New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-22
N. Y. Sufragists
Reject Reprisal
Against "Antis'
Women in nConvention Clear
Themselves of Charge
of Vindictiveness

The New York State sufragists
knocked out the "reprisal plank" from
their platform yesterday afternoon.
The section of the recommendations,
which previously declared that suffra-
gists should campaign against men
"who were consistently opposed to
woman suffrage, and whose records
show them to have been opposed to the
interests of women and children and
to humanitarian legislation in gen.
eral," was purged of the words "who
were consistently opposed to woman
suffrage" The change clears the suf-
tragists of the charge Ct 'vindictive-
ness" against Elon R. Brown, Senator
James Wadsworth, jr., and other op-
lonents Of suffrage.
The matter was cleared up by Miss
Mary Garrett Hay, chairman of the
Woman Suffrage party for New York
City, when she rose in the conEention
yesterday afternoon at the Ritz-Carl-
ton, and demanded to know who was
responsible for giving out the ere
prisal clause" TO the press.
This clause had been struck out at
the session of the state committee in
the morning." said Miss Hay, "and
should never have been given out"
Miss Alice Morgan Wright, secre tary
- -
concentrations had been released for
publication before the changes had
been made.
Miss Hay Caused the Change
Miss Hay said after the meeting that
the recommendations had been formu-
lated by the executive board of the
rarty, and when they were proposed
before the state committee she had
herself moved to amend them in way
TO cut out the reprisal clause. She
so declared that she would challenge
the policy of campaigning against
members Of Congress who failed to
indorse the Federal amendment. This
subject will come up for final action
at the convention this morning. The
plank makes no reference TO the pre-
vious attitude OF Representatives tow
ard the Federal amendment, but states:
"ln view of the likelihood Of the i'm
mediate submission of the Federal
amendment TO the state Legislatures
for ratification, we should campaign
against the nomination or election Of
candidates for the New York Legis-
lature and campaign against candidates
for Congress who will not agree 10 in
dorsc the Federal amendment, provid-
ing the Federal amendment has not
passed before the next Congressional
election, which takes place in 1918"
Il was pointed out that critics Of
woman suffrage would interpret this to
mean that the suffragists would put
the Federal amendment ahead Of the
var issue in the coming election. The
question was put thus:
Suppose there were two candidates
for Congress, one disloyal person,
but a friend Of the Federal amendment,
and the other a loyal, patriotic Amer
ican, who did not believe in the Fed
cral amendment, would you not be com
mitted 90 voting for the disloyal per-
son ?"
Mrs. Gait Was Angry
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait. presi.
dent Of the National American Woman
Suffrage Association. fixed the ques-
toner wiCh an angry eye.
ANY one who puts that interpreta-
ton upon that plank is guilty Of the
grossest misrepresentation she said.
eve are organized for suffrage, and
within that field we intend to work for
outrage With all our might. No one
has any right 20 drag other issues into
our platform.
what that platform means is that,
other things being equal, we shall vote
for the man who is u friend Of our
cause. II would probably never come
% an issue, anyway, because this mat
ter will be thrashed out in the pri-
naries, and no one will run Tor Con
grcss who Is not in favor OF the Fed
e-ci amendment"
Miss Hay when asked what she would
do in the emergency OF being Obliged
10 choose between her country and
the Federal amendment said:
III the whole fate OF my country
hung on one man, and that man could
save the country, but was opposed to
Inc Federal amendment, Of course
should vote for hit"
Mrs. James Lees Ladlaw also re-
pudiatea the hint teSt the women
would put suffrage first in national
1T is not probable" she said. that
the pro Germans, who have been the