New-York tribune., 1918-03-14

woman Suffrage; but the question Of
suffrage at this time is not only ight
to woman, but it is also a question of
wartime efficiency for country strug-
Cling in the throes of this great world
war.
"Therc are those who say, too, that
women do not want the vote; that when
they have the vote they do not use it,
"The fact that women do want the
vote was proved by the signatures of
the 1,O33,S0O women now in the pos
session of the New York State Woman
Suffrage party.
"That women who have the vote used
it is evinced by the fact that in no
suffrage state has suffrage ever been
given to women; that in every suffrage
state labor legislation has advanced,
not in tremendous, Overwhelming
strides, perhaps, but yet with a steady
and parallel growth in each state. which
shows that the women who have the
vote use it to the best Of their ability,
Use it to help conditions in the home,
in the school, in the moral life of the
community, in those developments of
community life which are particularly
women's sphere.
81 have not always been in favor of
woman suffrage, but have insisted that
every opportunity should be given for
an expression of opinion on the sub
Ject. 1t has seemed to me that when
the women of the nation really desired
the right to vote the men would give
1T to them. In my opinion, that time
has now arrived. and have no doubt
that if the subie was fairly presented
majority of our women would be
overwhe lmingly in favor of having the
franchise"
Suffrage in New York
"1n New York State. when law was
passed providing for the registration
for war purposes Of every person in the
state between the ages of eighteen and
fifty years of age. women of the state
offered their services without pay to
take the registration. The Governor
accepted the offer. and every state and
county official VIII testify to the value
of the work performed
"1n the election Of 1917 New York
State gave majority of 102,353 in
favor Of woman suffrage. 1t has been
enormously stated that this majority
was obtained through the activity of
the Socialist party and pro- German clc-
ments in the city of New York. Let
US sec if that is so. In twenty eight
counties of the state outside of the
city Of New York, all strongly Repub-
lican, the Republican candidate for
Attorney General received 25O,479
votes, the Democratic candidate 1885,
219 votes and the Socialist candidate
$3.50 votes, while the suffrage amend
ment received 203,17S favorable votes.
conclusive evidence, | submit. that in
the rural sections of New York the
Socialist vote was not influential in
settling this important question.
every orc residing in New York
City knows that the Socialist party was
not the deciding factor in determining
the result there 1t was my privilege
to speak for woman suffrage at a great
mass meeting in New York City shortly
prior to the election. The junior SEN
ator from Oklahoma (Mr. Owcn) was
present and delivered an eloquent ad-
dress. He will recall that Mr.. Mitchell
the Fusion candidate, and Mr. Hillqut
the Socialist candidate, were present
and advocated suffrage, and that let
tcrs were read from Mr.. Hylan the
Democratic nominee, and Mr.. Bennett
the Republican, all urging the approval
OF the suffrage proposal. All four can
didates for Mayor in that election fa-
vored suffrage.
"Thcre are sixtytwo Assembly dis
tricts in the city of New York. in the
recent election the Democrats carried
thrtyfour, the Republicans eighteen
and the Socialists ten. but all sixty-two
were carried for woman suffrage. Let
ne point out the result in some Of these
districts. In the 9th District of New
York County. = Republican section.
G,318 votes were cast for the amend
ment. In this district only 735 votes
were cast for the Socialist ticket. IN
the 9TH DISTRICT Of New York County.
a strong Democratic section. $3.50 votes
we're cast for the amendment and S54
for the Socialist ticket. The same re-
suit holds good in the other counties
q the city. In the 7th District Of
Brooklyn, strong Democratic section,
4,549 votes were cast for the amend
ment and only 1873 for the Socialist
ticket; and in the 21st Assembly Dis
trist of Brooklyn, the strongest Re-
publican district in the city, 1853 votes
were cast for suffrage and only 1871
for the Socialist ticket"