New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-25
WOMEN ANSWER ATTACK
Suffrage Leaders Deny Charge
of Lack of Endurance.
THINK CASE NOT A TEST
Point to Professions Besides
Railroading for Which Sex
Has Responsibility.

TOO silly for any use" is what Mrs.
| James Lees Iaidlaw. chairman Of the
Borough Of Manhattan for the Woman
Suffrage party, thinks of Coroner Peter
! Hoffman of Cook County. ILL.,, and his
assertions. made in connection with the
| fatal Burlington wreck at Western
! Springs on July IA. that women are hot
Because one woman was, or was said
to be, responsible for that wreck, Is it
fair TO hold all women unfit for such TO-
sltions?" continued Mrs. Laidlaw.
1T seems to me that I have heard Of
| just a few railway accidents where tower
operators, engineers and all the response
BILE ones concerned were men, Would it
| be fair TO hold all men incompetent for
such positions because Of this?
Coroner Hoffman Is very much of
when he says that women lack forii-
tude and endurance, cool judgment In
! times of danger. and certainty OF under
standing What about Grace Darling?
Think of Ida Lewis, and her wonderful
years In that lighthouse and the lives sho
saved.
women have had fortitude ground into
them by their race training-by their long
night watches by sick and dying people
No endurance? II womans experiences
| through the ages have not given her en-
durance then / don't know what endur-
ance Is.
Sex Is Conscientious.
Women are especially fitted for posi-
tons on which lives depend because, as
sex, they are conscientious. Ii is abb
surd to talk OF shutting women out of
this or that occupation, for as a matter OF
fact II can't be done. In the last United
States census $50 occupations are tabulat-
ed, and women are employed in all but
nine of these.
Women have done remarkable work ns
civil engineers. But what's the use Of
talking? Women are In the worlds work
to stay"
That Chicago coroner is painfully be-
hind the times was tho comment OF
Mrs. A. +. Townsend. treasurer of the
Woman's Political Union. And as for
saying that women haven't endurance
what does he think OF the suffragists snd
the way we've kept at it since Susan 3.
Anthony began. I'm 1882"
Women occupy the nursing profession
almost 10 the exclusion OF men, As
nurses, don't they hold human life In
their hands? Don't they have 20 meet
crises that demand cool Judgment and
certainty OF understanding?
There are certain things that II is he
fashion 10 say about woman. Like the
haaIIGpnc
on accounts of streetcar accidents
Woman Faints.' Women in Panic AZ q
matter Of fact, women seldom faint at
such times. That is a tradition we have
just got to live down.
Holds Judgment Unfair.
ITO say because one woman failed as
tower operator that no woman is iit 10
be a tower operator In as unfair as II
would be 20 hold all men Incapable Of
running trains because the coroner's jury
I'm the case OF the Delaware. IAckawauna
K Western Railroad wreck near Corning.
y. Y, on July 4, found William schroe-
der. the engineer, and Edward Lane, the
hagman, negligent Of their duty. And
women aren't saying that"
r. G. Beadlc, secretary Of tho Mems
League for Woman Suffrage. said he
didn't think capacity TO MI positions
where cool Judgment. fortltudc. etc. were
needed was n sex matter at all.
II don't like to say anything about the
case OF this woman tower operato-." he
observed. because ! haven't read the
facts. / read so much woman suffrage
that don't get time to read much else.
have never looked into the question q
women as railway workers. but I know
us absurd to hold courage and endurance
az matters OF sex
The fact IS that the safety Of a train
shouldn't be trusted to any human tower
operator man or woman These things
should he regulated by automatic devices.
To have one human operator In signal
tower is az wrong as II is to have only
one engineer In a cab. No human brain
is proof against falling IN crisis"