Two Decades Part 7

LAWS OF NEW YORK--CHAPTER 170.

An act to amend Section 291 of the Penal Code, relating to Children; became a law, with the approval of the Governor, April 22, 1889.

_The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and a.s.sembly, do enact as follows_:

SECTION I. Section 291 of the Penal Code is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

A person who sells, pays for, or furnishes any cigar, cigarette, or tobacco in any of its forms to any child, actually or apparently under the age of sixteen years, _is guilty of a misdemeanor_.

SEC. 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

In 1890 it was amended, attaching a penalty for its violation, as follows:

AN ACT to amend Section 291 of the Penal Code, relating to Children; approved by the Governor, May 24, 1890.

SECTION I. Section 291 of the Penal Code is hereby amended by adding thereto the following subdivision:

7. No child, actually or apparently under sixteen years of age, shall smoke or in any way use any cigar, cigarette, or tobacco in any form whatsoever, in any public street, place, or resort. A violation of this subdivision shall be a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding ten dollars and not less than two dollars for each offense.

SEC. 2. This act shall take effect on the first day of September, eighteen hundred and ninety.

In 1891 an effort was made to introduce the English system of barmaids into the saloons of New York City. This no sooner became known to the members of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union than an effort was made to secure a law prohibiting the movement. This was effected by the pa.s.sage of the following act, April 25, 1892:

AN ACT forbidding the hiring of Barmaids.

_The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and a.s.sembly, do enact as follows_:

SECTION I. No female shall be hired as barmaid, or to compound or dispense intoxicating beverages in any place where the same are sold or offered for sale.

SEC. 2. A person who hires, or causes to be hired, any female as barmaid, or to compound or dispense intoxicating beverages in any place where the same are sold or offered for sale, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

SEC. 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Thus, at its very inception, legislative enactment prevented the introduction into this state of a most demoralizing phase of the saloon business.

In the same year and month a law forbidding the opening of the New York State exhibit at the Columbian Exhibition was pa.s.sed, thus placing New York State on record as favoring the sanct.i.ty of the Sabbath.

AN ACT in relation to the Exhibit of the State of New York at the World's Columbian Exhibition....

The exhibit of the State of New York at such exhibition shall not be open to the public on Sunday, and the general managers herein provided for shall take such steps as may be necessary to carry this provision into effect.

The following protests were presented to the legislature, receiving such consideration that the subjects had no hearing:

AGAINST THE ENACTMENT OF A LAW LICENSING VICE.

_To the Senate and a.s.sembly of the State of New York_:

WHEREAS, It has come to our knowledge that a bill providing for the regulation and licensing of vice in the cities and towns of the State of New York will be introduced in the legislature, and that one of the provisions of the bill is the compulsory medical examination of women who are inmates of the establishments named therein, we respectfully submit the following in relation to it:

It puts a premium on the social evil.

It makes this terrible vice a branch of munic.i.p.al government, and the state a partner in it.

It inflicts the degradation of compulsory medical examination upon women, and lets their paramours go free.

It is an outrage upon womanhood, and means the practical slavery of an unfortunate cla.s.s of women.

We realize all the shame of the bill, and feel its introduction in the legislature to be an insult to the great State of New York.

_We emphatically_ PROTEST _against its consideration_, and appeal to you to use your influence and, if necessary, your votes against this dreadful and infamous bill.

AGAINST THE EXCISE BILL OF THE STATE LIQUOR DEALERS' a.s.sOCIATION.

WHEREAS, A bill prepared by the State Liquor Dealers' a.s.sociation is before your honorable body, which provides for a Sunday license law (which means unrestrained liquor on the Sabbath); for special licenses for certain saloons in certain localities in cities; for the sale of wine and beer after one o'clock in the morning at public b.a.l.l.s and entertainments given by any incorporated a.s.sociation; abolishes the requirement of real estate security on license bonds (thus striking a blow at the civil damage act); and makes it a misdemeanor for any person to enter a saloon during the hours when it is supposed to be closed in obedience to the law:

Now, therefore, as every one of the above provisions is a direct blow at public morality, at law and order, at the peace and happiness of the home and family, and as this bill means for the state more drunkenness, more crimes and outrages of every sort, more poverty, more suffering, more darkened lives and ruined homes, we, the undersigned, citizens of ----, county of ----, most emphatically protest against its pa.s.sage, and we call upon you, our representatives, to use your influence and vote against it.

