Jailed for Freedom

Protest-Dudley F

g of the President's political career. He had campaigned twice through New Jersey with Mr. Wilson as Governor; he had managed Mr. Wilson's campaigns in many states for the no

ffrage question, he went not only as a confirmed suffragist, but also a5 a confirmed supporter and member of the Wil

ed at his memorable interview with President Wilson in July, 1917, an interview which he followed up two

dy and I were present throughout the trial of the sixteen women in July. Imme

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en's counsel, and offered to act as attorney on the appeal of the case. I then went to the court clerk's office and telephoned to President Wils

prison for demanding national suffrage. I also informed him that I had offered to act as counsel for the suffragists on the appeal of their case. He asked me for full details of my complaint and attitude. I told Mr. Wilson everything I had witnessed from the time we saw the suffragists arrested in front of the White House to their sentence in the police court. I observed that although we might not agree with the "

entire trial (before a judge of your own appointment) was a perversion of justice," I said. This seemed to annoy the President and he replied wi

of these women is the result of carefu

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egrity have told me that the District Commissioners have been in consultation with your private secretary, Mr. Tumulty, and

serted his ignor

o resign, to repudiate me and my Administration and s

situation in those states. I told you that I found your strength with women voters lay in the fact that you had with great patience and statesmanship kept this country out of the European war. But that your great weakness with women voters was that you had not taken any step throughout your entire Administration to urge the passage of the Federal Suffrage Amendment, which Mr. Hughes was advocating and which alone can enfranchise all the women of the nation.

and a necessary part of America's program for world democracy, to which the President replied: "T

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rism, yet it seemed to me a great opportunity of his leadership to remove this grievance which women generally felt against him and his administration. "Mr. President," I urged, "if you, as the leader, will persuade the administration to pass the Federal Amendment you will release from the suffrage fight the energie

tical career. I give up a powerful office in my own state. I, who have no money, sacrifice a lucrative salary, and go back to revive my law practice. But most of all I sever a personal association with yo

think when they hear that the Collector of the Port of New York has resigned because of an

ic will not be as difficult as yours, if I am compelled to remind the public that you have

sign, saying, "I do not question your intense conviction abo

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y you should not become their counsel and take this case

accept your suggestion because it may be necessary in the course of the appeal vigorously to criticize and condemn members of your cabinet and others close to you, and I could not adopt this policy while remaining in office under you." The President seemed greatly upset and finally urged me as a personal service to him to go at once and perfect the case on appeal for the suffragist

tions for appeal the next day when I learned to my surprise that the President had pardoned the women. He had not even consulted me as their attorney. Moreover, I was amazed that since the President had said he considered the treatment of the wome

accept the President's pardon. I advised them that as a matter of law no one could compel them

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solution of the difficulty and in view of the fact that the President had said

gment by him of the grave injustice tha

tried and imprisoned in the same illegal way. Finally a group of women was arrested in September under the identical circumstances as those in July, was tried in the same lawless fashion and given the same sentence of "sixty days in the workhouse." The President may have been innocent of responsibility for the first

because the entire country and surely the Administration thought him

t in the Government. The nation was shocked into the realization that this was not a street brawl between women and policemen, but a controversy between suffragists and a powerful Administration. We had

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mpossible to overemphasize what a tremendous acceleration Mr. Malone's fine, solitary and generous

of women is unparalleled. Mr. Malone called to the attention of the nation the true cause of the obstruction and suppression. He reproached the President and his c

t group. The conservative suffrage leaders, although they heartil

Lucy Stone, herself a pioneer suffrage

letter that you have written to President Wilson on woman suffrage? I a

ly and illegally treated, and it is a thousand pities, for President Wilson's own sake, that he ever allowed the Washington authorities to enter

att, the President of

age Associa

tter announcing your resignation came

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use. The letter itself was a

the New York State Woman Suffrage Party, with

ry suffragist must be grateful to you for the gallant support y

aw, Vice Chairman of

y, s

s in your letter to President Wilson. There flashed through my mind all the memories of Knights of chivalry and of romance that I have ever read, and they all paled before your championship,

lifornia with whom Mr. Malone h

to which they themselves do not belong. We are thrilled by your inspiring words. We appreciate your 'sympathetic understanding of the viewpoint of disfranchised wom

r of resignation which sets

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ber 7,

Pres

hite

ngton

r. Pre

er, to pass the federal suffrage amendment looking toward the enfranchisement of all the women of the country. Throughout those states, and particularly in California, which ultimately decided the election by the votes of women, the women voters were urged t

I would spend all my energy, at any sacrifice to myself, to get the pr

rs, not for picketing, but on the technical charge of obstructing traffic, is a denial even of their constitutional right to petition for, and demand

y the passage of the federal suffrage amendment. Since England and Russia, in the midst of the great war, have assured the national enfranchisement

wo months ago, this is not only a measure of justice and

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rd their enfranchisement, how can the government ask millions of American women, educated in our schools and colleges, and millions of American women, in our homes, or toiling for economic independence in every line of i

d appropriately be urged by you at this session of Congress. It is true that this amendment would have to come from Congress, but the present Congr

leadership. And what millions of men and women to-day hope is that you will give the federal suffrage amendment to the women of the country by the valor of your leadership now.

ears ago, to publicly advocate preparedness, and helped to found the first Plattsburg training camp. And if, with our troops mobilizing in France, you will

ir political liberty; yet, Mr. President, the Committee on Suffrage of the Unit

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Civil War, and at the time of the Civil War men like William Lloyd Garrison, Horace Greeley, and Wendell Phillips assured the suffrage leaders that if

essive Congresses, as have the women, you, Mr. President, as a lover of liberty, would be the first to comprehend and forgive their inevitable impatience and righteous indignation. Will no

eir treatment of the traveling public has radically changed, their vigilance supplied the evidence of the Lusitania note; the neutrality was rigidly maintained; the great Ger

of the law, and to give all my leisure time to fight as hard for the poli

served you with the most respectful affection and unshadowed devotion. It is no small sacrifice now for me, as a member of your Administration, to sever our political relationship.

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field of democratic effort, I hereby resign my office as Collector of the

respec

DUDLEY FI

swer has never bef

LOWER, 12 Sep

E HOUSE

Mr. Co

t before I left home and I have, I am sorry

the duties of the office that I do not feel at liberty to withhold my acceptance of your resignation. Indeed, I judge from your letter that any discussion of the reasons wou

on in public affairs makes me regret t

truly

WOODROW

ley Fiel

or of C

York

r. Malone

ork,

er 15th

Pres

hite

ngton

r. Pre

u were on a well-earned holiday and I did not expect

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discussion by you of my reasons for resigning would not be acceptable to me since my letter was an ap

teful to you for your prompt

respec

DUDLEY FI

. Byron Newton, appointed by the Administration to succeed Mr. Malone as Collector of the Port

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