New-York tribune., 1920-03-16
Praise for Wadstvortk
A SuFrogist Strongly Uphold.
the Senator and His Reco,1

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: should like 20 reply TO ~.
Delahcld's letter Of March on Senate,
Wadsworth, published in your p,u,
Of March IL. And preface nv y.n,.
by saying that speak from the .t.na
point of woman who has believed :.
and worked for suffrage to her lint.
This does not interfere with a stro,-
belief that it is we'll TO be fair and NJ
think that because a man has-eyen vi.
lently-opposed something for wh;.,
you have fought there is no eooa !.
him.
1t savors Of intense ignorsnc. a,
Senator Wadsworth's record to mai.
such statements as the following: "a
man distrustful of democracy-a n..
determined to prolong, as far as In hin.
lies, the rule Of class" And. again.
"Do the New York Republicans d.r.
to announce that they have no mo,.
forward looking and constructiv.
statesman to send to the Senate th.,
Senator Wadsworth Z" Why Estates
man.? That must have been a slim a,
the part of his enemy. But the fra,
of the two statements is truly worthv
n radical of the most pronounced tvns
How is it possible for any one who
knows Senator Wadsworth's record
from the time when he served q.
private-private, mind you-in the
Spanish war, and afterward as a volun.
tecr orderly in the Philippines. and
again all through his Albany record
to find proof Of either of those state.
ments?
He supported the employers Tia.
bility and workmen's compensate.
act. He worked hard to insure aan;.
tary and safe conditions in factorie,
He always voted for the protection q,
the workers Of the state, never against
them. He stood for the best legisla.
tion while. in Albany--for safe, sans
constructive legislation, not destruc.
tive. And he had the courage to make
a splendid fight against the direct
primaries. He fought for his conyie.
tions-against the late lamented Theo.
dore Roosevelt, who approved and
fought for the direct primary; against
Mr.. Root and others of the finest men
Of his party. 1t was not class arainm
class, nor ~lass against mass, or any
Of those miserable catchwords which
are burning brands in the world TO-
day; but it was honest opinion against
honest opinion. And now it would
seem that consensus Of the best
opinion is with Senator Wadsworth in
this. The direct primaries have failed
to do what was expected of them. a.
Mr.. Wadsworth feared they might.
Also, in Washington his record has
been sane, constructive, always in
tensely American, which is synonomous
with democracy. He advocated pre-.
paredness long before we were at war.
He voted for all war measures except
two. He was author Of legislation pro-
viding for a separate air service in the
army. He has consistently voted in fa-
vor of the league of nations with reser-
vations, which would eventually pro-
tect not class but the whole Ameri
can nation. He has opposed the Fed
eral amendments, both in prohibition
and in suffrage, because he honestly
thinks these amendments are in viola
tion of the principle of home rule
And / might add, if l held an anti.
suffrage brief, that possibly he was
also representing a goodly number Of
his constituents. l happen to know
that many fine and intelligent women
in his part of the state are strongly
opposed to suffrage.
He proposed bill to create COM
mission on rural and urban home set
Elements, which shows his interest in
people. This bill is try at solving
the problem Of the overcrowdng into
industrial ccntcrs-and also improv.
ing housing conditions there. He has
opposed measures against undue bur
dens on the taxpayers, and he contends
strongly for proper budget system.
In view Of all this-a part of his rec
ord, representing all interests in bis
state and all classes-I cannot see how
any one can throw away her party vote,
for which she has so long contended,
because Of political astigmatism or
from petty personal feeling.
In these days of pacifists in office, Of
in office, people who are stand
ing about only too ready to work for
class, their particular class, and ready
not always from conviction, but more
times from mercenary motives, it would
seem to be case of thank Heaven
that we have an honest gentleman to
represent us Republican women-a gen.
tleman whose mistakes (he has made
two or three) have been few.
C. C. MASE
New Brighton, Staten Island, N. Y.
March 13, 1920.