The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-16
SUFfRACISTS OF
CONNECTICUT IN
47TH CONVENTION
Officers Report Progress of
Movements in State AS
Very Marked.

New Haven, Nov. 16-With repre-
sentatives from most of the 81 suf-
frage leagues and clubs of the state
present, and delegates in attendance
from II towns where suffrage COM
mittees instead of leagues have been
organized, the 47th annual state con-
vention Of the Woman Suffrage AS
ISOLATION opened here today, and will
continue through tomorrow. Much
Of today's session was devoted to
presentation of reports, election of
officers coming tomorrow Mrs.
Thomas N. Hepburn, of Hartford,
president of the association, presid-
ed.
In her opening address, Mrs. Hep
burn referred to the progress of the
movement during the year and said
that the importance of the women
vote in the recent election had made
the whole country ''realize the alb
surdity of the situation when the wo-
men of the IL states are given the
right to choose the president while
women in the other SO states can only
look on"
She said that the progress of the
movement in Connecticut had been as
marked as ELSEWHERE.
The delegates were welcomed by
Mrs. Carlos F. Stoddard, president of
the New Haven Equal Franchise
League, the response being made by
Mrs. Ernest Thompson Seton, vice.
president of the state organization.
The report of the secretary, Mrs.
| Edward Porritt, of Hartford, sum-
| marizing the work of the year and
the activities of the county chairmen
said that there had never been a
| year since the organization of the as
ISOLATION, At years ago, during which
| suffrage work was $50 general, so
| widespread or so actively carried on
| throughout the state as it has been
| in the year just closing. There had
| been no general state campaign, the
report said, but the work had been
| carried on in each county with the
| object of organizing the whole state
| for woman suffrage.
| One aspect of the years activities
| the report said, was the work with
| the various organizations in the state.
| The Connecticut Federation of Wom-
| ems Clubs endorsed the movement fer
| suffrage in 1916 for the first time.
| Many oranges had been visited, las
Dor unions had received suffrage
speakers and given their endorsement,
chambers Of commerce had extended
| invitations to speakers for the move
ment, the report said, adding:
'"There is hardly a social organiza-
| ton from the. Women's Christian
Temperance Union to the Bartenders'
Union, from the Congress of Mothers
to the convention of the Elks which
has not shown itself ready to listen to
our arguments
| The most important endorsement,
the report said, was that Of the po-
litical parties, the Socialists and Pro-
hibitionists adopting planks endors-
ing full suffrage for women, the Re-
publieans giving full endorsement to
the national platform which contain
ed a suffrage plank and the Demo
Gratis adopting plank favoring SUBJ
mission Of the question to the voters
of the state.
During the year the Connecticut
suffragists according to the report
have taken an increasing interest in
the method Of enffanchising women
by means of a federal amendment.
Referring to political work the report
Sdlu tAdL DIS Lie general ASSEMBLY, WAS
not in session no legislative work was
possible and the political work cen
tered about the election to the legisla-
ture Of men who would be favorable
to suffrage measures
The income of the association for
the past year was reported as about
| $27, 900, derived from contributions
of Leagues, subscriptions from indi-
vidual suffragists sales and cellee-
i tinns at meetings.
The membership in the state ae-
! cording to the report of Mrs. George
III. Day, chairman of the enrolment
committee. is $3.50, an increase of
| $3.50 since the last convention.