New-York tribune., 1922-02-10
w omen Voters
Says Mrs. Gait
Declares Miller Is Either
HopcIcssly and Inexcns-
ably Ignorant of Purpose
orDoesn't Approve Policy
Menaces to Democracy
Asserts Organization VIII
Disband When Rcpubli-
cans Educate Electorate

Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait, founder
and honorary president Of the League
Of Women Voters, defended the organ
lzatlon yesterday against the charge Of
Governor Miller that as an independent
political group it is menace to the
state
Governor Miller made this charge
against the league a year ago and re-
pcated it on Wednesday before lunch
con Of Republican women in Albany.
"lf Governor Millcrs says we arc a
menace" said Mrs. Gait, then either
he is hopelcssly and inoxcusably ig-
norant OF the purposes of the league
or else he does not approve Of those
purposes, and if he does not approve
of them, then | ask: Is he the menace
or are we ?'
Mrs. Cats reply to the Governor
furnished rousing climax to the
luncneon of the League OF Women Vot-
crs at the Hotel McAipin yesterday
which opened it campaign for $4,000
members
Mcnaccs to Democracy
Mrs. Gait listed ten mcnaces to
American democracy, which she said it
was the object of the league to combat.
Il dare reply to Governor Miller that
the league will disband," she said.
when the Republican party boldly says
it will eliminate illitcracy from the
electorate; when it will go forth to
rouse the Indifferent voter; when it
Will combat this superstition of over
partisanship; when it will fight boss
I'm c
own"
The ten menaccs she listed as
follows:
a. Tho greatest menace is the illit-
eracy Of the electorate, because an IL
literalc vote is q controlled vote.
"2 The second menace is ignorance.
Those who read their ballots but DO
not understand chem, vote SOMEBODY
eisc's opinion instead of their own.
3. Too pal tisan partisanshir, which
is true Of 7o per cent Of the mcmper-
snip Of both parties.
a. Indifference, which is almost
worse tnan the controlled vote, because
it gives control to the few. Voting
wrong is better than not voting at all.
"5. Government by groups. Because
of the indifference OF thc lnany, a few
are left to do all the work, and this is
n democratic.
49, The use of patronage to hold
voters to the party standard. The job
is the price paid for party loyalty, and
the League of Women otcrs will light
this practice by upholding the civil
service.
Money Saddcst of All
"7. The use Of money, the saddest of
ell mcnaces
49, Bosses
80 Slander and abuse. This is tAe
cheapest OF the menaccs but easy to
use because everybody likes gossip and
enjoys spreading it. Bosses use it to
overcloud the real issues.
40. The most terrible Of all men
aces is wnen politics entirely breaks
down and then we have war"
Mrs Gait declared that the League
Of Women Voters WAS the only organ
ization in the country which stood fol
tie protection OF dem mocracy by chal-
4cnging the wAolc n.euac.ng company
Of the ten abuses.
Miss Mary Garrett Hay, chairman OF
the New York City brancn Of the
league, announced that men would be
admitted in the drive for $4,000 new
il cn nbers, and That at the coming ma
tional convention at Baltimore she
would move to eliminate the word
women from the name of the organi.
zation and have it the League OF
Voters."
Mrs. Robert McCurdy Marsh. chair
man Of the drive committee; Miss Ruth
Morgan, Of the council for the limita-
ton Of armaments. and Mrs. Dwight
Morrow we're tho other speakers.