Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1917-09-10
MALONE QUITS TO
FIGHT FOR WOMEN
Resigns as Collector Of Customs at
New York.
DEvOTES TIME TO SUFFRAGE
Win Exert Energies For Passage OF
Amendment Giving Woman
Equal Rights.

the Federal Suffrage amendment and
because he permitted the imprison-
ment of women who have been picket
ing the White House.
Mr.. Malone, who, as counsel de-
raigned in police court there, told the
President in his letter of resignation
that inasmuch as he had promised the
women of the suffrage States that he
would exert all his energy to have
the National Democratic administra-
ton indorse suffrage by constitutional
amendment he felt Obliged to resign
and devote himself to redeeming that
promise.
In quitting the Office of collector of
the port of New York Mr. Malone
leaves one of the best-paid places in
the government service. He is a SON
in-law of former Senator O'Gorman.
His letter of resignation follows:e
Dear Mr.. President:
Last autumn as the representa-
tive of your administration | went
into the woman suffrage States to
urge your reelection. The most diff
ficult argument to meet among the
ure of the Democratic party through
out four years of power to pass the
federal suffrage amendment looking
toward the enfranchisement of all the
women of the country Throughout
those States, and particularly in Cali
fornia, which ultimately decided the
election by the votes of women, the
women voters were urged to support
you even though Judge Hughes had
already declared for the federal suf-
frage amendment, because you and
your party, through liberal leader
ship, were more likely nationally to
enfranchise the rest of the women
of the country than weres your cppo-
nents. And if the women of the West
voted to re-elect you l promised them
would spend all my energy, at any
sacrifice to myself, to get the present
Democratic administration to pass
the federal suffrage amendment. But
the present policy of the administra-
tion in permitting splendid American
women to be sent to all in Wash
.ington not for carrying offensive ban
ners nor for picketing, but on the
technical charge of obstructing traf-
fic, is denial even of their constitu
tional rights to petition for and de-
mand the passage of the federal suf-
frage amendment. 1t therefore now
becomes my profound obligation ac-
lively to keep my promise to the
women of the West.
81 have approved all the methods
recently adopted by women in the
pursuit of their political liberty; yet,
Mr.. President, the committee on suf-
frage of the United States Senate
was formed in 1883 when | was one
year old; this same federal suffrage
amendment was first introduced in
Congress in 1878; brave women like
Susan B. Anthony were petitioning
Congress for the suffrage before the
Civil War, and at the time of the
Civil War men like William Lloyd
Garrison, Horace Greeley and Wen
dell Phillips assured the suffrage
leaders that if they abandoned their
fight for suffrage, when the war was
ended the men of the nation out of
gratitude would enfranchise the
women of the country And IL the
men of this country had been peace
fully demanding for over half CEN
tury the political right or privilege to
vote, and had been continually ignor-
ed or met with evasion by success
sive Congresses, as have the women,
you, Mr.. President. as lover of lib
erty, would be the first to compre-
hend and forgive their inevitable inn
patience and righteous Indignation.
Will not this administration, re-elect-
ed to power by the hope and faith of
the women of the West, handsomely
reward that faith by taking action now
for the passage of the federal suffrage
amendment?
sIn the port of New York during
the past four years, billions of dollars
in the export and import trade of
the country have been handled by the
men of the customs service, their
treatment of the travelling public has
radically changed, their vigilance
supplied the evidence for the Lusi-
tania note, the neutrality was rigidly
maintained, the great German feet
guarded, captured and repaired, sub
stantial economies and reforms have
been concluded, and my ardent indus
try has been given to this great Office
of your appointment. But now | wish
to leave these finished tasks. TO re-
turn to my profession of the law and
TO give. all my leisure time to flint
as hard for the political freedom OF
women as | have always fought for
your liberal leadership
"It seems a long seven years. Mr.
President, since / first campaigned
with you when you were running for
Governor OF New Jersey. In every
circumstance throughout those years
I have served you with the most re-
spectful affection and unshadowed
devotion. 1t is no small sacrifice
now for me, as a member of your ad-
ministration, to severe our political
relationship, but ! think 1t is high
time that men in this generation, at
some cost to themselves. stood up TO
battle for the national enfranchise-
ment Of American women. So, in or
der effectively to keep my promises
made in the West and more freely to
go into this larger field of Democra-
tic effort, hereby resign my ofilce as
Collector of the Port of New York, TO
NJ a. -