The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-25
TRI COUNTY CRUSADE FOR
 VOTES OPENS
Max Eastman, Secretary of the Mems League For Woman Suffrage Addresses Large Audience
Mrs. w. T. HinckS Describes
 Plans For 46 Meetings in !. New Haven, Hartford and
 Fairfield Counties

The opening guns of the tri-county women's suffrage campaign were fir ed at Warner hall, last evening, be- fore an audience that delighted the advocates of equal suffrage, and that applauded with enthusiasm the points scored by the various speakers.
 It was apparent that the audience as a, whole was open to conviction. The speakers humorous sallies were appreciated, but the arguments were given the closest attention. The col lection was generous and the sigma lures to the little declaration leaflets were numerous, indicating the con- version of scores of students of the question
 The chief speaker of the evening was Max Eastman formerly of the faculty of Columbia, and the secretary of the Mems League for Women Suf- frage of New York city. He is a young, man. gifted with oratory to a marked degree, and having the hap py faculty of driving home his philo- sophy with shafts of humor.
 Mrs. W. T. Hincks. president of the formally opened the meeting. She outlined briefly the campaign of the league, during which 46 meetings will be held in three counties, Hartford, or, spoke of the representative men who have been secured to act as chair men, including judges, ministers and even the attorney general of the state. She expressed her delight at the large attendance last evening, the first of the 46 meetings. Then she in troduced the Rev. E. J. Craft. pastor of Christ Episcopal church, who was the chairman.
 Rev. MT Craft is an earnest advo- cate of equal suffrage.
 In introducing Mir. Eastman as the speaker of the evening, Rev. MT. Craft paid high tribute to his efforts and ability.
 MT. Eastman spoke of the part of the worlds work that woman is per forming. Changing industrial condi- tions have forced woman into the roles that were once placed by men. While woman contributes her share to the work of the world, she does not receive the recognition given by the power of the ballot to her brothers. sympathy with the militant suffra- gist. Yet the task of the advocates more difficult than abroad. He char acterized the general attitude towards the problem hereabouts as polite in difference. and declared this was hard CT to offset than is active opposition.
 He pointed out as an important fac tor in the delay of progress of equal suffrage is the fear of influential will entail the loss of social prestige. This is not so marked aboard, said he, where social positions are assured by
 
 occasion of the difference in tactics abroad and in this country.
 While stern opposition is manifested abroad here the candidates of all parties cheerfully endorse any equal suffrage proposition. .manifesting the same optimistic indifference over and over, and leaving the suffragists in position of uncertainty. iThe task of dispeIling this indifference is more difficult, said he, but less glorious, than that of the militant suffragists of England
 There is nothing particularly new aOoUt the movement, said the speak CT. He went back to the time of Plato in his brief historical resume. He asked if there was anything new argued that man is not asked why he wants to vote, but is given the right of ballot as a matter of recognized justice. There is no more right. said he in asking the woman why she wants to vote than in asking the man why he wants to vote. The injustice lies in denying women the right to vote. In fact he said that the jus tice of equal suffrage is so apparent as to require little argument
 MT. Eastman said the women could not claim the right to vote on the ground that they are going to purify politics. Neither sex has a monopoly on all the virtues. said he And he added that only by the exercise of the right of voting will women learn to discriminate just as men profit by eX- perience in voting.
 As telling argument for the cause, MT. Eastman called attention to the humane trend of recent legisla- tion- The government is taking seri- ously the questions of humanity. of health safety and of industrial condi tions. Questions once left to the nor al ksaSAIzatG of mankind ara new naSda