New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-01-20
AUTONOMY FOR BROOKLYN
court Upholds EIderites Against
Flower" Party.
LEADER TALKS OF APPEAL
ALSO Answers Charge of Tam.
many Methods by Pointing
Out Lorimer Tactics.

We'll there can no longer be any doubt
'iat the woman Suffrage party is. as II
proudly boosted In its ante-bellum days a
truly political organization. The public be-
gan to grasp that fact when the insurgent
Eiderites over In Brooklyn charged. in court
and elsewhere that the rulers up in the
metropolitan Tower had "Tammanyized"
the party. And now arises the city COM
mittee and says that the Elderites have
Lorimerized" the party. And when an
organization is Tammanyized and Lori
merized' what more can you have in the
way of politics?
1t was the decision of Justice Jaycox, OF
the Brooklyn Supreme Court In the case OF
the party VS.. the Elderites. a decision
handed down yesterday, and adverse TO
the Tower faction" which led Mrs. Jean
Nelson Penfeld. city chairman. TO bracket
the Elderites with Lorimer and his sup
porters.
we shall undoubtedly appeal the case"
she said The decision is unfair, and we
cannot accept II as final. though, until our
directors meeting is held next Monday. We
can't say officially that we shall appeal
The point in this case is the same point
that is troubling the country in the Lori
mer investigation. The Chicago man says
that even IL some votes were bought, he
had enough without the purchased ballots
to seat him in the Senate.
Our opponents assert, and Justice Jay
cox upholds them, that Mrs. Elder had a
majority Of honest votes-so never mind
the illegal things they did! We want TO
see what a higher court says about that.
We shall base our appeal on two points
first. that the Brooklyn election of October
10, when Mrs. Elder was made borough
chairman, was not legal and, second, that
the integrity Of an organization depends
upon the right of the parent body to gov
ern subsidiary branches
II Brooklyn was subsidiary last night It
didn't know 1t. All was gayety peace and
good cheer in the camps of the Elderites.
1T Is a great victory for Brooklyn's
autonomy" said the conquering general,
Mrs. Elder. Now we can get to work and
do something for suffrage over here. Many
of our districts are splendidly organized,
and those which are left without leaders
will be organized. And so the Tower
people are going TO appeal the case. are
they? Well fancy they'll find that rather
expensive. It costs something 10 appeal
case"
One bill the party already has 10 pay is
a bill Of costs TO Miss Amy Wren and Miss
Sarah Stephenson, the two women lawyers
who won victory for the Elderites-$l01 d.
1T isn't much" said Miss Stephenson. as
she contemplated the magic figures in the
court order with a pleased smile. But
it's gratifying TO get II from the party.
My, Miss Wren and did work on this case;
but IL was worth II. The autonomy OF
Brooklyn is vindicated."
Justice Jaycox's decision is as sweeping
as a decision could we'll be. II makes per-
manent the temporary Injunction which re-
strained the Tower party from holding
an election on December IS to select new
officers for the Borough OF Brooklyn. II
declares that the convention OF october "a
was legally constituted, and that the bor-
ough executive committee was acting with
| in It's rights when 1t that night expelled
Miss Ida Craft, Mrs Grace Greenwood
Wolterbeek and Mrs. Priscilla Hackstaf
from membership in the committee and
! from the meeting. The city committee is
| held TO have usurped the functions OF the
borough officers in Brooklyn In a manner
not justified by the constitution of the
party. And Miss Craft, Mrs Wolterbeek
and Mrs. Hackstaff are told that they can't
come back into the borough committee un-
less Mrs. Elder says they may.
The 9Th, 18th and 18th Assembly districts,
In which these three were leaders, are
among those Mrs. Elder will reorganize.