The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-02
THE CAUSE or VOTAE.
FRYING TO GET TEE SUFFRAGE
IN CONNECTICUT NOW.


Vne Censtitutfonai Convention Appcsie<
ro-IAttie Attention Paid TO the Ap
peal-sunragists In the Convention
-Usv women Have Used the Scrap
sf Frsncaisc Recently "A Ban N
Rrtucky 20 Abolish Woman Schoe
euHrsge Because Negro women Use It
r Ths convention now In session at Hart
ford. Conn, for revising b State Con
stitution, Il being urged by the suirags
Association TO include the franchise for
women In its revision. This request has
bsen made without avail to other Const'
-tutioual conventions but 1t seems especially
-apuropriate that It should be needed by
this one, which II called for the express
object Of placing male suffrage on q more
equitable basis.
That Connecticut IL a comparatively
conservative and unprogreseive state Ia
shown by the fact that In $50 years there
have been but two other conventions for the
purposs Of bringing the Constitution into
line with advancing civilization. The
last ons was held in 1918 to separate the
legislative, executive and judicial functions,
ali OF which were then exercised by the
LAkslat ure. The electorate was re-
sttcted 10 white males who paid taxes on a
specified amount Of property or had per-
formed military duty, and later an educa-
tional requirement was added. In lSie
the tax-payfne qualification was removed,
and soon afterward the property OF colored
men was exempted from taxation iii they
should b allowed 70 vote, but colored
women wore still required to pay taxes
In 1870 the word 'white' was expunged'
but the term male is still retained In the
suffrage CLAUSE. That "a, after Connecticut
became q Stats IL required hfty-seven years
70 abolish the property, and eighty-eight
years to get rid Of the color qualifications
for the franchise. II remains to be seen
whether 1t must round out the full century
before the sex disability is removed.
The present Constitution was framed
no az not to give the cities undue privileges
over the towns, and, as IL now stands, every
town of 5000 inhabitants IL entitled TO two
representatives in the Legislature and the
largest cities can have no more. 1t Is
claimed that by this method. although
all the men vote. they are not equally repre-
septed. and as II 10 a terrible outrage Tor
every man not to have as much representa-
ton as every other man, this convention
IA called to right the wrong. But as II Is
not In any sense Of the word an outrage
for a woman TO nave no representation
whatever, the newspapers and politicians
of Connecticut are not in favor OF paying
the slightest attention to her claims.
Tho New London Telegraph expresses
the reneral sentiment Of the State press
- Ia ...- fAaf stha ady0Oafaa nf woman
outrage should be given ample oppor-
unity TO set forth their grievances before
the CONVENTION were II not that this would
AXE UP considerable Of the time which the
delegates need for something else That
. to say, they need all their time 70 con-
,ider the grievances OF men. although
women's taxes help pay the salaries Of
.hess delegates. The Telegraph continues:
This request for equal suffrage comes
rom 4 certain number Of women who are
very much In earnest, but the question TO
be answered ID whether they represent the
of a majority Of the women In this
State. Unless they do. It would be worse
than folly to grant their request
When the question was submitted last
a. to whether this Constitutional con-
should be held, although IL was
advocsted by the press aud the party man
aeou and there wa no public sentiment
against IL. but everything in its favor. less
n per cent. of the voters Of the State
the rouble to express themselves
way or the other. and " was carried
by Q very small majority. Now accord
TO the logic OF the Telegraph. tits worse
at all and, 70 long as the majority, OF tho
men were satisfied with their partial repre-
sentation, the minority who resented II
were not entitled 70 any consideration
whatsver. This IL the exact argument
which is applied 70 IN
A q matter Of fact the majority OF the
women Of Connecticut are Just as con
servative and unprogrehsive as the majority
Of the men. perhAp5 more 30, y n IL per-
fectly natural that they should be. That
EIaDd old woman, Mrs. Isabella Beecher
Hooker, uniting by blrh a inaTrlSse
land name~. has been President Of the State
Suffrage Association for more than thirty
YEAR,. Size has a mail but noteworthy
following Of capable, energetic. ~vtdeawake
women. and they have secured numerous
changes In ths Lws 10 betta5 tbs conditions
81 enou u obtain tia fuu suffrage they
finally consented 10 aooept AZ . temporary
subs ltuts the school franchise, which
IVES granted by h Legislature ~ isss
Tie rGhi ~ wac AZ any inviting iirld Tor
ths nIactlon ~ scisool Ohioen OF for any
ediestiOaAl psrpo.e. AZ tho met election
s.s1l woassn voted, but sin1s then the nun
lef u much smaller eKcopt Slcn there IL
soIns sgraaAl intrrast At stake. Tlls oon-
ditiaEs foT r,sisinnns aIs very UNPLEASANT
and u las tnson folhid alfnOst ilnpu.alhae ~
have sons-n plAn.d on tha schDol bsauds,
1hars 10 90 doubi, however that n thsy tad
tho flu ffanclasr they would u-s u quite -
S~rnmsuy ~ tln nan do, Hut 9Th tao
oougAnaiisdy smAll nulnLrf uho afo ao.
lively dssa@i.dinG n, AID sith tho n-oofd
~ thr sanan 40 tle srhsol vote, q VII -
. nasnihssai tnlaits - tAa couvaitlan's
llFh anse ~ luHtloe Il u lnooussratus ttss
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