The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-02
AN ARDENT suFFRAelsT
Young Vermont Woman Takes Pride
in the Cause.


Miss Mabel Foster, the daughter OF
Representative Foster Of Vermont, is
President Of the Washington branch
Of the College Equal Suffrage League
an organization of Soung women
pledged to obtain the right Of fran.
chise for the women OF the United
States. Miss Foster is an ardent
Suffragist although not of the militant
type that has distinguished itself in
England during the past year or
two. She believes in peaceable agi-
tation, and in educating the people
of the country to the advantages of
women's suffrage. Miss Foster is
certain that much has already been
done in the way of education, and
that the work VIII continue until the
franchise will be conferred upon
American women. When this gold
en- age will dawn, Miss Foster does
not venture to predict She is a
graduate of Bryn, Mawr
The College Equal Suffrage league
was formerly at Buffalo in 1905 to
promote the cause of equal suffrage
among women. graduate and under
graduate, It's membership is COM
posed of college girls and the alum.
nae of womens colleges throughout
the land The object of the organi-
cation, according to Miss Foster was
to establish a medium through which
| the young women of the country
could work for suffrage. The Nation
al American Women's Suffrage assoc
iation is said TO include in its mem
| bership principally older women. The
| headquarters of the college league
are in New York City. 1t is affilia-
ted with the national association and
latest information, the College league
has "a branches in seventeen states
and twenty-five chapters in as many
colleges, the total membership being
between 200O and 5000.
BESIDES holding meetings and pro
noting lectures the College Equal
Suffrage League is joining in the cir
culation of a petition to Congress in
favor of womens suffrage The
Washington suffragists maintained a
booth at a food show there recently
when several thousand signatures
were secured to the petition. The
league also publishes matter to pro
mote the cause.
1t is probable that a mammoth pc
titiOn favoring suffrage will be pres
ented 10 Congress this winter. Many
petitions have already been filed with
Congress and numerous hearings on
the subject have been held before
Congressional committees but all in
vain. Miss Foster believes that the
time is not far distant when the per
sistence Of the suffragists will be re-
warded
Discussing the outlook for the SUI.
frage movement and the work of the
College Equal Suffrage League in par
ticular, Miss Foster said:
The strength of the suffrage cause
is growing very rapidly. Not long
ago comparatively few women were
interested in the subject. AS rule
the authorities Of women's colleges
looked with disfavor upon the move
ment. Some of them would not even
permit such a wen known philanthro
pist as Miss Jane Adams of Chicago
TO address the students on the sub
ject of suffrage. Now, however, all
is different Many womens college
presidents have followed the lead OF
Miss Thomas Of Bryn Mawr who was
one OF the pioneers in the field Their,
ere suffrage organizations in most Of
: the women's colleges.
Women generally are becoming in
terested in the matter. They are be
ginning TO ask themselves why mar
should be permitted to vote while hi'
helpmate has no voice in the affairs
OF the nation of most states. This
! question is being answered usual.
in favor of the suffrage cause and thu
membership of the suffrage societies
Is increasing daily in number Tit
} | young women are taking hold of III
: matter with enthusiasm and ii is pro
=, per that they should do so, as tn
Y race grows in knowledge and civil
. cation advances.
t Il believe the extension Of tn
= franchise right to women will accom-
plsh great things 1t will not brin
: the millennium ahead of time but tn
! women will be able to obtain desil
= able and necessary reforms much eai
= Ter and sooner than II they must rel
y on indirect influences exercised o
: male voters. Among the reform
most 10 be desired are the equalizi
4 ton of wages for men and womel
q the enactment and enforcement of a.
a equate laws for the protection
:. women and child workers and tn
:, promotion of the cause Of tempe
y ance Women's suffrage will II
~ doubtedly do much toward the NOR
4. and social Improvement of mankin
1T will promote the acquisition al
utilization of common sense amor
10 women for many of them are lac
,r ing in this rare quality There a
ID many women who have tremendo'
S. amount of energy and capabilit
m which they now eXpend either up'
IN their household affairs or in playil
,e bridge whist and attending socie
0, functions
6. "The exercise OF the franchi
q. would do both of these classes
in women an immense amount OF goo
70 They are concerned in what is goii
tx ON in the world and should have SOL
~ share in the conduct of public affai
IN When the women are better off