The years 1891 and 1892 were not only marked by legislative work, but by pet.i.tion work as well. Two successive legislatures had voted to submit to the people a prohibitory const.i.tutional amendment, the vote to be taken in April, 1892. In antic.i.p.ation of this event, pet.i.tions were circulated throughout the state in behalf at this cause, the grand total of 109,057 names being secured. Through the failure of the legislature to pa.s.s an enabling act to provide for the expense of the election, the amendment was never submitted.

Not discouraged by this apparent fruitless expenditure of time and strength, during the winter and spring of 1893-94 pet.i.tion work was again resumed, the const.i.tutional convention in session at Albany from May until September being the objective point. Two pet.i.tions were circulated at this time, one for an amendment to the const.i.tution providing for the prohibition of the liquor traffic; the other for the full enfranchis.e.m.e.nt of women. Through winter's cold and summer's heat this work went bravely on, and 37,624 names were secured to the prohibition pet.i.tion, and 36,086 to the one asking for woman's enfranchis.e.m.e.nt. These pet.i.tions were pasted on cloth, in a double row of names, and measured, when done, 475 yards. Mrs. Graham, who had them in charge, after pasting, arranged them in four large rolls and tied each with a white satin ribbon. June 28, 1894, they were presented to the const.i.tutional convention, producing a profound impression by their magnitude. Mrs. Burt and Mrs. Tenney appeared before the convention.

Mrs. Burt was granted a hearing. The convention did not recommend either of these measures, but that of woman's suffrage received much attention, being defeated by a vote of ninety-seven to fifty-eight. The momentum received from this pet.i.tion effort will not soon be lost.

Thus in brief the legislative and pet.i.tion work is reported, but it only vaguely represents the expenditure of time and strength devoted to this work. Truly it may be said of the women of New York State, "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Georgeanna M. Gardenier]

MRS. GEORGEANNA M. GARDENIER.

(RECORDING SECRETARY)

The recording secretary of our state union has filled this important position for twelve years, and was elected for the thirteenth time at Jamestown in October, 1894. She has rare qualifications for the office, as has been evidenced by her faithful services during all these years.

She said, "There is positively nothing in my life of the least interest to the public," when requested to furnish a few items for the basis of this sketch. But the life of one who can sit steadily through three long days of a state convention, faithfully recording motions, amendments, amendments to the amendment, subst.i.tutes, and the thousand-and-one things that make up the business of one of the great meetings of the Empire State, and then come into the post-executive committee meeting with eye, brain, and hand alert, ready to record a day's crowded work for that body, must perforce contain much of interest, for these are qualities which everyone does not possess.

In addition to her convention duties she compiles the state reports, which are models of excellence as to style, finish, and completeness.

Mrs. Gardenier was born in Oswego county, New York, and was educated in the high and normal schools of Oswego City. She is the daughter of John and Mary Tenney Remington. At the age of sixteen she professed Christ and joined the First Baptist Church of Oswego, of which she is still a member. She began at once to teach in the Sabbath-school, and has continued the work with very little interruption up to the present time, holding now the position of a.s.sistant superintendent.

Home and foreign missions have claimed her interest, and she is a.s.sociational director of the women's Baptist home mission work for the county, under appointment of the Women's Home Mission Board at Chicago.

In 1863 she was married to Mr. W. H. Gardenier, a lawyer, and has one son. Mrs. Gardenier is an experienced and very successful teacher, having filled that important and influential role for many years. During all these years her pupils have been largely boys and young men, over whom she has a peculiar and happy faculty. Her influence upon the lives of the hundreds of boys who have sat under her teaching cannot be estimated.

She has for many years been interested in temperance. Her first public work was done in connection with the Good Templars, having joined the order at its organization. When the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized she became a member of the local union of her city, and has since that time been prominently connected with the temperance work of the city and county. She a.s.sisted in organizing the county Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and served as its secretary seven years. She organized many of the unions of the County, and to her enthusiasm and zeal much of the early success of the county work is attributed.