News Articles

SUFFRAGIST DECLARES T.R. IS HALFHEARTED

Espousal of Cause Criticised [sic] at Meeting by Mrs. Helen H. Greely.

Theodore Roosevelt’s recent editorial in the Outlook was mde the butt of criticism by the New York suffrage leader. Mrs. Helen H. Greely, one of the speakers at last night’s reception of the Portland Woman’s Suffrage League in the home of Mrs. J. G. Gauld, on King street. The editorial was declared to be a half-hearted espousal of the cause and based upon grounds that the leaders of the movement care very little about while Mr. Roosevelt himself was referred to as the “Omnipotent Oom of the Outlook and Oyster Bay.”
In speaking of the editorial’s superficiality, Mrs. Greely said that it was very apparent that he had missed the fine significance of the movement, and that while he wrote of duty that it was that very high conception of duty that had laid the foundation for the entire movement.

“When our republic was founded the women,” said she, “began to realize how important was their duty to the state and then and there began to work for a chance to express it. it came first through the granting of educational rights, then civic and now is coming in the recognition of their political rights.”

An amusing incident occurred during the evening, when Mrs. Greely, in telling of the blind prejudices that had once been held in regard to higher education for women, told of a stubborn old Newburyport citizen who exclaimed: “What public moneys to educate shes? Never!”  In telling the story she happened to turn to the chairman, William D. Wheelright, who in his introductory speech admitted no allegiance to the cause of woman’s suffrage. A furtive smile crept over his face when the allusion was made to the “stubborn Newburyport citizen” and at the close of the meeting he announced that he himself had been born in Newburyport, and possibly in order to disprove his own stubbornness he registered as a member of the league, along with some 25 other guests. Although it is one of the youngest leagues to be formed, the Portland Woman’s Suffrage League is destined to be one of the large leagues in the state and doubtless will wield an important influence, as its membership includes some of the best-known club and society women of the city besides many well-known business and professional men. Other speakers at last night’s meeting were Miss Anita Whitney, of San Francisco, and President Foster, of Reed College.