Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-18

coNNEcTicuT HOUSE
PRESENTED UNUSUAL SIGHT.
Occupied by Women, Mostly suffrag-
ists--Debate on Granting Municipal
Suffrage to Women--No English
Scenes Enacted.


Hartford, Conn, March 1.-THE hall
of the house presented a most unusual
sight this afternoon. Practically all
the seats were occupied by women, suf-
fagists most of them, and around the
aisles stood a large number OF men
who were interested in hearing the de-
bate on the matter Of granting munich
pal suffrage to women. There were none
of the scenes which have in measure
tended to make woman suffrage
laughing stock in England, but a care
full, well arranged plea was made to
the members Of the committee in favor
of the measure.
The principal speaker of the after
noon was Rev. Anna II. Shaw, presi-
dent Of the National Suffrage associa-
tidn.
The hearing was opened by Mrs.
Elizabeth D. Bacon Of New Haven, who
said that women have no way OF pro-
tecting their homes at present. She
thought that men have been more fav-
orable to colored men than they have
to their women.
Mrs. Sunderland Of Hartford, who is
connected with the school board in this
city, said that women want to be taken
from the category Of slaves. She
claimed that this Is the fundamental
law Of the land, that women have
earned the right to vote and that al
lowing them to vote would be a benefit
10 the men of the nation. She claim
ed that all men are created free and
aoual and that the word-men should
include the women as we'll She quot
ed some one as saying that $50 long
as we have no representation, we are
slaves" She stated that the plan for
gunboat expeditions down the Tennes-
see and Cumberland rivers which re-
suited in decisive victory for the
Union army, in the late civil war, had
been planned by Miss Ella Carroll and
that the credit for It was denied her
by the government for fear that the
fact that It was planned by a woman
would throw contempt upon the plan.
The speaker further stated that women
are desirons Of rising to the same level
as men.
The next speaker was Mrs. Idella
Gardner of New Haven. She alluded
to a theological theory which claims
that IN the future life persons will be
receiving Just what they have done OF
harm to their fellows in this, and II
that was the case some OF the mem
hers Of the committee might be wom-
en- and be taxed without representation
and perhaps hung by a jury of men.
She thought capital punishment justi-
fable az a punishment for seduction.
Theoretically women have every safe
6ueAAd PAdICh dDuuA bANAls Dul actually
such is not the case. The utmost care
Is given to breeding horses and cattle
but the conditions in the tenement
houses under the laws made by men
are very poor. She thought that fe-
male suffrage Is a step IN evolution
which is sure to come.
Mrs. Catherine Hepburn of Hartford
was the next speaker. She said that
the argument that women do not want
to vote is misleading and that a ma
jority OF them are in favor Of IT.
The reason that women say some
times that they do not want to vote is
because the human heart hates change
OF any kind. She further stated that
the women of China are proud Of their
deformed feet. and that the anti-suf-
ftagists are Just as proud Of their po-
litical disabilities.
Rev. Anna shaw OF philadelphia
made the speech OF the afternoon, in
whith she stated that the duties of
fatherhood ought to be recognized as
well as the duties OF motherhood, and
wanted to know why women should
be held responsible for the conditions
which result under laws made by men
She said that 1t had been claimed that
women are too emotional, and describ-
ed the scenes she had witnessed at a
Hartford hotel, and spoke of the re-
publican national convention and the
scenes there of an emotional nature
She stated that In the country there
are five million children who are being
driven like sheep to a slaughter house
to allow men with millions of money
to make more millions for the purpose
OF giving them away to public institu-
tons. She called attention to the ex-
emphon in time Of war of lawyers,
clergymen and doctors from military
duty, and said that while these were
exempt it killed the argument that
women should not be allowed to vote
because they cannot fight She stated
that the cost Of two vessels Of the
Dreadnought type would wipe out con-
sumption in the United States. and that
the battles which should be fought are
those against tuberculosis and impure
food.