr.. Ham
mersien said il was the most shocking
Ting that had happened in his theatre
IN long time" she told the Tribune re-
porter. Il hate 10 criticise another or
sanization-it isn't a nice thing TO do
but 1t does seem hard that the Wonen's
Political Unions cigarettes kept VS. from
selling copies Of The Woman Voter Fri
Jay and Saturday We might have made
some more money.
You know, Votes for Women Is 10
many sacred slogan, and naturally they
cont IKE 10 sec II printed on cigarette.
ars Arthur I. Townsend. treasurer Of
the Womens Political Union. said last
night that nothing had given her such
good laugh IN long time as the notion
mat she had lived TO shock Oscar Ham
msrstein
Nobody ought 20 be shocked az tnoso
cigarettes she said, because 1 got them
d. church fair Yes. three or four
weeks ago ! went 20 a church fair In Bell
port and there was Miss Margaret Gar
fsrd with table selling Votes for Wom-
en- cigarettes"
Good Idea for Hammerstein's.
I thought What a good idea for Ham
Iersteinsr and 50 brought her surplus
stock back 20 New York with me-
Tn awfully sorry II Mrs. Laidlaw feels
That our cigarettes injured the Woman
suffrage party's sales Of other things
there; but the statement % somebody else
-! forget who-that the thing had bad
elect on people who come there makes
me laugh.
The suggestion that We could harm
any OF those old FOUNDERS by Offering
'hen cigarettes IS as funny as the idea Of
shocking Oscar Hammerstein. Why. I
saw some OF the men. myself. having "A
nice. innocent time with our little Gig
arettes."
Mrs Townsend said that thet suffragists
violated no agreement by selling things
~.
Fangement Mrs. James Duane Livingston
made for the union with Hammersteln -
We were to have absolute freedom inside
me theatre. II was even supposed that
We could take up collection, but at the
last moment we found they didn't wish
Us to do that"
snuragists are unanimous In insisting
mat suffrage week" was good thing
'or Hammersteins, financially. "One of
The ushers told me that the crowds Were
unusually good" said Mrs. Townsend. Il
have no quarrel with Mr.. Hammerstein
but you know II was Mardi Gras week
al Coney Island, and I'm told that HAN
herste!n's put on a poor bill al the Vic
ioria, relying on the sunragists 10 FIJI the
house"
"suffragists didn't turn out for suffrage
Vaudeville, the Hammersteins saw"
cried Mrs. Laidlaw with flashing eyes
Why, ! know ever so many who paid
81 90 fol seat day after day. and they
did IL under the impre sion that we were
getting percentage from Hammer
STEMS for our act. 1t Will be long
time before Hammerstein's viii get as
good an attraction as We gave presented