Women of Bronx Pack the Meeting and Win
Preceden D e t e r m i il e Smash ingl^ ou a House- Set Aside, an< cleaning; Oust Argument o Knewitz and the Antis Sliai E I e e t Law¬ tered for Al rence Republi¬ Time can Chairman
ßy Denis Tilden Lynch the fcl Knewitz. FOR the better part of the s 7 «. t id th« years during which John I l ic evening o < Knewitz led the Republicai i - svith,..-¦¦. e in The Bronx there was prograi to reel* ' ..veil defined group of men in tl , !:< ¡re party who believed that its guidan« could be in bett hands. //? ÏÏ i! I:drm; s These men met from time to tin had a .-.. : and talked of possible successors Chairman Knewit?. and talked « ...... trays and means of deposing hin .- And they generally did most of thei t hJ re* "- talking about this time of the yea: .v. cheer w ent froi ¦when the county committees o? a up ipp -¿ parties throughout the state arc r« Knewitz's f organized in accordance with la*< And they first began talking ar planning in 1915, just before Lead« :¦-'-. .- ' m u ... ; Knewitz came up for reelection f< \. it La fir Knev :.. '.... n «, the third time. And their talkin ..-¦¦.. a big piai f.nd planning ended in.the reëlet md * the 1 tion of Knewitz. So again in 10ft < !hri sti.-"..,--.. T they talked and planned,'and 191' Found them still at'it, and in 191 ment nanti ¦.¦¦... continued their talking an« This is a picture of the meeting in The Bronx, which the Republican women "packed." They arrived early, and from the start made it planning. clear that things were to go their way. The men had bungled long enough. True, the meeting turned into a riot and had to be ad¬ '., f the 1 It was in 1918 that women in thi the women and were in the man on hail set their journed, but carried the day successful electing whom they hearts been .¦ 11 con state exercised their newly ex b*
of for th< . ferred privilege suffrage elect . VVht-i i first time. And tin* women of i hi was ou there are any dupes among Bronx' the story i:: circulation that Knewitz confident of it.fi defeat, Knewitz is-' gardless of the hour set, no one will witz and his followers to do but carry tions were closed, and then from the pointed ft \ went out to the booth; .. polling Republicans, none is of the feminine had called them cats and old hens, sued the call for the annual meet¬ put in an appearance before 9 o'clock. out the purpose of the call, or at opposition came a mighty roar of and enrolled. And 12,4<5U womei ¡east to make an effort. According¬ defiance, and cries < f "Steam roller!" gender. Thev made no secret of their inten- ing of the county committee the Packed ..;¦'. enrolled as whei ly, one of the faithful placed in were heard above the hubbub. Republicans, which, tions, for they told all .who cared to night of September 12. The ap¬ ans Wasn't Scared Tho \vomen shattered both these nomination for county chairman Mr. In an instant the meeting had compared with their male parti was listen that they would supplant Kne¬ pointed place the North Sido traditions. They were in their seats Knewitz. come a riot. Men on opposing ^ i«K s who were enrolled ft.- the exten Knewita and his followers were 1 I the women, ai only witz a chairman who would not! Republican Club. The before 8 o'clock, along with the bulk This was the signal for a storm of pushed their chairs aside and made by assembly * was a creditabl aware of the feeling of the women are now fulfiln of 17.177, very call them old hens and cats and who room of the comfort¬ of tho men who were oppose«! to protest. One woman, standing on for one another. A couple of hundred organization ho r " lise. Then the toward him. But he declined to Knewitz. This was in keeping with her chair, declaimed loudly and fre¬ who were outside the room surged showing. Republicai would give them suitable recognition. ably seats less than 300. or less than women of The Bronx anxiousl* recognize the situation as menacing. an agreement secretly entered into quently that Knewitz had called the in a compact mass toward the cen¬ Knew tz ha half of the membership of the coun¬ Similar threats had reached the Kne¬ sex an of cats of trouble. More chairs were v awaited the returns of election day A view which was shared by his ? few days before. And when gentler aggregation tre ab ation, except to showed thai ty committee, which is composed of voices over and some were which, when scanned, kitchen cabinet, thus proving that ears of Knewitz in other years, and witz and his followers appeared upon and old hens. Other feminine pushed lifted was not force the Republican vote had not in be¬ 648. It is traditional that on the the scene at the usual time they foibrrned Mr. Knewitz in equally 1 igh on head us weapons. A few «.vas done volu there are men still who do not hold he regarded what had happened creased in average less than half of a political found that there was not space tones that they did not want women fainted. Most of them kept of : it friend: proporti« fore as an augury of what would vigorous part; with Kipling that the female of the organization's membership will at¬ enough left in the room to hold half him under any circumstances, while their wits together, and were as cool an I he h «mort But he failed to con¬ They Got Busy specie3 is more deadly than the male. happen again. tend the meeting.