The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-11-29
HOW WOMEN WON NEW YORK STATE
Interesting Article from The Pen Of
Nellie Skinner CrisswelI, Former
Fulton County Girl.

in the hands of the Empire State,
1t will make a mighty sight OF
difference as to whether a
candidate for President of the
United States carries New York
or not. This great change has
been brought about by the addi-
tion of two million voters when
it was decided by the men of
New York state at the election,
that women should have in that
state, the same rights at the
polls as men. The following is
Mrs. Crisswell's article:
"WhensWoman Suffrage was
defeated in New York State in
1915, we realized two things: %
In order to win the NEXT time,
one man out of every nine must
be induced to change his mind;
and, (2) that our first big work
was with the women.
So many men have said: mo:
| didn't vote for suffrage; the
majority of the women don't
want it; my wife isn't interested,
my mother is opposed to it, etc.
And so we decided not only to go
after that NINTH man, but to
interest the women-all women
from the mistress of a Fifth
Avenue mansion, down to the
humble foreign-born laundress.
Many women would not come
out to meetings. and would not
read our literature. How then
would we reach them? Only,
by a house-to-house canvass, a
personal interview, and that we
set out to do all of last spring
and summer-weary work some
times. but intensely interesting
and well worth while; for this
fall, we could present to the
skeptics the signatures of one
thirteen thousand, and
eight hundred New York wo-
men who desired the enfran-
chisement of their sex.
We have a really wonderful
here-city officers,
boro officers, a leader in every
Assembly district, and a captain
in every election district; and,
because of this well organized
body of trained women, from
the day the United States enter
ed the great world war, we were
asked to do tremendous amount
If patriotic work. We had al
most entire charge Of the State
census in June; we sold |
hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of Liberty Bonds, we
,anvassed the City with the
Hoover Food Conservator pledg-
IS, and we are taking an active
)art in all branches of the Red |
Cross work. We have never
;urned down any patriotic job,
d we have always made
rood"
During last summer, the politi-
,ians for some reason best known
o themselves, changed the bound
,ry lines of all election districts
n Brooklyn. In the new ar
'angement, the 23rd election dis
riots of the First Assembly was
assigned to me. 1t is what we
all a silk stocking district, Z" in
several of the finest res
dental blocks in the City; but,
llso, embracing a small section
,f a totally different class. So,
n my voters list | had all sorts
md conditions" of men from
Bank Presidents and Wall Street
to some poor speci-
mems of human driftwood-lodg-
ID temporarily in the cheapest of
coming houses.
The real work of our campaign
,egan with Registration Week,
when / spent every evening and
ii day Saturday at my polling
'lace. AS the men registered, |
,ut down in my little book their
lames, addresses, business, and
egistration numbers. In my
esiure moments, | knitted at my
ray navy sweater while the
nen smoked. | was pleased to
ind a very marked change in the
ttitude of the men on the board.
'wo years ago, they were courte-