New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-24
A Suffrage Novel
the suffrage novel.

At last-the suffrage mover.
It was five years ago that Winston
Churchill, then embarking on his great
scheme of "dong up" every phase OF
American lfe-the Church, politics, and
industry - refused to add the woman
movement to his list, saying the cause was
too near to be seen in its proper perspec-
tive" That acrid and lovable character,
Miss Lucretia Penniman, in "Coniston,'
remains his only picture of the American
suffragist, and she is safely shrouded IN
the mist of forty years ago.
Since then few brave spirits have vent
ured to look into the distracting maze OF
the woman movement, but always they
have handled it cautiously, under cover o.
broad and protecting generality. Usu-
ally they have attempted only study OF
Strong character" or woman in re-
volt; they have written studies in feml-
rism, but few in suffrage. Margaret De-
land in "The Rising Tide" Gertrude Ath-
erton in Julia France and Her Times"
and Mary Johnston in "Hagar" are per-
Laps the best examples. Henry Kitchell
Webster in "The Great Adventure" and
Henry Sydnor Harrison in "Angela's Bust
ness" touched on problems of feminism
which are far removed from the immedi-
ate question whether or not women should
vote. 1t is one thing to believe that won-
ans place is the home and quite another
to prove that the vote would or could take
Ter out of the home. People who do not
believe that the young mother Of twins
should 90 out and seek a career may have
en- argument with Henry Kitchell Webster,
Tut thev have none with the suffraglsts,
who are proud Of their record as mothers
and homemakers.
1t is strange, however, that with all the
wealth of rare and rich and humorous and
pathetic figures who make up the ranks
Of working suffragists so little use has
been made of them by the writing folk.
Arnold Bennett drew upon the picturesque
Pankhursts for his militants in "Thc
Lions Share" and the brilliant figure Of
the late Inez Milholland Boissevain flashes
across many a page of current fiction; but
that is all.
Had it not been for the energy of the
New York State suffragists, who have
referendum on their hands, this state of
affairs might have continued indefinitely.
and the suffrage. problem ripened' and mel
lowed in the back of our great literary
minds until the fulness Of time should
pronounce it ready for Art. The New
York women Enthusiastically, are no
more inclined to wait for Art than for the
awakening of the public mind on the ques-
ton Of suffrage itself. A little forcing is
good for both.
The result is that to-day fourteen of the
r,ost noted men and women in American
fiction have pooled their common devotion
to the cause in The Oak Tree" now APP
rearing in Golfers" AS each contrib
utes chapter, they are prepared against
critics who do not think the heroine
charming enough for a suffragist; each
enc can lay the blame on the thirteen 9TH
ers. The suffragists, however, await the
verdict of the reading public with seren.
iiy, secure in the knowledge that suct
writer's as Alice Duer Miller and Fanny
Hurst. Harry Leon Wilson and Samuc!
Merwin use fountain pens that arc tipped
with cold and flow with LAUGHTER