New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-21
WOMEN CKEERED BY
EDITOR'SSPEECH
Arguments of Ants Are
Brushed Aside at SUI
frage Shop Meeting.

y
II Mrs Norman De X. Whitehouse
hadn't had her wits about her yester-
day, the suffrage. shop which she Is
running at 663 Fifth av. would now be
stronghold Of the ants.
A man who said that he was LOUIS
Kutner. of III West 125th st., inter-
rupted the daily meeting with de-
mand to be permitted to debate with
the suffragists.
Miss Helen Todd, who was speaking,
and comes from the guIleless west,
was about to welcome with Joy the
prospect of roomful of ants to talk
TO, but Mrs. Whitehouse was warier.
"Let me settle this" she said, Tor
am running this shop. This building IS
lent to US for the purpose OF spreading
suffrage propaganda. We don't want
anti talk from the platform, Tor we
don't wish 10 bore people. And our
speakers must be men and women who
count. with achievements back of them.
We cant let just lybody get up here
and talk"
ooh! ,ery WE'LL" said Mr.. .utner,
bitterly. "lf it's position and not logic
you want in your speakers" lie at
tempted to say much more, but was
shunted gently out by Mrs. Whltehouse
and other suitragists.
The moving pictures were dlscontln-
ued Yesterday, because, il was ex-
planned, people really come TO hear the
aseeches, and the crowds are just "a
large when there are no films shown.
Straight suffrage speeches. IN line with
the programme, were given By MISS
Todd and by Ogden Mills Reid, editor
of The Tribune.
Miss Todd described in feeling words
how she almost froze in her long cam
paign trips in Nebraska and how she
and other suifragists would have to
freeze before they won the vote IN
New York.
1--WE have our work cut out for US
here in New York." she said I'VE
have got TO make this state see what
il is that hates us, that pours out Its
money TO defeat US. The anti-suftra-
gists no. we are not deceived by
that ladylke facade of well dressed
ants. We see the interests behind
them-the vice interests, the liquor
men. How the ants survive their
friends / don't know!"
Mr. Reid was introduced by Miss
Alice Perkins. who presided, as rep
resentative Of the most powerful
friend we have the press"
Mr.. Reid declared that unless it
could be shown that woman's vote
would be absolutely injurious to the
state, the interests of justice demanded
she be enfranchised.
"The arguments against woman suf-
frage." he said, fall under two heads.
First. that the vote is not a natural
right; second, that it would not be
expedient 70 give woman the vote. And
il is urged that as she never has pos
sesscd the ballot, TO be without 1t IS
no deprivation.
at is quite true that the franchise
is not a right; il is privilege. Men
have demanded the franchise as a
right, in various groups, from time 10
time. but their governments were un-
der no more obligation to give IL 10
thei than 70 give il t. women. Our
Constitution does not confer the fran
chse upon US, and past legal decisions
have carried the assumption that the
vote is not a right.
"The real arguments for woman suf-
frage are based upon what is for the
interests of the state. And IL is not
for the interests of the state TO have
discrimination against "a large number
Of its citizens For that reason sub
stantial Justice demands that the wom-
en- of this country have the vote, and
unless they actually do harm with it
the mere enfranchisement of women
will be a long step in advance.
And why should we suppose that
they will do harm with il? Surely,
women of intelligence and possessions
i'm this country are better fitted to vote
than are men who have lived here but
n short time-and we admit them to
the polls. More girls than boys are
graduated from the high schools and
the colleges; so women are at least as
we'll educated. II is argued that the
foreign vote would be increased by en-
franchising women; but as there are
more men immigrants than women i'm
migrants that is hardly danger
zone other argument is advanced by
tho antis-that women don't know poll
tics Well, suppose they don't. There
are plenty of men who couldn't qualify
in that regard. And women know many
things that are quite as important They
know pure food, pure milk, play
grounds for the children, good schools
Mr.. Reid ended by pointing out the
disadvantages under which non-voters
labored when il came 20 welding in
fuence to get bill through the Legis-
lature. or anything like that. He
pleased his almost wholly feminine au-
dience very much by beginning with
the words. Fellow citizens"