Norwich bulletin., 1911-06-13
LETTERS TO THE EDfTo9
Representative Chandler and Equal
Suffrage.

Nj. Editor. According to The
Rrlletin's report Of the legislative de-
bate on municipal suffra &c for wo-
men. REPRESENTATIVE Chandler appsr-
emily led the discussion Of the ants
on tho measure. He based his opposi-
ton 10 the bill on these three princi-
PAL points. hrst. the majority Of wo-
non have not asked for IT, second.
that suffragIsts are interested in So
cialism. third. that bad women viii
sxnrt an undue and unfaForable in
1isence M elections
The first point made by Mr. Chand-
Ter is no reason. it is not even an ar
eaInert. II is platitude which is
heHced out over and over again by
the posSticisns as q pretext for their
failure 10 do their duty regarding
equal suffrage They say IN effect
that y hen an overwhelming majority
OF women want what they ought to
have. then they can have 1t. The ma
Je-tty never wants a progressive meas
ure- Extension OF suffrage never has
been granted on these terms. An
enlightened state does not consider
wanting" a necessary condition to
the granting OF education or the ex-
tersiOn If privilege. Does il not con-
fer the privilege in order TO create
the desire7 In the five western states
where women can vote, In Australia
and New Zealand, the majority Of wn-
men had never asked for the ballot In
III "a lAiclDs lUt E4illN IKE IHDEEEeQfH-
tive Chandler asserted vehemently be-
forehand that The women did rot want
the ballot and wOulc not use it if they
had IL In Colorado, - per cent Of
the women vote, in Wyoming 80 per
cent, in Idaho, Australia and New
Zealand big majority of the women
exercise the right TO vote.
Representative Chandler made much
OF the fact that he knew only one
sunragist within the confines of
Rockr Hill. and that she was a social
list He might have added that shs
was the vile Of clergyman there and
a particularly able thinker and speak
er ON suffrage and socialism She adj
dressed church club Of women in
Hartford on socialism. and was most
enthusiastically received and listened
70 BY the women and the minister of
The Church. Would Mr. Chandler dis
franchise the working class OF Con-
necticut because the last election
showed that they were beginning 20
get interested in socialism? Has Mr.
Chandler read how the react ionsry
women defeated the Milwaukee social
lists Al the last election? Socialists
everywhere realize that the old parties
will at length give the ballot to wo-
men 80 that the addition of this mass
Oh conservative voters will keep back
Tor while the rising tide OF social
ism In spite Of this probability. So
cia ssts continually agitate for and de-
nand absolute political and economic
equality for mcn and women.
The last objection. in regard to the
had women. Is very weak. Would Mr.
Chandler advocate taking the ballot
from men BECAUSE some bad men vote?
oniy one IN tvventy Of our criminals is
a woman. 50 10 would add largely to
the good vote and very slightly to the
bad vote. II haz been found that wo-
men vote most heavily in proportion
to their number i'm the most tutslli-
gent wards and least in number in
the SUM districts. One third more
girls than boys attend the high schools
Of the country. Ia the face of this
fact are We not dfsfrancn ising intel
ligence by dePrivins women Of the
ballot
These arguments were all doubtless
answered by the speakers for the sur
frsge measures. hut when the ants in
the legislature have to De called 20 or
der for creating a disturbance during
Inc speaking Tor the suffrage cause
u - pain that rONdiness ard not rea-
ssn prevailed in the voting
The great change which has come
over the editorial columns of Connec-
ticut newspapers in their attitude TO-
wards equal suffrage has been highly
gratifying 10 the friends of the cause
" is pleasing to note that the lead
ing Norwich and New Londcn papers
have more than once given an encour-
aging word TO this great reform. II
5 ssid that a majority ,of papers in
this state are now favorable and il is
only a question of time when the
statesmen from Rocky Hin. Union
Prospect and Wolcott will see the
light and VIII follow the example of
the progressive voters in the western
states
EDWARD PERKINS CLARK.
Norwich. Conn, June Il. 1911.