The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-03-18
WOMAN CROSS-tXAM|NES
CANDIDATES ON BUDGET.
Daughter Of Ingersoll Stirs Dobbs
Ferry by Demanding They
Go on Record.
USES SUFFRAGIST METHOD
Members Of Equal Franchise League
Support Her in Unique Pub
licity Campaign.

to disturb the ordinary course OF civic
and political affairs, Dobbs Ferry is natur-
rally wrought up over the injection Of
woman suffragist methods into the present
campaign for the election Of village
president and a board OF trustees. Not
that there has been any window smashing
or parades, but Mrs. Walston II. Brown,
a daughter of the late Robert lngersoll
has propounded to the candidates series
Of questions calculated to make them
stand up and declare themselves.
While the minds Of the candidates are
just now dwelling on the outcome of the
election tomorrow. the mind Of Mrs.
Brown and the ninety-nine other members
Of the Hudson River Equal Franchise
League are more intent on May Is when
the doors Of the public library will be
thrown open for the first annual Dobbs
Ferry budget exhibit. The candidates
have been asked where they will stand
in municipal affairs. but when the budget
exhibit comes OF they won't have to do
any saying. II is intended that they
shall be known by their deeds and the
members OF the Equal Franchise League
are making preparations accordingly
Everybody knows that every candidate
has pledged himself to do what Mrs.
Brown asked him and il hs doesn't the
budget exhibit will show 1t.
The Democratic candidate for village
president is Charles +. Storms. and those
associated with him on the ticket are
Lyman c. French, Paul Engert and Joseph
Langenberg Frankling Q. Brown will
oppose Mr.. Storms on the Republican
side and those who hope to get in with
him are Hugh Graham. Harry Secor and
Franklin A. Wagner
Not one Of them came forth with any
really concrete statement as to what he
meant to do il elected. says the Equal
Franchise League member. But Mrs.
Brown was determined that the electors
should know something about the candi-
dates for whom they were to vote. She
broached the matter OF platforms but
reported that the candidates demurred.
She approached other members of the
Equal Franchise League and suggested
that they do something but the league
members weren't 30 aggressive.
so. said Mrs Brown at her home last
night, Il made up my mind / would do il
myself. ! prepared a statement to the
candidates and appended a number OF
questions on village affairs. | went to
each OF the candidates and asked him to
read it and to think it over. Then l tried
to make the men and women OF Dobbs
Ferry realize how important IL was that
these men should answer the questions
affirmatively il they wanted to be elected.
The scheme was success. Every candi
date decided he had better say yes. Then
for the budget exhibit.
you will notice that my programme is
progressive. We want to make Dobbs
Ferry more beautiful and healthier. We
want the men to consider that 1t is our
duty to help the town. While we advocate
woman's rights we are equally Interested
in woman's duties. We don't want the
men to think we are doing things for
them. Rather We want them to feel that
we are with them: with them for Dobbs
Ferry"
The questions asked the candidates in
volve their attitude toward publicity Of
budget appropriations and free discussion
both before and after they are made, adj
vice from citizens Oh public affairs. con-
ferences with citizens OF neighboring
villages. elimination of contagious
diseases. better sewer systems and vii
lage reports. In her statement 10 candi
dates Mrs. Brown says:
Dobbs Ferry's expectations regarding her
next board of trustees are unusually high.
unusually definite, unusually ekacting. IL
goes without saying that Dobbs Ferry eN-
village an honest and busiDesslike admits
tration. Inrealized expectations mean u
discredited next board OF trustees. In fair
ness to the next board. therefore. and in the
interest OF its own clearness OF vision. Dobbs
Ferry should formulate some statement OF
the needs which the community wishes To
have met. OF the specific things the ge
wishes TO have done or not 10 have done: of
the specific tests which taxpayers propose
en- Ia. lu a ..rt
neat year.
The Hudson River Equal Franchise
League was organized at her home in
Willard is president, Mrs. Brown vice.
president. Mrs. Herbert s. Carpenter
treasurer. and Mrs Sidney Borg secretary
The Peoples Forum heard Mrs. Willard,
Judge William II. Wood. Orrin s. Goan
and DIR. Joseph Iiasbrouck speak OH equal
suffrage yesterday afternoon at Dobbs
Ferry.
Franklin Wagner. president OF the
Forum introduced Mrs. Henry Willard as
chairman OF the meeting and Mrs. Willard
made short address, saying the suffrage
movement was an outgrowth Of slavery
but IL IL making headwBy.
She was sure that IL would win in every
State. Judge Wood, who was a former
Tammany politician. said he spoke in
favor OF suffrage from personal expert
ence, He answered three questions
First. II was said suffrage would destroy
the home and home ties by taking women
away from their homes. He said II
didn't take over fifteen minutes to register
and the same to vote. The second. rs
to military duty. he said was an absurd
proposition. He said the women did
their part in the civil and Spanish -Ameri-
can wars. Third. that the right Of women
to vote might split up homes. He said
there was no difference between q man
being Democrat and his wife Repub-
lican than both being OF different reli gious
belief He said the time had passed
when strength made right.
Men sooner or later will have to grant
women the right to vote. Mr.. Goan said
his wife was suifra gist and she was good
enough for him. Az to intelligence, he
said he was manager OF a factory en-
! ploying 1000 men and 1000 women and
the women showed superior intelligence,
DR.. Hasbrouck said the men were
derelict in their duty in not giving tho
wome the ballot, and he believed in
forcing the issue.
The attendance was very large and a
number of wealthy men and women at
tended.