Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-03-02
WILL VOTE IN FIVE YEARS
Mrs. Gait Sets Time When Won.
en- Will Have Ballot.
President Of National American suf-
frage Association and Mrs. Fitn-
gerald OF Boston Open Congress
sional Campaign Conference.

Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait, president OF
the National American Woman Suffrage
association, and Mrs susan w. Fftz-
gerald of Boston. one OF the prominent
suffrage leaders of the country, delivered
/ eloquent addresses on the enfranchise-
ment of women, before large and en-
thusiastic audience in The Strong
theatre last evening. Tho meeting
was under the auspices of the con-
Gressional campaign conference or the
Vermont Equal Suffrage association. now
being held in this city. DR. Grace w.
Sherwood of st. Adams, president OF the
Vermont Equal Suffrage association. pre-
sided at the meeting and introduced the
speakers, while Miss Joanna d. Croft Of
Burlington. president Of the Equal
Franchise League was among the guests
on the stage. which had been attractive
,, ly decorated for the occasion. The theatre
orchestra gave a number of pleasing
selections and following the address the
year books of the Suffrage association
and membership blanks for the Equal
Franchise League were distributed among
| the audience by young ladies, members
of the senior class of the University Of
| Vermont.
speaker. in brief but clear and logical
| address summarized a number of reasons
| why women are entitled to the right Of
/ suffrage She first pointed out the
difference in the viewpoint of men and
women and how their responsibilities
differ; men being concerned with the
, business and industrial welfare Of the
country. while women are concerned with
aiding the welfare of humanity. Women
have become specialists and experts in
| the work Of solving the human and social
problems and since the State Ia taking
over most OF this work. 1t must allow
women to aid by their ballots or suffer
directly and definitely. The speaker also
said that women should have the right
| TO better the industrial conditions under
which they must work and which they
are now helpless to remedy. She showed
| how the acknowledgment OF Vermont
women would aid in bringing out a larger
vote in the rural communities and smaller
| towns and strengthen the influence of
| the New England homo. closing with a
strong plea to the Indifferent women
to aid in the fight to obtain the ballot
| for the women who did want 1t but could
not secure it without aid.
Mrs Carrie Chapman Gait spoke in a
triumphant strain, saying that the suf-
! frage movement In America was now
| at its height ard that the majority Of
men and women in the country favored
the acknowledgment Of women. She told
her audience that women would have the
ballot within five years. and issued a
stirring appeal to all to enlist in the
suffrage campaign Tho chief benefit
| to be derived from the enfranchisem
OF woman would be her self-growth and
| development in political experience and
education. and the enlargement of her
bre adth of vision with regard to political
questions. Tho speaker empha sized the
| fact that as a matter Of justice, in
| true democracy. where tho State repre-
| sents the people. more than one-hslf OF
| whom are women. regarded as people IN
| all respects save being allowed to vote
the women should have the right OF
suffrage.
Mrs. Gait disposed Of number Of the
arguments which are constantly being
urged against the enfranchisement Of
women. chief among which we're the
ones that the women did not want the
vote and that women's places swere in
their homes, She showed that men be-
came possessed of the right to vote
automatically. and that it was a per-
mssi:e privilege and not compulsory.
! The other argument was refuted by
showing that women had outgrown the
| home sphere and while spending much Of
| their time away from the home could
certainly take few minutes on one day
| of the year to cast their ballots. In Mrs.
Cats opinion there were no arguments
against woman suffrage and the only
reason that women did not possess it
was because of conserva tism equalled
only by the blindness shown in some
Of the customs OF less civilized ccun-
tries.