New-York tribune., 1912-03-23
NeuS of Interest
TO Women
LIVELY SUFFRAGE DEBATE
Nobody Seems to Get Anywhere,
but They Have Merry Time.
MOSTLY WOMEN IN AUDIENCE
DR.. Mary Halton the Disputant
Against Mrs. Rossiter John
son, Anti, in Evangel Hall.

II was only talk no bricks were thrown;
but really to anybody in the vicinity OF
Evangel Hall. at 9th street and Eighth
avenue, yesterday afternoon It sounded
exactly as If lot OF Chinese suffragettes
were inside fighting for their rights.
There was debate there between Mrs.
Rossiter johnson, anti. and Dr. Mary Hal
ton, suffragist but they didn't make the
noise. All the women in the audience,
which crammed the hall, insisted on taking
part all at once, and the Rev. Mr.. Mac
Pherson, the mid-mannered Baptist min
lister who loaned the women the hail. looked
as II he didn't know what had struck him.
The meeting flowed along calmly at first
while Mrs. Johnson argued that woman
suffrage had been brought into this coun-
try by Mormonism and socialism and pop
ulism. few suffragsts snorted, but not
loudly. II was what she said about this
government being founded on force that got
Dr. Halton and her sympathizers 10 the
fighting point.
You say the bullet means the ballot
and the ballot the bullet" she cried.
We'll, DR.. Mary Walker went to the Civil
War, and I notice they didn't hand her the
who went right out on the battlefield and
nursed the soldiers
School Teacher Reused.
This appeared 10 strike TO the heart OF
an anti with d determined eve, who said
she was a school teacher and her name was
Miss A. Stevenson.
Florence Nightingale" she shouted.
She didn't stand on soap boxes and vote.
did she?'
Miss Elizabeth Freeman added her voice.
and contributed still further TO the excite
ment OF Miss Stevenson.
IF there should be a war in this coun-
try we women would take charge OF the
commissary-yes, and IL We were needed for
soldiers they could draft us, and we'd fight
as we'll as Molly Pitcher" she cried
"Oh mercy on u.s." sroaned Miss Stew
enson.
Apparently, besides Miss Stevenson ana
Mrs johnson. there was only one other
anti In the room. She was Miss Toma
Lewis. who talked before the legislators in
the recent hearing at Albany.
Your arguments" she exclaimed to tho
excited suffraHsts make me think Of
something that happened to me the other
day I was walking down Fifth avenue
and ] picked up something 7 thought was
a pearl of great price And Il wa n false
tooth! False tooth arguments-that is all
you give US"
"Suffragists are breaking UP the home.
Clipped in Miss Stevenson. "Out West I'm
the suffrage states they are legitimatizing
Mormon children. Right here in New
York there is suffrage leader who says
the most opprobrious and shameful things
about the home and marriage
Demand Raised for Name.
Name! Name! You've no right to say
that without giving the name" choruseJ
the sufragists.
81 won't give It,, said Miss Stevenson. |
But you'd know her by her wealth and
her gifts TO suffrage"
After that nothing but groans could be
heard for a while, till Mrs. Mary Austin
got up TO answer Mrs. Johnson's argument
that II woman attained the right to vote
she would forfeit the right Of maintenance
by her husband.
mo woman on Gods earth" exclaimed |
Mrs Austin, has a right TO maintenance
unless she gives value received A woman |
Is a person, and should stand on her own
feet. II you want TO find out what women |
are like who stay at home all the time go
TO Turkey and find out
Up to this time the chairman, Mrs. Ella |
O. Guilford. had managed to preserve !
some order, but now everybody began 10
talk at once-everybody, that is, except the |
men, of whom there were many in the
back of the room. One of them, Bayard |
Rodman, did take a hand.
What" he demanded Of the three ants,
what about the woman who has just been
appointed to a leading place on New
York's detective force. with salary of
$500 a year? Isn't she it 10 vote as
q MANI
Voting is not detecting" snapped Miss
Stevenson.
Oh. il was merry war. Nobody seemed
70 get anywhere but they had a lively
time.