Putnam patriot., 1913-04-11
General Assembly

sion More Republicans than Demo crsts voted against the measure. but at that there were great many Demo cratic votes against t. There is yet to come before the Assembly the bill eK- tending the suffrage to women 10 par ticipate in all municipal elections When the result was announced by the clerks, Mss Emily Pierson. of Cromwell who has been one of the leaders in the State campaign. was so overcome that she Hept and was comforted by other suffragists. who had crowded the gallery of the house. The suffrage excitement began early in the morning The women took the best seats iu the gallery and they hung down over the balcony banners asking the House 10 let the voters de eide and declaring that the z50 900 working women in Connecticut wanted the vote.
 Galleries in Excitement
 When the matter was taken up after the vote on the county commissioner snip bill there was noise in the gal lery while Representative Maltbie of Grauby. the chairman Of the House committee on constitutional amend ments, was telling shy the committee had reported adversely. and Speaker Webster declared that unless order was kept he would be compelled to clear the galleries. Representative Wilson Of Bridgeport presented huge petition containing 1S.211 names in favor of woman suffrage l. was explained that the petition was entire ly distinct and separate from the en- rollment of woman sDffragists.
 Treated Seriously
 Mir Maltbie said that usually these reports were made as A joke, but in this instance the matter had been treated seriously He declared that but 5 per cent of the women Of the State wanted 10 vote. and t woald put & burden upon all the rest of the 95 per cent. Representative Wilson of Bridgeport said The question before this House Is then simply this Are we willing that the people of Connect icut, that the male voters at the ballot box should deeide?' 1 propose to make an affirmative case in favor of there is the power in Us but no moral or equitable right 10 refuse to send this matter to the people
 Contempt of Public Call.
 q go further 1 assert. that if this House shall refuse 10 submit this question, the report Of the committee notwithstanding that fl will be guilty Of gross contempt Of public demand, and will be guilty Of reealeitfance and dlsobedience to the plain command of the people of this State, and win as well be arraying itself against the broad world tendency of this nation and of all nations assert and shall attempt to show that the people of the United States are everywhere in dicating that they believe women should vote l assert and shall at tempt to show that the people of this State. a majority Of the voting people. have issued a mandate that they want I women to vote.
 Comments Methods Used. Mir. Thoms of Waterbury said that | If the matter was to be voted upon on its merits he might not vote for 1t. | but the question before the House was not that of giving women the right to vote but that of allowing the next gen 1 eral assembly, and then the people, to | pass upon the matter. He said that | the campaign in the State had been properly conducted and that if it had
 been along the English lines he would | not have voted for the amendment Representative King. who had preyi ously voted with the Democrats on | the county commissionership bill. de | clared that he had never hoped to reach that stage Of perfection where he would vote twice in one day with | the Democratic leader. but he found | himself In that position. He believed the matter ought to be sent 10 the people Representative Hunt of Glas- tonbury favored the amendment and Representative Koppleman Of Hart ford opposed it The latter said that all the Democratic platform called for was on extension of woman suffrage. and he said the women didn't want suffrage and that if they had it the undesirable class would vote and the others wouldn't
 He tfofd's Example
 Representative Malthie said that as an example of the worth of woman suffrage the recent election in Hart
 ford was the best possible There, he | said lS.000 women were eligible to
 vote on school matters. and just 90 | voted Announcement was made by a 1 well known suftragist worker Of this ] city that, since the vote in the House l of Representatives was unfayorable to l the suffrage measure a friend Of the
 cause has given $500. and there have
 been contributions of smaller sums with which to help carry on the work
 the next two years. It was also stated 1 that the ten weeks suffrage campaign
 which has been in progress under the | direction Of Miss Emily Pierson of | Cromwell, will he prolonged another
 five weeks, and that New London l Norwalk and Stamford will be in l t, tt,