New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-11
PASSION FOR V|0LETS
SPLITS SUFFRAGE ARMY
"COIOneI' Ida Crafts Forces
Quit Ranks During Tramp
to Pick Flowers.
FORGET VOTES FOR WOMEN
March Through Westchester
Loses Effectiveness by
Beauty of Blossoms
on All Sides.

\ vote or a vioet-which appeals more
TO the normal feminine mind?
Suppose the violet was very big and
blue. end 1t grew beside a baby brook over
which swung great snowy boughs of dog
wood blossoms? Wouldn't you pick that
violet and let the vote go hang?
That Is what the youngest members of
Colonel Ida Crafts army did, and who
will censure them? Yes Colonel Craft
suffered the first mutiny of her Greer
in the white drifted hills of Westches-
ter yesterday afternoon.
What II there were male voters Ian
gushing In ignorance in Nalhalla, kensico
and Pleasantvillc? There were viOlets by
the roadside. pink azalea. columbne and
Wild geranium. too. Half OF the army
threw suffrage to the winds and fell upon
those blossoms with Shrieks OF delight.
In vain the conscientious colonel be
sought. eXhorted, commanded. Those
girls merely spied more and bigger vio-
let's further up the brook bed Justice
compels the court to admit that in all
probability they did not hear the colo
nell" What Is a suffragist TO prevail
against the call OF the spring?
At all events. the Colonel" and half or
the army" marched on to do their duty.
An hour or so later the mutneers came
10 their senses. half way UP hill on the
wrong road. with their arms full of flowers
and the votes for women" flag trailing
in the dust.
Votes Not Half So Pretty.
I'VE should worry about vote" said
Miss Elizabeth Freeman. who wants
vote when there are violets TO pick? a
vote isn't pretty. II doesn't even SMELL
Lets all be ants." suggested Mrs.
Marie Baird. and they fell to gathering
dogwood blossoms History leaves them
SO. Whether they ever returned 10 town
or not does not belong TO the suffrage
movement.
Meantime "Colorep Craft had left trail
Of yellow leaflets through Camp NO.
Of the Croton Water Works. Astonished.
swarthy faces of Italian women appeared
at the windows Of the shacks and chill
dren fought In the dust for the papers.
but the army" tarried not.
These people are not voters" quoth
the suffragists. and streaked IL on to
Valhalla. where live the seventy "white'
men. who have not yet moved away be-
cause Of the Italian invasion.
The suffragists found hot coffee in a
restaurant and friend in a. W. South
ard. postmaster and president of the Val
halla Improvement Association
Sure, you can hold an open air meet
ing" he said, but not in the public
square. where it would interfere with
traffic"
Six miles more Of distributing literature
10 the natives brought them TO their jour
neys end. where was a great storm Of
wind and dust. so that IT was impossible
TO hold the meeting planned for the VII
lage square Of Pleasantyille.
Members of the army contented them
selves with talking to every shopkeeper
in the place. At the railroad station they
encountered group of young girls, who
said:
Yes, we're suffragists; but we don't
4 believe I'm making shows OF ourselves with
buttons and parades and things"
The army" that started out consisted
OF Colonel" Ida Craft; color bearer. Lou
Boldt. sandwich bearers, Marie Baird.
Elizabeth Freeman. Augusta RICHTER,
Fife Phyffe. Mrs. Janet Boynton. Mrs.
Drusilla Lehman and Mrs T.. a. Brown.
The colonel says they will 20 TO Nyack
next week. II the muuneers are penitent
after they learn that violets perish. but
the vote endureth forever.