Litchfield enquirer., 1880-03-25
Woman Suffrage in Connecticut.

suffrage bills came up in the House. and an
 interesting debate ensued. The first of these
 measures, which gives women the ballot on
 the license question, was carried on the close vote of 100 to 96 The second, regarding the
 women's school vote, was not very strenuousy
 pressed even by those who favor giving wo;n-
 en the full right of suffrage and was rejected.
 We notice that tine Senate, usually much more hostile to general measures of reform than the House, rejected both bills, but the
 debate upon the passage of the license suffrage
 bill shows how much more favorable popular
 feeling has grown towards the question gener-
 ally. There have been, it is true, larger na- jorities for broader measures of the kind in
 previous Houses. but they have hardly ever
 received the serious. careful, favorable consid-
 eration that has been awarded by the present
 body of Representatives.
 We append the full debate as reported in
 the Times
 1 woMAN's SUFFRAGE ON LICENSE.
 Bill that every womanover 21 years may vote on any question relating to the sale Of li- l quor subject to the usual restrictions relating | to male voters, as to residence, etc. ! Mir Hollister, of Litchfeld, said that such
 rights were enjoyed by woman in Sweden and 1 Austria, and in thirteen states in this country l This is not political question it does not
 give woman what is termed in England ''im-
 perial" suffrage. Three hundred thousand ask this right in England, and Lord Beaconsteld
 women to vote on liquor questions, Connecti
 cut, republic, can afford to be as liberal. There IS no good reason why women should
 not have this privilege, and the committee on
 female suffrage recommends it warmly.
 Mr.. Hall, of Wallingford, opposed the bill,
 and thought that rather than now give the limit | ed right proposed it would be better to await
 the placing of general suffrage it their hands He did not believe that the women of the state demanded the passage of this bill, or that any considerable number of woman would
 profit by it. The best class of women, deli | cate and refined, would not go to the polls | where all classes and conditions of men congr. gare.
 Mr. Chandler of Thompson regarded the matter as visionary and did not believe that the
 women of the state desired to vote. Until men show themselves incapable ot self-gov- erument, it is not necessary to call upon the | woman In conclusion he moved to indefi- uately postpone the bill.
 MT. Bailey. of Daubury, said that in Sta.n- ford 2029 women voted in an experimental
 vote and voted against license, and only | nineteen in favor of it. As women are sp deeply interested in this subject of liquor sell | ing they should have a chance to vote upon it.
 Mir. Colyer of Darien, believed that thn l emancipation of women began on Mount Cal vary. The Christian relig zion gives them the 1 greatest privileges, and we wish to extend l Tha hav md
 tant interest in these matters; witness their praying bands in the saloons their arguments before the legislatures. It is asserted that refined ladies will not come up to vote, and | that the poorer classes will vote for liquor
 selling You may rely upon the poor Irish
 woman not to do so she knows it's evils.
 Mir. Hollister, of Litchfield, said that in re-
 cent election in Vienna, 1000 women voted l Women elected their school committee in Mid
 dletown, N. Y., the other day Refined woin- | en will vote if they choose, there will be no
 Election day will be as quiet as prayer
 meeting. Oaughter.) Women will not be
 contaminated by participating in the bus
 mess of every day affairs.
 1 MT. DeForest, of Middlebury, believed that
 the voting of women would tend to elevate politics and that it would be wise measure
 and just one.
 MT. Clark, of Chester, advocated the bill,
 believing that the women should have the
 right to vote if they desired to, on subject of | such great importance to their welfare.
 Mir. York, of Winchester, favored the bill,
 and said that in his town on recent election
 the best ladies were present in a room adjoin- l ing the polls, and exercised beneficial influ- | ence on the vote in favor of no license. MT. Bowen. of Eastford, read from the Gov | ernors message on this subject, and said that
 in Eastford there had been decided reforma- 1 tion on the temperance question Last Octo-
 Der, not being able to work, the women re-
 paired to the vestry of the town house and served
 refreshments in the interest of temper tance-
 furnished it to all who voted no license A
 rumseller characterized this as using bribery. l Laughter. | MT. Chandler, of Woodstock, claimed that
 the women should be allowed to vote, simply | because of their great interest in the subject. | It comes home to the firesides of every one of them.
 Mr. Bailey believed that the work of the la- dies made Danbury temperance town. The Irish women will vote against licence; they
 who have vainly begged saloon keepers to stop selling to their husbands and thelr sons | Out in Ohio last week fifteen women ''cleaned 1 out" liquor saloon with their axes, and they 1 haven't been prosecuted yet You may rely upon the women of Connecticut to clean out l the liquor saloons with their ballSts Mir. Chandler, of Woodstock, instanced as l fact that the women re interested, that 1000 | in New Haven county petitioned the legisla- ture for prohibitory law. Messrs. White, of Manchester, and Little, of Somers, also favored the bill. MT. Wilcox, of Middletown, urged that the women are greater sufferers than the men and l they will go to the polls and vote Give them | ho do nd <Lo | will vote.
 The motion to indefinitely postpone was | lost
 MT. Bailey, of Danbury, demanded the yeas | am nays, but they were not ordered. How 1 ever, a rising vote was taken, and the bill was passed by slight majority vote. Yeas 100, nays 98 The result was greeted with loud applause.
 The bill is as follows:
 An Act Conferrlng upon Women the Right | to vote on Questions as to Sale of Intoxicating Liquors.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House. of Representatives in General Assembly conven- ed:
 That every woman of 21 or more years of age, residing in any town in thls state, and be- ing citizen of the state, shall be entitled to vote upon any question pertaining to tn, sale | nf intoxicating liquors in such town, which shall by law be submitted to the vote of such | town, in the same manner and under the same l limitations with regard to residence with the
 male voters of such town.
 woMAN's SUFFRAGE 0s SCHOOL MATTERS The House next took up the bill allowing women to vote in school district meetings MT. Parker. of East Haddam, offered an 1 amendment that all the provisions of the cleo l ton laws respecting the admission and regis. l tration of electors shall be applicable to wom- l en, and no woman shall vote until she shall l have complied with said laws. MT. Gardner, of Derby, said that this would compel the taking of the electors oath and this would put the law in antagonsm to the constitutional law which limits the suffrage to 1 men.
 NIT. Mitchell, of New Britain, thought that | if if vuao riuhf fo admit vpo,oop fo cnfrono ;s