New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-01

that Mrs. Gait has outlined for Mayor
Mitchell the sufrsgists method In OBJ
tanning data upon which they based
their assertion TO him that not only a
million, but a majority OF the women
in this state, want the vote
Her letter follows,
Dear Mr.. Mayor note ira. the
anti-suSragists have challenged your
statement that a majority OF the WON
en- Of New York want 20 vote. As YOU
doubtless derived your authority for
this statement from leafet issued by
the Empire State Campaign Commit
tee, beg leave to put the following
facts before you:
Some months ago we urged our rep
resentativos IN every one OF the 100
Assembly districts Of the state 10 poll
the women on woman suffrage. We
knew that such canvass could not be
thoroughly made, as the work would
have 20 be done by volunteers, and
women are busy people. We knew. too.
that many rural districts are not
easily reached, and that il Is impos-
sible FOR canvassers 10 gain entrance
TO the apartment houses Of our cities.
Yet we urged our organized representa-
tives to take up this form OF activity
and 70 conduct the work as thoroughly
as possible
Reports Back Estimates.
AS result many communitie. have
been canvasSed house-to-house In all
parts of the state a special effort has
been made 70 reach women at meetings
of various kinds. A booth has been
maintained at each OF the ninety-eight
county fairs, the state fair and numer-
Gus expositions. Big picnics and out
ings of various kinds have been Wis
tied by our workers, with a view 70 Sc
curing enrolments. In many places the
records Of the results have been kept
in card catalogues. In Industrial CEN
tres we early learned that both men
and women feared that the knowledge
that they had signed such slips would
leak out and cause the loss OF their
positions. Under those circumstances
mere poll was taken.
Eve discovered also that whenever
an enterprising newspaper made can
vsss which indicated especially favor
able sentiment somewhere that our OPP
ponents would at once fly 70 that point
and begin work. We have, therefore,
kept our records quietly and have at all
times promised that no publicity would
be given those who signed.
"Our statement that q million women
want TO vote Is based absolutely on the
reports Of our own work. We have not
counted membership of societies pass
ing resolutions, as has been charged.
We did not base our statement upon
postal card Canvass OF any newspaper.
as has been charged. nor upon any
method OF estimating
at is a curious item OF interest that
declared ten years ago
that 10 per cent only Of the women
wanted TO vote. Since then suffrage
has been won in eight additional states
and Alaska. We have waged record
breaking campaign In New York, and
the number Of women wanting the vote
has increased steadily week by week.
Any citizen Of the state can establish
this fact By canvass OF his own circle
OF acquaintance.
"The twenty-five thousand or more
women who marched through Fifth
Avenue on Saturday were straw in
dication Of the numbers who are suf-
fragists. Thousands Of women did not
possess the physical strength 20 stand
waiting for hours and then walk two
and a half miles. Many were obliged TO
work Saturday afternoon, and thou
sands more had to remain home with
their children. Yet the anti-suffragists