Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-12
Auditorium Was Crowded to the
Doors at the First Meeting of
the Annual Convention Held
Last Evening.
BRILLIANT SPEECH
Beatrice Forbes Robertson Hale
of New York ExpOunds the
Doctrines of Sulfragism in a
Highly Interesting and Con-
vincing Manner.

The annual convention of the Yer.
lont state Suffrage association opened
t the city HAN Thursday under mos
suspicious circumstances The local inter
psf in the suffrage movement was man
Tested by the fact that the hall was no
arge enough to contain the crowd o.
people who attended. The seating ca
'acity Of the hall was exhausted Ions
eiore the time the meeting opened ant
hairs We're brought up from the office.
the building.
Back Of the stage was an American
az with Illuminated stars showing the
lumber Of States that had adopted a
'oman suffrage law. The original mum
Yer was ten, but the election of Tuesday
as added two more and there are hopes
hat the entire number will be increased
fourteen when all the election returns
re counted. There is also a map of the
nited States on exhibition showing the
tetes that have equal suffrage laws and
he States that have limited suffrage and
hose which have no suffrage, each class
cling designated by a different color.
Mrs Frances r. Wyman. president OF
~ 'A7fVNieiNlpil NdS lllt IltSl'lllE blll-
pr of the evening. The program was
pened with an address of welcome by
ayor James f. Burke. a welcome from
pc local league by Mrs John r. Taylor
Asponse for the State association
Mrs. Amanda d. Seaver of Barton.
here We're vocal solos by Mrs Harry r
ines Of st. Adams and Nine Raw
rocks. both Of which We're encorcd in
sponse to the enthusiastic plaudits of
e audience.
The address of the evening was by
eatrice Forbes r obertson Hale of
ew York and 1t Is a forceful enuncia-
on Of the principles Of suffrage view
from the standpoint of highly
fled and cultured woman who has
bparentlY made a deep study of the
iestion and speaks with conviction
I'D sincerity.
MRS. HALE'S ADDRESS.
Mrs. Hale in her opening remarks
lled attention to the present polit-
fl situation as regards suffrage in
ew Of the election just held. She
Id that when she first came to this
untry in 1907 there were but four
w.
ednesday there were ten until the
ted was counted, when there were
und to be twelve, Nevada and Mon
Ia being ADDITIONS. There may be
other in Nebraska and still one more
South Dakota. When one-half of
States are gained, which. at the
esent rate of progress will be before
lg then il will become a matter of
litical eXpediency with the national
'islators to consider giving nation
de franchise to women. In Vermont,
speaker added, she had learned
at the complete nfranchsement of
men could not be obtained without
amendment to the constitution which
I'D not be until 1928 but the State
Y find itself in the suffrage list be-
that time by the Introduction of
ederal law.
hrs. Hale said She wished most to
'lain to the unconverted the princi-
OF woman suffrage and especially .
the men who have it in their power
grant the women what they ask
this end she gave a history of the
adjustment of democracy in this
Fntry dating from the War of the
Volution, She commended the eff /
of those who had decided that the
ernment of this country was to be
the people but called attention to
fact that the word people" Is not
,rpreted to-day the same as it was
en- the democracy was founded The
ly Interpretation was that the male /
pie shall be supreme in the gov
ment
is the contention of the sufragist
to admit women to the right to vote
My to carry out the principles of de-
racy
bing back still farther for cause and
ft Mrs, Hale said that the law under !
ch our government was founded was /
English common law which, went |
to the Anglo-Saxon law The great T.
lish legal authority Blackstone had /.
said that husband and wife were one
the husband was the one. In colonial .
IN this country the girls over 81 were |
married The girl of the period was
liable. There were not many Of her .
she wa!s~ desirable acquisition from
economic point of view. Under the .
fish common law she could hold no .
Perty IN ner own name when married. /
did not own herself or her children /
could not sign her name to a legal .
mont with any meaning She was
even responsible for her own viola.
of the law and when she committed !
violation Of law her husband was sent
Ril with her. She was given no edu- .
bn except what her mother taught /
6he was obliged to weave, spin, do .
housekeeping and assist in the harvest
he crops. II was the complete anti
age state of man. The first suffrage
ement was when the little girls were
we'd to go to school for an hour a day
the boys had fnisher their studies.
ming the alphabet was opening the |
lora 8 box which led to many things,
suffrage movement, explained the
ker. was the attempt of women to
up with the grand idea Of democ-
as established by men little more
one hundred years ago,
PRE- are many people, intelligent peo-
f both sexes. who seem to think that
ting women suffrage will be to un-
hem and the statement is frequent
ed in argument against the movement
sufflaEist has been represented as
man wearing a number nine shoe, Il
masculine garments. Sha Is further III