New-York tribune., 1913-07-15
SUFFRAG|STS IN WAR OF
WORDS ON ANTI WRITER'S
New York Women Rally with
BrOadSideS in Defence OF
California Sisters.
THEIR LEGISLATION GOOD
Far Better, 1t Is Argued, to
Spend Millions on Children
than in Building Auto
mobile Roads.

81 read anti news in the papers. of
course. It's the best way to get ones $
circulation up in the morning"
This reply was made by a young suf-
frasist in answer TO question as TO
whether she had read Miss Alice Hill
Cbittendcn's remarks anent woman suf-
frase i'm California.
II developed that all suffragists read
opti-suffrage news with equal Cnthu-
silsn,. and yesterday they were ready to
take a whack at poor Miss Chittendon,
who said i'm her report TO the National
Association Opposed TO Woman Suffrage
that the women's vote was impoverishing
the taxpayers of California and that the
legislative session had been filled with
freak bills.
Miss Helen Todd, who. as the repre-
sentative of the California Woman S
Legislative League, WAS present at al
most every session of the Legislature
last winter. appeared early at the ma
tional headquarters to contradict Miss
Chittendens statements.
1T is absolutely untrue" she said.
that we women have squandered the
taxpayers money. The people are per
fectly willing to spend their money on
what they have intelligence enough to
see is useful legislation. The 'conserva-
tion OF human life has taken the first
place i'm the minds of our people We
now see that it is more sensible 20 spend
money to protect child life. decrease dis
fp
asylums and prisons.
Children. Not Automobile Roads.
we know that We can save the state
millions Of dollars by conserving human
life. ami the people prefer TO spend it on
children than on automobile roads. OK
biHtion houses or fat salaries for poll
ticiJns
1T is only the few selfish women who
grudge a few dollars in taxes to pay for
teachers pensions and reform schools for
Young girls. where they can learn trades
which will give them honest means Of
livelihood.
We believe in going at the cause Of
troubles rather than erecting jails 20
cure them. We have the most progressive
state in the Union. and we are proud
Of it,"
What about the freak bills?"
"Oh. those" said Miss Todd. were
introduced by men. The women had
nothing 10 do with them. We attended
strictly to our programme, which includ-
cd the bills 10 relieve the conditions Of
women and children. never even heard
of that school children's shoes bill Of
which Miss Chittenden speaks. and I
was at Sacramento during the entire
legislative term"
Mrs. Sarah J. Russell. editor OF tho
suffrage Newsletter" focused her wrath
on the bill to regulate the size of sheets
in hotels
Doesn't it make you furious" she
said That is not ii wOmans bill. How
many women spend d week year in
hotels? That bill was demanded by the
travelling men. as everybody knows. II
is a perfectly sensible bill, too. Its pur-
pose is to compel hotels to furnish sheets
long enough 70 be turned down over the
blanket. so that the blanket won't touch
the sleeper's face. That bill originated I'm
Texas. was passed there and was passed,
too by the New York State Legislature
last winter They can't blame the
wonfens vote for it in this state
Mrs. Mary Ware bennett. secretary oi
the National American Woman Suffrage
Association. looks upon Miss Chittenden's
report as a presumptive boomerang
Laws Speak for Themselves.
That report will do them more harm
than good" she said yesterday. My,
lust look at it-all those excellent laws!
People who read it will say Dear me- II
women can get laws like that, We should
try suffrage here
Isn't il funny to hear an anti wall
that suffrage has kept the home together
Usually their cry is that II Will break up
the home, But here Miss Chittenden Is
amenting that the women OF California
actually had d bill passed enabling u
widow to keep her children in her home
instead Of sending them TO institutions.
"She reminds me of the man who told
d beautiful but not very plausible story
in explanation of his late return home
one night His wife didn't believe II.
We'll he growled, that's the story ]
made up my mind to tell 'you and I'm
going TO stick 10 it.
The ants have made up their mlhd'
TO condemn suffrage and they'll SUCK 10
j; whatever happens.
AS for the increase I'm taxauoh-soou
gracious, every state has an increase e'
There could be no justification Tor the
absence OF an increase save decrease III
population.
California is growing, energetic
state and OF course. its appropriations
have 10 increase. Besides, II is conceV-
able that improvements won't cost the
state so much when women are able 10
get their hands on the purse strings anu
prevent some of the waste In other dl-
rcctions"
nINII Al IAnMN nNnNED