Washington, DC, 2005.
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Ignorant Woman Voter.
Mrs. Winslow Crannell, of Albanjr, spoke of the inexpediency of admitting a vast number of ignorant women to the State's electorate, and said: "Personally, I am no more afraid of the vote of the immigrant woman, than I am of the vote of the irresponsible woman of the State, who would use it as a newplaything, to be discarded whenever it seemed to interfere with | any new toy or experience. The popu- � lation of New York State is estimated to ibe about !i,OQO,OOt). There is a larger percentage of females than of males. The foreign population according to the la.st census, is about one-third the total population. Wo should then have 2,-250,000 men who could vote if they car,ed to. And to these male voters an equal percentage of female voters, and you will have, in all a voting: population of 4,500,000 of which number 1,-500,000 are foreign born. Every ballot cast helps to govern us, one as much as another. The ballot of the ignorant, of the vicious, carries as much weight with it as does that of Judge orPrelate. The maid who urged me not to oppose women suffrage as her vote would bring her .$5 the. sura her father received for his vote would cast a ballot which, would be as eflec-j
tive in the adjustment of government as mine would be."
Other speakers were: Mrs, John Martin, of Gryrues Hill, Stateu island, Mrs. William P. Xorthrup and Mr 3. Richard K. Nole, Jr., of Buffalo, and Dr. Lucy B. Bannistr, at present in charge of the welfare work ' of the Westinghouse interests.
Woi'kingwornaii Not in Nceit.
Mrs. Robert McViekar's speech received especial attention owing to the fact that she is president of the New York State Consumer's leag'ue. She said that the total number of girls and women of sixteen years of age and upwards in this country was about 23,-500,000, and'of these about a fifth ware
1 bread-winners. Nearly half of these wage-earning women were under twenty-five years cf age, showing that the large proportion of the women who take up an occupation in early life abandon it later when they marry, she continued: ''The situation resolves it-| self into this. Only 20.6 per cent of the i
| total number of women in this country I are bread-winners. Out of this number j the large proportion are foreigners and j 32 per cent are between sixteen and twenty years of age. Must the whole body of home-keeping women be saddled with the added responsibility of the suffrage in order to render doubtful assistance to 6 per cent of girls in temporary employment, which they forsake in a very short time for a home of their own?"
;Mrs. Henry A. Stimson, of New York, pointed out that the combined population of all four women suffrage States is about equal to one-third of that of New York city. Discussing the deeper aspect of the question she said:
"Were we women so presumptuous as to think we could take up your especial work in the State, we should have to do it .in addition to our own work, for that we could never turn over to you. An act of the legislature might make us voters, but no amount of legislation could ever make you men, mothers, and either as actual, or potential mothers, all women must be considered."