Norwich bulletin., 1914-02-17
REASONS WHY WOMEN
 SHOULD NOT VOTE.
Given by Mrs. Grace Duffield Goodwin
 at Anti Suffrage Meeting.

The bllndlng snow storm that pre- vailed early Monday evening greatly affected the attendance at the public meeting at the Buckingham Memorial of the local branch of the state asso- citation opposed to woman suffrage, the nrst meeting of the anu-suffraSists since their organization. two weeks ago.
 Mrs. Eben Learned president of the Norwich branch. opened the meeting about o'clock with a few preliminary remarks She said the Norwich branch IS still in Its infancy, but it is stead fly growing. It now has a member ship of between forty and fifty mem bers, and more will soon be admitted into the ranks. The object of the or ganizatfon is to bring good speakers to tell the anti-suffrage side of the uestion that is now concerning the en- tire country.
 State President from Hartford.
 Mrs. Learned then introduced Mrs Daniel A. Markham of Hartford, presi- dent of the state association. as the nrst speaker of the evening. She said the work of the Connecticut ass5cia- ton is about two years old Tlrere are number of branches of the asso- citation. and all have fairly large mem berships. The anti-suffragett as a rule is rather withdrawn, but the fact that they are coming out more and
 
 tion. The -suffragette is the con tnted woman who stands for the home and what it represents
 Had ApPreciatiVe Audience.
 Mrs. Grace Duff1eld Goodwin of New Jersey was next introduced. and it was an appreciative audience that listened to Ter address, in which she gave 2 number of reasons why women should not vote. In opening her addhess she welcomed those who had braved the elements. and said it shows that the subject is a. live one. Continuing Mrs. Goodwin said, in part: People are se- riously concerned with the subject of the proposed woman's ballot Now that the mems political organizations have asked us to go before them it shows that the subject is no longer a joke.
 Convinced After Careful Study. I took several years to make long, careful study of both sides of the question to justify myself in taking my present stand. I now wish to call your attention to two or three things. It doesn't do us the least good to go across the seas and argue on so remote basis. Conditions in those countries differ widely. The question is, How shall we cope with the 76,0oo,0oo of people under the conditions of the present time in this country? Think of this as a government expedient and not as theory.
 Menace of Immigration.
 Immigrants coming here in an indi geStabIe mass are taken into cur na- tional life. The thing that makes them a menace is that they are uninformed as to the conditions of the country, and they are not fitted to take over it's government Why make matters worse by adding a tremendous hummer of women to these numbers of men2 Down south there is the problem of the backward race of the country. We gave the ballot to the black man when we were not ready to give it, and when he was not ready to receive it. There is another thing, the problem of the wOm en who don't want the ballot. The women who don't want it are very largely in the majority. Why do we think of the majority, then as anti suffragettes? Because they are Amer ican women, and if an American wom- an wants anythong she generally asks for it. They have not asked for 1t. and therefore don't wan it. A suffrage lead CT whom I heard speak said 1t was not justice that one-half of the people are enslaved by the other half. This Is nto so, as American women are not en- slaved and not oppressed. Taxation without representation is tranny, it is claimed.
 What Vote Will Not Accomplish.
 This stand taken by the suffrage leaders IS utter IOlly. put lO per cent. of our women are taxpayers, and one half of this number have had the prop erty given them by their husbands, to escape payment of debt. Women will not blot out the liquor traffic with the vote, as women honestly differ on prohibition. The question of the reg ulation of vice cannot be accomplished by the vote. It can be done only by the training and raising up of the nor als of the individual. Another ques- ton is that of the working girl. If men could raise their wages by the vote, as we are told girls can. they wouldn't have strikes and there would be ma labor unions. Then again, the majority of the working girls" are not old enough to vote. These are matter of fact things that constantly come up with the question of the ballot for women.
 Will Repeat Address.
 The speaker was loudly applauded at the conclusion of her address. By spe- cial request she will repeat it in Buck ingham Memorial this CTuesday) morning at II o'clock