Norwich bulletin., 1915-06-09
MADE STRONG ARMUMENTS
 FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE
MT. and Mrs. Henry Graves of Geneva Spoke at Meeting at Norwich Club.


 Asserting that she did no- believe that the millennium would be ushered in If equal suffrage became operative, but that she did believe it would help to broaden and develop women, to safeguard and protect our women and young children, to restrict -intemper- ance, to lessen the white slave traffic and the exploitation of women by mans lust and greed, to establish fairer standard of wages for women and better protection for women in industry, and to banish child labor, Mrs. Henry Graves, of Geneva, N Y, who before her marriage was Miss Irene Colt of this city, greatly inter- ested an audience of 50 Tuesday aft ernoon at 3.30 at the Norwich club, where an open meeting was held by the Norwich Equal Franchise league
 The opportunity of having >oth Mir and Mrs. Graves to speak in Norwich was grasped by the league and the special meeting was called in advance Of the annual meeting which comes on the 18th. Before the address by Mrs. Graves, when the meeting was opened Tuesday afternoon by the D .eSident, Mrs William A. Norton, a nominating committee was appointed 10 report at the annual meeting consisting of Mrs J Eldred Brown Mrs. J. J. Desmond and Mrs. Gilchrist
 After she\ had been introduced by the president, Mrs. Graves said that she wanted to talk first of woman suf- frage as related to the home and that if she felt for one minute that she would be less of a mother and house. keeper because of advocating woman suffrage, she would resign at once from the women's suffrage assoeia- tion. The threshold of the home leads in two directions, in and out, and the best mother is apt to be one with the broadest horizon whose activities are not limited to the four V alls of her house, but who goes out with her child into the world, a sharer in his broader activities, helping him to pre- pare for the noblest and highest of all vacations, that of good citizenship.
 MT. Graves, who is president of the Mems League for Woman Suffrage. in Ontario county, was introduced by Mrs. Norton, and like his wife was given enthusiastic applause for his vigorous but informal talk upon the subject.
 Woman suffrage, he said. was a question of right and wrong af prin- ciple-and 95 per cent. of the argu- ments against it were sentimental and also insincere. They back right up into the corner that woman's place is in the home, which is really no argu- ment and you can't argue with the person who takes refuge in tbis claim.
 As to woman's capacity for voting he declared that the average man and the average woman are on a par as far as that goes: and as far as the average man being entitled to vote because he takes an honest, earnest interest for the good of his "ity, he should have his vote taken away from him on that qualification. It is the women who are interested and work ing for civic betterment
 Conservatism, which the antf-suf- fragist possesses is a good quality, and watch your step is all right, but for goodness sake take step The line on the ballot should not De drawn on sex, but on intelligence, and so would come the advance of the human race through true democracy to heights we have never dreaIred of.
 Tea was served after the meeting, Mrs. J. Eldred Brown and Mrs. A. H. Chase pouring.
 Mrs. Graves has been doing cam paign work in the cause, and in the course of her address dlsclaimed any liking on her part or on the part of other workers of the necessary pub licity and campaign methods which this involved, but said they were adopted because they were most read- fly effective and that when the desired result had been attained the workers would gladly retire again to their place in the home"