The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-11
CONNECTICUT
 SUFFRAGE NEWS
(By 4. G. Porritt.,

a ,
 There was an interesting discussion at the meeting of the board of direc- tors Of the Hartford Equal Franchise League yesterday, of the general re- suits of the policy pursued by the league in the recent city election It was generally felt that the publicity given to the views of candidates and the insistence that candidates should put themselves plainly on record on the question of the attitude of the city government towards commeFcialized evice had had. a large effect on public opinion There was: however no 4don bt sin the minds of all the women. that much more would have been ee- fected both in the nominatfonA and the election Of candidates had the league been supported by a, large con stituency Of voting women. The gen. eraI conclusion was that indirect in- I Ruence may effect sofnething; but that the ballot is far more powerful than mere influence.
 4 very large number of acceptances to the dinner of. the Connecticut Mems League for Woman Suffrage has aI- ready been received by the committee of invitation and the secretary. Fhe dinner. by the Courtesy of Mrs. Ernest Thompson Seton, is to be held at the Greenwich Country club, and it is now expected that there will be be- tween three and four hundred guests present, when the tables come to be filled up next Friday evening. Hon. John H. Light. president of the Mems League, will preside at the dinner, and he has also undertaken to be one of the five speakers who will repre- sent the five political parties. The other four are Hon. Thomas l.. Rei1- 1y. if the Democratic congressman is Sufficiently recovered from his recent illness to be present; Professor Yam z7deH Henderson, who was MT. ReiIIy's Fppponent in yti1e congressional cleo RRfions, on the Progressive ticket: MT fWi1liam English Wa11ing for the So- eiaIists. and MT. Emil L. G. Hohen- Z thai for the Prohibitionists. Colonel NOsborne of the New Haven Journal 14 Courier will speak on behalf of the press. There will be in addition a large number of short speeches from other well known men
 The object of the dinner put for ward bE the committee Of invitation Tis ito bring together in a pleasant and social way the men and women who are interested in woman suf- frage that may exchange ideas, plan 4new activities. and rejoice together over the growing movement for which tsthe mens league stnads- MT. AL S fredo, S. c. Taylor, the secretary of the league has taken an infinite amount of trouble in getting up the dinner and the assembling of the guests, and all the suffra gists of Connecticut men and women. are -cOnVlnced that the dinner will be an unqualified success.
 ~ There are five new states in which popular vote on constitutional Amendment granting woman suffrage will be taken next November Mon Hanas and North and South Dakota nj all Of which states the am endment 5has passed through the legislative Stages and is awaiting final action by he electors: and Nebraska, where the "a nendment is to be submitted as the result of an initiative petftion-a pe- esrt3fion to- which the women easily se- cured nearly twice as many names of legal voters as were required for the submission of the question t5 the electorate There may yet be two or three more states which may follow the example of Nebraska and use the even if no more are added the gain of five states more would be no in- considerable accession to the suffrage fcrces of the United States.
 The New Haven Equal Franchise League has been doing excellent work this winter by sending suffrage speak CTS to plead the cause of Votes for Women before all kinds of organized societies. They have urged these as- eociations of men and women to re- ceive speakers and have been most reluctant to take no for an answer Sometimes there was not great will 1ingness at first to receive speakers i; she has met with pleasant and cor dial reception and usually there was a very warm response to the pleas made by the suffra gists. This work is still going on. For instance. next Tzesdax Mrs. Edward B. Whitnex