-'. Relying on this. the late comers. Then it dawned some of the men shouted that he had ha1: an hour later, when t! e rio*. itive. The; askec sider that in other he had Some. as were when firs! ¦. The women went oui and The principal grievance of the years Knewitz and hi..; cabinet believed upon the Knewitz l'action that the helped to elect Mayor Hylan. ceased, they they not make I wer« ft 1 by th< to deal with a disaffection that the seating would be. women had resorted to a trick as of the who wanted James entered the room. "* red the " at th« They women was that they were denied a only capacity opposition, barg* bj Id focs of Knewitz that the ft »ubi« masculine. more than ample to take care of old a;, politics. They had packed the Milligan as a successor, placed his It was obvious that an orderly fir; v. mcetin f. which end voice in man¬ wholly was that the local Republicai proportionate party those who would attend. There is meeting. name in nomination. Some one on meeting that night was :;:;¦ for to tl : ': - ganization was not sufficiently rftft agement. Then, too, they en" Conscious of the opposition, but also a tradition in politics that, re- Thçre was nothing left for Kne- the platform cried that the nomina- so an adjournment was taken until * rr had hi har¡ .¦.¦..¦ tant; that it was inclined to friendb a cat s an I old hem bd any intercourse with the enemy. The] otl er ofl en ive language asked morr question?. They wer« '-. then informed that Mr. Knewit; v. ithdrav al w: ;, as he expiai n« held a ?5,000-a-year job as < ommis in the intt res' £ party han sioni-** «.-f Records, by grace of Th< Colonel Roosevelt Knew the To thi hat had he -V-- ma Bronx wing of the Tammai , Blackfeet tin: word he co ild have \c< Wigwag <..¦ chine. Not that Knewitz wasn'i Xatur; lly ougr the *><>. discharging his duties ably an« pos ition scoff at this, and insi I that the ex« ell« :.' danco that, seated in his wigwam, in the sun as the father, the moon During my exposition of the opera during our conversation he gesticu¬ [ e to a vol ering public Nexo the marvellous Colonel servi«?. That wasn't the p i nt proof of versatility of I heard the story of "Poia," tho son as the mother and the morning star President Roosevelt sat in the front lated frequently and smiled as I have b«. ."i defeal The women were out to try theft Roosevelt comes to us from Arthur Nevin, who, in this row* rae mentioned some odd of tho Morning Star and the great as the only son. I was filled with within fifteen feet of and, particularly All this, howe' er, *'¦ .*> r gone What did matter was an in power. tells the . article, of unexpected proficiency difficult prophet to the Blackfeet Indians. the beauty of the legend. as I described tho story of Poia, the custom of the Indians. But it was < ver the dam. The 1er, who that he had a political of¬ accepted art of Indian sign language. Arthur Nevin, it is inter¬ The entertainment at the White Indian the ac¬ a tolerant and smile: was el« « ted by a vot of 106 to 87, fice from Democrats. No one could During that night I learned much prophet, interpolating always kindly to is a brother has started a to réunit« And the women esting note, of Ethelbert Nevin. He has about their religion; of their belief House was followed by a reception. count with many anecdotes of the the smile of the man who could see campaign trgue that away. tl ! v arring fact ioi *. lee led, it -.imply wasn't to b< stood composed, many songs, besides piano and orchestral Blackfeet Indians and their strange the other fellow's point of view, "The task bel e me build for. works, and wrote the Indian opera, "Poia," which was customs, I felt myself throwing more even if he happened to be an India;;. up f* further- o party h« ¡ft ¡c," sai« And tl women decided, produced in 1910 at the Royal Opera, Berlin. 'Since 1915 energy into my talk than on any I remember after he had smiled at hat v as Chairman Lawrence "Our purpoa principailj Mr. Nevin has been music at the one professor of University other occasion when 1 had lectured episode he quickly became se¬ :¦¦ ill be rii .- .:. o th< i tu led was ;. housecleaning. And Kansas. organ too, talked and plann« d, as the of on the same subject. The reason for rious and remarked : ''We must look and .; ft- .m. b fore them had talked and this was that I was delighted to en¬ at these things from their and sympat hies. And the worn* botr I became known to these v,' in t and I vl r. id. Mut with this differ« ce: By Arthur Nevin people by counter such genuine and sincere in¬ point. Probably sonic of our cus¬ ;..