Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/501

 NEW YORK 485 prominent bankers and financiers. He consented to serve as president and with this prestige many members were secured. 'The league owed its pecuniary life to him," said Mr. Eastman, "and a great part of its early standing before the public." After the first year the league was equally fortunate in having James Lees Laidlaw, another New York banker and man of af- fairs, take the presidency. He retained it for the next six years, and when the National Men's League was formed he consented to serve also as its president until the contest for woman suffrage was finished, giving active and constant assistance. Mr. Eastman was secretary of the New York League for a year or more, assisted by Ward Melville, and was succeeded by Robert Cameron Beadle, general manager of the U. S. Stoker Corporation. He gave valuable and continuous service to the league until just before the campaign of 1917, when the pressure of business re- quired his time and he became vice-president and George Creel ably filled the office of secretary during that strenuous period. In 1910 the league took part in the first big suffrage parade and no act of men during the whole history of woman suffrage required more courage than that of the 87 who marched up Fifth Avenue on that occasion, jeered by the crowds that lined the sidewalks. It was a body of representative citizens, led by Mr. Peabody, Mr. Laidlaw and Mr. Villard. The league became a large organization, enrolling among its members such men as ( iovernor Charles S. Whitman, Mayor John Purroy Mitchel, Frank A. Vanderlip, Colonel George Harvey, William M. Ivins, Simon Flexner, Professor John Dewey, Hamilton Holt, William Dean Howells, John Mitchell, Charles Sprague Smith, Samuel Untermeyer, Herbert Parsons, President Schurman of many Judges, public officials and others of note. In the suffrage dc of MM j the league four abreast extended five blocks along Fifth Avenue. Under its auspices mass meetings were held, dis- rallies, public dinners with 600 guests, balls and theatrical performances, an<l campaign activities of various kinds were ear- on. Men's leagues were formed in many States. The ll'otnun i'utcr of October, iM-', published in New York City, cd a special league number, with sketches, pictures, etc.
 * ell University, President McCracken of Vassar College and