The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-08
WOMEN CLASH OVER
BILLS AT ALBANY
Elkus Enjoys Furious Dispute
Of Rival Leaders at
Cooper Union.
SOME SPEAKERS KISSED
Mrs. Whitehouse Is Applauded
for Decrying Autocracy of
Upstate Solons.

Cooper Union had a regular rip-roar-
ing meeting last night-one Of the good.
old-fashioned kind. The dusty rafters
rang with ordinations and recrimina-
tons. and there was so much OF that
sibilant denunciation to which Cooper
Union audiences are partial that Mrs.
Norman Der. whitehoJse who kept the
time with her jewelled wrist watch, was
compelled TO give some OF the speakers
extra minutes "on account OF those
taken up by Kissing"
The meeting was called by the Wom-
ems Joint Legislative Conference. which
is trying to get certain bills for the ben
eft OF working women through the
State Legislature. and Mrs. Whitehouse
has Just been made chairman OF the
conference in place OF Miss Mary 4.
Dreier, who resigned to go to France
on Industrial business
Mrs. whitehouse was not at all out
jewelled watch. Her speech was what
the solons at Albany might easily term
a hot one. While she did not align
herself with the Bolsheviki, she served
notice on tho men who are holding up
the women's bills that they are doing
their level best to destroy representative
government and to drive the working
ma sses TO seek strikes and revolutions
as the method OF getting their rights.
Then she paid her respects TO the Legis-
lature in this neat fashion:
when came back from progressive
Europe and went up to Albany. where
our bills are being stransled In commit
tee, I felt as II I had dropped back 100
years into the past The group in power
up there don't seem to know what Is
happening IN the rest OF the world. They
call our bills radical-apparently they
don't know that labor legislation more
radical than this Is being put through
IN England and that there II Is de-
scribed as moderate
Women Scored by Senator.
"One Senator Slve MrA Helen Lea
witt and me a great scolding, told US
that labor laws such as we were backing
were the cause OF the war. Tt was be-
cause the men OF Germany had such
good labor conditions that they became
dissatisfied and burst into war he in
sisted, and when spoke Of German mil
itarism he said. oh. no. that didn't
bring on the war-it was all the pam
pered workingmen.'
zone Republican leader, a lawyer.
actually said that his clients were OPP
posed to our measures-said clients
being the Merchants Association. An
other Senator argued that the way to
crush Bolshevisni was not with liberal
labor laws but with repressive methods
They don't know much about Bolshevism
UP there" Mrs Whitehouse explained
with a dimpling laugh, but they like
to talk about It. They're Cars up there
They think they know what the voters
ought TO have. and they talk constantly
about protecting the voters.' However
II Is our fault II ours IL not n representa-
tive Government We should take meas
ures about that autocracy sitting in the
Albany Legislature. We should watch
their proceedings, and crowd meetings
on the subject, and feel that 1t is as
patriotic to do 30 as to watch parades
of soldiers on Fifth avenue. No matter
how a Government starts. whether as a
limited monarchy or as a Soviet Gov.
eminent, II will become autocratic II II
isn't watched.
Those Albany legislators are terribly
afraid OF Bolshevism. but they them
selves are weakening representative
government When workers are mad,
to feel that they can get moro from
direct action than through the vote it 1,
bad for the Government. and ours is be
coming a worn out form OF government
II II doesn't respond to the needs OF TIL
people. When few committees car
prevent measures backed by many PEG
pie. by numerous organizations. from
coming UP in the Legislature, as the,
are preventing ours. It Is time for tn,
people to do something about It."
1t was not Mrs. Whitehcuse's attack OF