-".. "hat the talking and planning of the the Indian term, Kutianaantsi, the toms be to to PROBABLY e^;ery author who terest as the President showed. I might equally amusing !' women culminated very rapidly in literal translation being Never-Tie- them." t-ured of ti square .ft:;.!. V\ t1 v f written about Theodore had expected polite attention, bnt to do ;-; to -. the forced abdication of Mr. Kne¬ 1 carried away from that wonder¬ tryi g build up corpî has tribut« to His-Moccasin-Strings. T.his name had not been before I of active who shall bo witz and the election of Richard W. Roosevelt paid talking long ful evening an party, workers, was not given me by reason of an abiding npression of the entire Lawrence in his stead. *' versatility, but I will realized that the President was en¬ of Colonel Roosevelt's energy, en¬ representative party itv but because I re¬ Ï" re shall be r.'» discrimination Aftei tin omen deposed ICnev. that if any, of them implied neglect, thusiastic 3bout it. thusiasm sincere wager few, and interest in all h and we are to ¦¦ ith tho id of the mei ft' must sembled a departed brave who bore own, going avoid knew that be had a thorough knowl¬ As I talked I was aware that the the subjects that we di cussed. J be were numeri¬ anything savoring of professional admitted, for they it. never before or since ha1 e met 7: s edge ar«l understanding of the In¬ President's gaze wa*? fastened upon er hip, There nie rival ambi- cally unable to do it lone man whose conversation was re- and could "con¬ I told the President of the sun wore an to bo d -ft" with, ai'd thi« made the housecleaning, thorough dian fi;gn languaga me and hi;* face expression pl< te with charm. a the event of the :- no easy matt r to hand'° and elected an entire new staff oi verse" in it» One of the pleasantest dance, greatest year of absorbed interest. At the con¬ 8 Knowing what tremendous! We : re now mal sur« .". sistants to aid Chairman Lawrence most vivid memories of life to the Indians. It is a ceremony of lecture I was man was and my clusion my pre- busy the Pre ident was í of tl lat .>*.. and v ¦:. i- in directing the destinies of the covers this is of a visit t«> the White House, that four days. During .sented to President Roosevelt, and, natural'y delighted to receive from cur county completed and plan is Miftmirted organization. Roosevelt carried on every hour brings forth some I knew of his him u couple of months later a most tu thé run«: aid til- «ft the i4, But these were not accom¬ when President period although ubi«quitous party, things of the service that is of in¬ cordial letter. This letter, which uni meel wi h their What plished without a struggle that was a conversation with me in the sign episode habits and had read his articles on approval. reached me in Berlin, Germany, we are for :; to unite all oi without in New York of the Blackfeet Indians. tense interest. This religious feast travel and I wa:', never- striving precedent language adventure, where was . my opera first produced i <¦ tructive programme. And I politics. It had many of the attri¬ was astounded and at is given by a squaw, and is the out¬ thele: astonished to encounter such on I delighted .?, April 2:i, 1910, expressed the am cor lent ir eff< rt¡ .'! <. suc¬ butes of an old-fashioned melodrama this exhibition. come of a vow she has made to her exact knowledge of the Blackfeet President's appreciation of my talk, cessful." a -.Intrigue and counter intrigue, sun. one dear Mr. Roosevelt also god, the Should any Indians as he I was sim¬ congratulated ". Hot in the second of My visit was made in April, 1907, displayed. Th 'hairrcan has just turned act, and, course, upon the results of my tw m ,. to her be in danger or distress she bowled over when he to en too to the last scene was in keeping with in response to an invitation from ply began spent ivith the Blackfeet. bury think to the sun to and de¬ of ibl but he has no the best traditions of Drury Lane. President Roosevelt to give an ex¬ prays protect convert?« with me in the Indian sign -e-.. office, given What in Tho Bronx liver him; she vows that Ehe will At the of this nail part of his time to his party happened planatory talk, with musical illus¬ language. beginning Command of ince his one and English he attained majority. At «battered of the principal argu¬ fast for forty days and nights, conversation with a President of the I."-. Torre\, the « ik¬ trations on the piano, of ray Indian evangelist, ,«. twenty-one he was an election dis¬ ments advanced by anti-suffragists then offers sacrifices to the sun ing (.' missionary work, remark !; which I had recently god United States I wa3 rather skeptical trict captain. Lor a dozen that women in politics would be opera, "Poia," "Teaching the heathen must be mosi nearly (Natosi) as an evidence of her faith of his real knowledge of this method years he ha»? been a delegate to Re- .»witting dupes of the more experi- finished. This opera was based upon difficult of a',!. Just think.fir^t you and thankfulness. of communication. But if Í was publican state conventions, and for *n