New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-11
The Wounds of a Friend

We cannot hope to relieve the anguish
Of 1.-THE Times" over suffrage. We know
that here is a sorrow far too deep for
words. A cherished office pet has passed
on, and, strained to the breaking point,
the strongest men can but weep, as did
Miss Rankin. Each morning since cleo
ton "The Times" has set out in the usual
spot the same dish Of dear old sentimental
slobber (favored with just enough of a
masculine sneer). But no answer comes.
Tabby is gone beyond recall. "Dulce ct
decorum est pro patria mort" as "Times"
editorial might say.
Perhaps we should wait until time has
begun its healing processes. 1t is difficult
to reason with mind disOrdered by de
SPAR. Yet a gentle word here and there
may help. must help sooner or later; and
so we speak.
The morning after election, in those
terrible hours Of first grief, "The Times"
needlessly scourged itself by the thought
that suffrage had won by default, that the
vote was smaller than in 1915, when the
manhood of the state uprose, etc. Numbed
and stricken. "The Times" took the incom-
plete returns for the total Now, as 1t
turns out. the vote was not only as large
as in 1915, but larger. Then it was l.
301 .6s0-553,34S for and 1882 against
Already 1856, go votes have been recorded
in The Times's' report Of the current
suffrage poll with 800 election districts
missing. Allowing 10000 for these dis
tricts and $4,000 for the soldier vote, we
have total of $4,000. Not exactly
vote by default dear Times is it?
Then there is the question of the for
eign-born vote, which so disturbed "The
Times" the following morning. In the news
columns of the very same issue there were
figures from the census which ought to
have helped, would have helped, had grief
permitted moments reflection. The
figures recorded the well known fact that
among immigrants the men far outnum-
Der the women. Among native born
Americans the sexes are about equal.
Therefore, when you enfranchise women
generally you decrease materially the for
eign-born influence at the polls. Applying
this reasoning TO this city, "The Timess'
news article recorded the fact that there
were S2S. 1913 foreign-born men Of voting
age in this city and only 800, 900 foreign
born women of voting age. The writer pro
ceeded TO calculate the number Of foreign
l., ,,.ot,1I ,,roh.b lt- vote q
the next city election. and by assuming
that two-thirds Of them were married and
that as many foregn-born women would
vote as men Ia rather violent and novel as
sumption for "The Times), he reached the
conclusion, a very liberal one, that from
100000 TO 100000 foreign-born women
would vote in the next city election.
Now, the same article contained the total
figures Of women Of voting age in New
York City, and by very simple sum in
subtraction "The Times" might have pub
lished in its news columns, and thus
brought 10 the attention of its mourning
editors, the fact that against this 900
10 100000 foren-born voters stood not
less than 100000 potential native-born
women voters. "The Times" can, of course,
assume, if it insists upon its sorrow, that
every foreign-born woman will vote and
that no natve-born woman will. But il
the same rule applies to both there is no
mistaking the fact that suffrage has re
duced very materially the foreign-born
menace in New York politics.
Lastly, there is the melancholy interpre
tation which "The Times" places upon the
whole suffrage landslide, and that is that
socialism and the Bolsheyiki did II. OF
course, "The Times" might have noted the
woman's regiment Of Russia standing
against the radicals. 1t might have noted
the fact that in Canada and England suf-
frage is coming 20 women not TO aid peace
or socialism, but 70 aid the war, which the
women Of Canada and England are sup
porting with all their resolution and vigor.
II might, therefore, be argued that suf-
fraee succeeded in New York, as every
where else of late, as war and not a
peace measure.
But this is controversial and debatable,
and not ft food for a mind distraught.
Let US explain this fallacy on another and
quite indisputable ground. The largest
suffrage vote came in this city. "The
Times" is chiefly circulated IN this city.
What could be clearer than that "The
Times" by It's eloqucnce and fairness ard
general courtesy 20 sufragists has manu-