New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-26
Is Senator Gaunt, Amend
ment Champion, Friend
or Enemy? Women Ask.
HINT HIS ACTIVITY
is PART OF A PLOT
His Wife's an Anti, and He Re-
fuses TO Declare Himself
Rural Districts Doubtful.
BY ELEANOR BOOTH SIMMONS.


and Sullivan sound, but to the suf-
fragists there's nothing Of the comic
opera element about Senator Gaunt.
He's the hardest nut they have to
crack, and the kernel of his mind has
never been disclosed TO them, though
he was the man who pushed their
amendment through the New Jersey
Legislature.
| went down to Gloucester County
on the way train from Camden the
other day to call on the Senator. and
got in very bad with Mrs. Gaunt
through trusting too confdingly in the
suffrage press agent, Miss Eva Ward.
GO and smoke out Senator Gaunt,"
Miss Ward directed me, land, Incl
dentally. call on his wife. ! hear she
has suffrage organization in Mullica
Hill"
The way train loafed along through
quiet country scenes to Mullica Hill,
which is a town consisting of long,
struggling street, with few offshoots.
| beguiled the trip by interviewing the
six or seven passengers on suffrage,
with lukewarm results. They had all
heard of the suffragettes-some had
even heard them-but they were far
more interested in their hens and the
pumpkin crop and Abe Smiths new
barn and Mrs. Browns hat that she
bought in Woodbury. than they were IN
votes for women.
Arrived in Mullica Hill, proceeded
TO Senator Gaunt's home, which is a
plain frame house, three doors from
the station. Just beyond the general
store. | rang the tinkling doorbell, and
bv and by a mddle-aged woman, in
calico dress, with her hair combed
plainly down over her ears, opened the
door a very little way. | asked for Mrs.
Gaunt.
Mrs. Gaunt Unsympathetic.
~ am Mrs. Gaunt," she said
81 am told that you have formed
suffrage organization" | began, after
introducing myself. Then stopped;
The look of icy scorn hat appeared
upon her countenance was sufhclent
warning. ar
81 certainly have not" she said. 81
am very much against it. He" (mean-
ing her husband) "is neutral, but con-
slider that my proper place is my home,
"Are there any suffragists," | asked,
timidly, ain Mullica Hill"
There's Mrs. So-and-So, and Mrs. So
and-So. see them running over the
town." Mrs. Gaunt informed me.
Can | see the SENATOR" ! inquired.
81 don't believe you can. The car Is
coming to take us to reunion OF the
old soldiers in the Grange Hall down
the street" Then Mrs. Gaunt shut the
door.
To the Grange Hall hied me, also,
q bit later. Senator Gaunt is master OF
the State Grange over there. and lect-
urer for the National Grange. rms
organization has Endorsed woman SUI
frare. but il is the impression OF Glou-
cester County suffragists that the mas
ter of the New Jersey Grange, though
he did get the amendment through
the Legislature. and though he mas
made no statement of his views, IS
their enemy. Senator Gaunt referred
to this somewhat scornfully when ran
him to cover in the hall. -,
"The suffragists around here think
I'm against them because | don't go
around yelling for the cause, ne Cd
served. "But | shall make no state
ment. If were going to be mere rlgh.
along till October 10 | would take part
in the campaign, but Pm off lecturing.
| shall vote on the amendment "!
mind is made up on it."
anti" Plot Hnted.
There was only one chance for SUI
frage success. Senator Gaunt added
and that was that the voters who were
agsinst il veterinary of them-too IN
diFerent TO take the trouble TO vote. -,
"It NAV be-" he said, that they'll
stav AT home in such numbers that
they'll be outvoted by the few sup
porters." .;.h,. ox-
ception the men | had talEH4 win pc
lieyed that woman suffrage was coming
some time, though they might oPPose
il now. Senator Gaunt smut MS ugh'
lips tighter, -. .ho+p be nm
o,osod tbem TO remark. IL read in a
Now York paper the other day@that IT
was going, not a coming, move
ment." :, .;dort
Mrs. Robert Folwell. the presideni
of The Mullica Hill Suffrage Club, told
me that when sitting near Senator
Gaunt and his wife at a meeting one
dav she had heard enough to convince
bey that he was an anti. HE told me
so himself two years ago., she sale'
"Ho told me. Il shall get woman SUI,
fraoe amendment before the voters OF
New Jersey, and l shall vote against
Mrs. Folwell and her daughter-in-
lou Mrs Norman Folwell, have man
aged to get together league OF nun
dred women in a district OF ABOUT nve
bundred voters, but Mrs. Folwel, ST.
was lust leaving town for long~stay,:
and she took a melancholy view OF
the organizations future.
District Leader Doubtful.
"Mv daughter-in-law is sick" she
sa;d '"and there doesn't seem 20 be
snvbody that wants TO take the trouble
Of managing il. | am afraid the amend,
mont won't be carried around here. Ana
vol there seems 10 be more or less IN,
ferest Most of the little towns around
have suffrage clubs. was in Westoury'
the county seat, to-day, and there are
two big banners, one suffrage and one
anti-suffrage, across the man street.
right near together. We had big meet
inc with DR.. Anna Howard Shaw TO
talk, and guess everybody here knows
what suffrage means.
| spent an hour going up and down
the street just talking to people, ana
il seemed TO me that there were more
people with a definite opinion, one way
pr the other. than you would find in a
o,ronn of the same number in one of the
bic Jersey towns. Sitting on the steps
Of the Grange mall found a gentle
voiced old soldier from the town of
Burlington.
~ can't see any reason why women
sbouldnt vote" he observed, re-
aectively. They'll have my ballot II