The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-23
CON NECTICUT
 SUFFR ICE NEWS
, tA. G. Perr.itt.l

It is a very simple and brief change tha tthe suffragists are asking in the State Constitution; but it is a change that will iberate the women of Con- necticut from their political disabili- ties and put them in regard to citizen rights on a level with the men. The resolution which was Introduced last week in the State Legislature reads: Resolved by this House, That the fol- lowing be proposed as an amendment to the constitution of the state, which when approved and adopted in the manner provided by the constitu- tion shall to al Iintents and purposes become a part thereof: That Artf- cle Eight Of the AmendEnents to the Consultation be amended by erasfng the word male from the first line. Resolved that the foregoing propos- ed amendment to the constitution be continued to the next session of the general assembly and be published with the laws passed at the present session. When all the surrounding words are stripped away it will be seen that the only change that will be effected will be the striking out of the word nnaIe-t1le word which prevents the women from voting. Article Eight was first adopted in 1S45, when it read 'severy white male citizen Tn 1878 it was amend ed by striking out the word white, which had stood in the way Of the colored men This action on the part of Connecticut was made neces- sary by the adoption of the 18th amendment by the United States. discrinaination as regards political rights on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude. was proposed by Congress in 1869 and ratified by the requisite number of l states in 1870. Connecticut rati- . after it had left Congress, but the word white in the state constitu- tion5 though imperative remained for six years IEaEer. In the same way the word male if made imperative 1 by an amendment to the U. s. Con- stitution would still remain to be re- moved by an amendment to the state constitution.
 Some of the men whose names ap- 1 peared on the list of those not vot- ing in the division on the suffrage ] amendment in the House of Represen- l tatives at Washington, were strong I advocates of the amendment but were paired with opponents. This was the case with MT. Manahan of l Minnesota, who has made his position l quite clear in a letter to the presi- l dent of the Anti-Woman Suffrage Association of his own state. MT.
 Manahan courteously apoIogized to 1 Mrs. Pennington for not being able ] to accede to her request to vote l against the amendment, lou the plain l ly stated tha. the considered women quite tqualified to vote. And inas- l much" he continued, ssas the well
 fare of every home, both from an 1 economic and moral viewpoint. is
 directly affected by 1egislation--it follows that every woman concerned in the public welfare and the pres
 ervation of homes, should be vitally and personally interested in legisla-
 ton. Obviously the only potent in- I fuence that anyone can have in Iegis-
 lation under our system of govern
 ment is by the ballot. Selfish greed
 influences care little for resolutions | by clubs of non-voters, and fear only
 law and it's enforcement. I can read l fly understand why men engaged in I any line of business which makes if
 necessary for. them for selfish reasons
 to control the making and enforce l rnent of law, should oppose woman