Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-02
ALL THE WOMEN VOTED
Their Ballots Decided the Elec-
 ton at Bridgeport, Conn.
WENT FROM MASS TO THE POLLS.
Registering of Female Voters Pushed Along by the Priests-A. r. |. Men Probably Beaten-There Were Similar Contests In Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.

l won en voted ntfe Tn tLe local tLtctlph. with the result that II. C. CoEswrll anu l Frank kinsley, republican candidates for the board of education, who were opposed by the A. r. A. are defeated. while the republican candidates, Elmer lounge and pr Charles II .pAyne. having A. r. A support, nres eselectediwith.tw democrats The idea of registering and voting tho women under the statute is said 10 havo originated with tho Rev. Joseph Pullman, | pastor of the Second Methodist Episcopal church. Last Thursday. much to the as tonishmcnt of City Clerk Tracey. Mir. Pullman, assisted by the Rev. W. J. White and II. w. Pinkhnm marshalcd l03 wom- on in the eNerutivr offices at the city hall and registered them
 This Was new departure. Not moro than three or four females in as many years had exercised the right of franchise under the school consolidation act. As i the A. r. A. had carried the regular Re | publican primaries and secured control of l tho city Republican convention, this muvc of MT. Pullman caused intense excite ment. The Democrats as well as tho Straightout Republicans took alarm. After tho Lcntvn services in the Catho- lie churches on Friday evening the women 1 of the congregations were requested to roassCmblc carly on saturday Then Fla thers Niles, O'Rricn and their colleagues announced lEat as the women in some of the Protestant churches had registered, l with the view of voting for commissioners of education. il might br advisable for Catholic women to register also. \ rush 1 was made to the city hall. Ky 9 o'clock l Saturday evening l,41? women had reg | istrrvd Yesterday G>3 mora were added 1 to the lists, making a total uf ,, l>2.
 \ Rush "f Women Voters.
 In run>ruurncr of the overwhelming number to be r'cur,ird in a short time the city clerk had tu abandon his utlic, and occupy ,hr city ,uurlrr,nu. Twenty tNc women were admitted at a time After | taking their names Mir. Tracey ~wurr | them in latch,-. Collecting th,m in | corner uf the runlu in a ~,lui, !r,l'. he hadr them hold up their hands whil" he rapidly said. 'lOu swear tu >lN>IA thc truth, the | whole truth and nothing lut the truth i concerning the evidence you shall give as to your right to exercise the suffrage. l Then he explained the necessary Vuali- ticati"ns. Each voter must ho Gl years ut age must have lived one year in the Statr; if married her husband must hc a citi- zen; if single, her father must hr d ,iti, zen. and each must hr alln to read. To prove this last qualification Tr. ry Erid | copy of the constitution in front If each | person, wh" read q few words.
 ! There Wvr' many amusing >SCCn,'s dur | ing this process, One woman. Margaret Brady. cxcla:nrd when her rrrtIti, Atr w:is | handed to her: "TEank the Lurd' I've been waiting 10 years to east my Vote, She mi>took registration for voting An other was indignant vixen Tracey a,he,! if she was 2l.
 Of course I'm 2l and IT, Is il insulting mo you arr>'
 Still another, who resided in the Fourth ward. wnS told >he could not qualify
 "Qualily?' said she scornfulIy. What $ that: My husband has voted 2i years. | When We married. We wrr, made one. By all the laws human and divine I'm rn titled to half his vote
 She had failed {" read that paraErnph ill the constitution. A yourE lady Whu said she would be @l in Jun. q l;:.rd that she was eligible When rrar,y assured her she was in error. she exclaimed:
 She Th"uLhf All Fair In Politics.
 II thought ail was fair in love, WAT and politics, but it isn't
 Polls upt'nr,l at 6 d. m At G:ul Mrs J. S. f.rhar,it "f >> l,lfAyrttr etr,tt c.,~t hvr ballot. Sht' wa~ tn, first vutrr
 'l do not allow any man tu get ah,A.l of me, she Saih tu Ference Grace at the First ward ho,th. Thr nrt carly voter was Mrs, Christina Gilligan. thr pIl.ri>y little woman who on one or,.a>un. 1indinE one of Earnum $ escaped lion, M her hack yard, hrat him on the hvad with b",~ m and 'shooed' him over tl., trrr'. | At 7:30 A, III. 47O wnlurn nArrI cal in a body to the polling h uthS situated in the Fourth warH In L >hurt t.nv ;!.r or dinary halIol i.,'v Wis filed As Mrs, Cor nClia II. E. n, .r rvnArnvi. thV W,lnrn were StuftinS t.:. ballot HuNto for once. The ClCCton iE>iNrtUI~ hHv.nS nc other receptacle al han,.. rolled iu flour barrel. which did service the rest uf the day.
 Under the Counrct:rut law vutrTS after passing th" rhalirnE,'rS and drpu,itiu- their ballots ar,' v"nl rll,d [" Vl>S uut in the rear of tho hnNrs Tins rule the Nun sn diSlikc,l. They trrd To return the way they had entered. because nftcr they had sast their votes they had tu pass two more ,hallengcrs, or 'chrckcrs' at the exit. Several times huS.nr~s Was brought tu q complete standStill hy these human cguS> currents, and the managers uf the hoothS roaxed, begged and urged the ladies not to diSobcy the law, or their ballots would be thrown out.
 In the Thlrd ward one young woman held up the ballot which had been given her, and, tuning 10 one of her friends,
 aid
 Do tell me whats on this paper" An, what that" called out a watch IT, Here's woman who cant read"
 Democratic Mayor Elected. r Quick as a flash the young creature f 1arted back to the booth. cast her ballot, and as she emerged by the final checks p said: That watcher ought to be put out. a I don't believe he can read :" which caused great merrimcnt, All in all, however, the , women acted with great intelligence and
 ieccrum.
 Although this was a regular municipal . election for mayor and a full city ticket,
 the real fight was over tho four members
 of tho board of education. These were
 Frank Miller and Peter w. Wrcn, Demo-
 crats. and II. C. Cos,swell and Frank | Einsley Republicans, When the A. F. A. ' secured control of the Republican conven-
 tion. Messrs CogSwcll and kinslcy were 1 asknd Inlnilr,., Ihnlll lsnlNns nnt tn Nntn fnr