New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-05
W. WHITE TELLS
WHAT Ais EAST
Upper and Lower Strata of
Society Defeated Suffrage,
Saws Kansas Editor.


to bloom in Kansas, William Allen
White, editor OF THE Emporis Ga
zette." has come 10 New York to spend
two weeks so that he may properly
appreciate his home town on his re-
turn. At the Hotel Martinique he
talked of suffrage, armanents and the
trend of politics in one room, while
Mrs. White. with several friends, DIS
cussed the weighty topics OF fall and
winter styles and where TO get them IN
an adjoining apartment.
A broad, kindly man is Mr.. White.
with hand clasp that is something
more than a mere shake. and manner.
which, if breezy, after the accepted
Western fashion. holds a spring breeze,
tempered with friendliness.
Suffrage lost and I'm sorry he
said. "Of course am in favor of votes
for women, but do wish the old girls
hadn't become so nervous that they
had TO make faces at Senator Root. l
wish they hadn't done that.
"The trouble with suffrage in the
East? I'll tell you what I'll do. III
write il out for you. I've been news
paperman, so long, that | can pull my
thoughts together better with pencil
in my hand"
For several minutes he wrote
steadily. From the other room came
snatches of conversation-"At Gimbels'
or at Macy's"- Yes, but it doesn't wear
well"-"T had one once before, and |
/ had TO send it TO Kansas City to be
1 altered
Defeat of Suffrage Explained.
This about fits it," said the editor
at last, and read:
! THE trouble with suffrage in the
/ East is this: The suffrage cause is
essentially middle class movement.
Straw votes taken in commuters trains,
theatres, movies, churches, and ele-
vators in Office buildings, always show
a suffrage majority-just as three years
ago the same crowds were generally
/ for Roosevelt. But this crowd is but a
small section of the populace. The
upper and lower strata Of society are
/ against suffrage; just as these classes
are generally against any social or
political changes-the lower stratum
I because its members do not know VIVA,
/ they want, the upper because It's mem
| bers know what they don't want.
"In the West, the middle class forms
/ considerable HadJoiiNy VI NHc PSD'~
/ So in the West We find social ana
political changes come easily"
According to Mr.. White, Kansas,
long hostile 10 further armament. has
/ become a believer in preparedness.
"We never gave the matter much
/ thought" he remarked. until the Ger
mans drove back the Russians, and
( then turned and swept back the Serbian
! pnuff--lika that
Visions of German Invasion.
NOW we already have a vision of
| German army corps landed in Mexico,
and sweeping up across Texas and
: Oklahoma, with d few thousand rang
I ers and militia ahead of them. Ihat
/ is all that would stop them before they
1 got TO Kansas, and we feel the breath
of the enemy hot on our necks."'
/ From this the talk wandered into the
mazes Of politics. The Middle West,
/ Dir. White said, was in a state OF politl-
| cal hux. The electorate had suddenly
| become conservative.
by conservatism" he broke of to
explain, IL don't mean retrogression.
| Conservatism is merely standing still
/ before pushing ahead some more. That
is the state Of the people of the Middle
West at present. In regard to the
presidency, don't know Of single
political leader that can be regarded
as certain timber. Borsh has no fol-
/ lowing with us. Roosevelt is supported
by many, because Of his stand on ma
1 tional defence. Taft has his adherents.
but there is no unanimity Of opinion
whatever.
: wilson's only claim to reelection is
that he has done absolutely nothing.
His machine is all right, but 1t doesn't
work.
"There is no set sentiment in the
Middle West on anything. Voters are
worried, and are in a general state OF
negation. don't believe the Ten Com
mandments could be referred back TO
the people. and more than half Of
them survive the referendum"