New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-12
White House Suffrage Pickets
To Renew Vigil on Bastile Day
'Ex- Convcts Tell Ritz Carlton Audience Why They Re
fuse to Stop Campaign at Same Time Other Leaders
Plead for End Of Pcketing

July 14-Bastile Day-has been ap-
pointed as the date for the next demon
stration of suffrage pickets around the
White House in Washington.
This announcement was the reply OF
the woman's party to plea made yes
terday by Mrs. James Lees Laidlaw and
Mrs. Frank A. Vanderlip, of the Woman
Suffrage party, that the picketlng
should be stopped in the interest Of the
New York State suffrage referendum.
Mrs. Laidlaw and Mrs. Vanderlip
went down to Washington yesterday
afternoon to argue against the picket
ing. and at the same time Miss Mabel
Vernon and five other Suffrage ex-con-
victs" came up from Washington to tell
the people of New York why they re-
fuse to stop their campaign.
The "ex-convicts" held their meeting
at the Ritz-Carlton. 1t was a small
gathering compared to former demon
stration which the woman's party has
held here. and only $500 was pledged
instead of the thousands of dollars the
rartv usually raises, but the spirit oil
tho sneakers was as determined as ever.
Pickets to Go Right on
"July IA. Do you recognize the
date?n cried Miss Vernon. at may be
that on July IA, 1917, we shall reap as
great a victory as the fall of the Bas-
tile. Il is in the power of President
Wilson. All he has to do is to give the
word to Congress and democracy Will
become a fact in this country.
at this does not come true-if the
pickets are merely arrested again and
sentenced to jail again on July 1--we
shall 20 right on. We cannot picket
every dav now. 1t isn't easy TO get
women 10 come out when they know
they face imprisonment. We snail
probablv have only one day week now.
But isn't that right? Shall we stop
altogether"
"No. mo-" cried the audience, and APP
plauded vigorously. Miss Rose Living
ston was so carried away by the spirit
of the occasion that she declared she
was ready 10 90 to Washington to
picket right away.
The six "ex-convicts" had seats of
honor on the platform. They were
Miss Vernon, Miss Joy Young, MISS
Elizabeth Stuyvesant, Mrs. Frances
Greene. Miss Lucy Burns and Miss Vida
Milholland. sister Of the late lnez Mil
holland Boissevain.
81 want to live my sisters life for
her" was the explanation Miss Mllhol-
land made of nor presence on the picket
line. There we're tears in the eyes OF
more than one woman who had loved
her sister when Miss Milholland rose
to sing the songs which she sang to the
suffragists in the Washington prison.
She never makes speech. There were
Kitty Malone" TO cheer them up and
he "Woman's Marseillaise" to keep
them brave. When it came time for
the collection. John f. Milholland sent
UP $50 10 his daughter on the platform,
with a note:
"Vida: Put down fifty from friend
Of Home Rule. who loves scrap"
Miss Lucy Buns laid the response
blity for the arrest Of the pickets upon
President Wilson.
eve know it is being done by the
President" she said. "The police court
magistrates are appointed by the Presi-
dent in the District of Columbia. The
entire government of the district is au.
tOcratic and comes from the White
House. When a newspaper man went
to Major Pullman and asked why the
picketing which has been legal since
January 10 was suddenly illegal on
July 4, he said he was acting under
different orders now
UounIutinp Cupnnrfs DirLsts