The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-12-13

the New Y ork Senator, after confer
ence with leading opponents of woman
suffrage, issued a statement in which
she warned the country against what
she characterized as pro-German and
pacifist influence back of the suffrage
movement at this time.
Mrs. Wadsworth says that, in the
recent New York election, German
support which went to Hillquit, the
Socialist candidate, also went for Wo-
man suffrage. She asserts that pro-
German and pacifist influences are
working to have the suffrage amend
ment put through Congress and then
passed by the necessary three-fourths
of the State Legislatures so that later,
in referendum, women will be count
| ed on to vote the country out of the
war.
Mrs. Wadsworth links socialism,
suffra gism, and pacifism in an ALI
ance, and says it is necessary for the
voters of the country to throw the
weight of their influence against it.
To that purpose she directs her state
ment to the women of the twenty five
states in which, she says, there are
$50, 900 women enlisted in antt-suf-
frage organize lions, urging them to
work hard to combat the effect Of the
suffrage campaign.
| In analyzing the Hillquit vote OF
| 142,178, Mrs. Wadsworth points out
| that this was a gain Of 110,021 votes
over the normal Socialist vote Of 1913
and 1916. During those three years,
she says, the real Socialist vote did
not increase 1000. In 1910, she says,
there were 102,513 Germantown men
of voting age in New York, and their
number was increased sufficiently to
accurately account for the increase Of
110,021 votes that went to Hillquit.
These voters, Mrs. Wadsworth de-
clares marked their ballots for Hill
quit and also voted for woman suf-
frage. She alludes to the defeat Of
woman suffrage in Ohio as compared
to the vote in, New York as evidenc-
ing the influence of pro-Germanism.
Mrs. Wadsworth's Appeal
In her letter to the anti-suffrage
leaders Mrs. Wadsworth says:
The New York suffrage victory may
prove a means of arousing the people
of America to the peril of woman suf-
vote shows that suffrage was carried
there by pro-Germans and pacifists.
The inclosed statement proves this
clearly. Therefore, suffrage in New
York has raised a greater issue than
ever before.
It has helped suffragists in their
efforts to force the Federal amend
ment. The next step after the Federal
amendment would be the demand for
referendum-to men and women
voters-on this war!
Nothing could so divide our country
or help the Kaiser. With Russia be-
trayed, defeated by internal discord
and Socialism, every patriotic Amer1-
can must be brought to realize that
doubling the electorate at this time
might lead to defeat in this war.
We must arouse every real Ameri-
can man and woman to this menace
Of the triple alliance-Socialism, suf-
fragism, pacifism.
Will you add the weight of your in
fluence to carry these facts to the
people of your state?
The statement accompanying the
letter reads:
"How the pro-Germans and paci-
fists forced suffrage upon New York:
woman suffrage was carried in
New York by proc Germans, pacifists
and Socialists. The election figures
prove it.
''The suffragists actually polled few
er votes outside of New York city than
they did in 1915, but the pacifist, pro-
German, Socialist vote cast for Hillquit
carried woman suffrage.
"Hillquit ran on a pacifist platform.
He opened his campaign by speaking
in German to COMMUNICATIONS. He
insisted that every man who voted for
him should not only vote, but work
for woman suffrage.
'"The Socialist gain, the suffrage
gain and the number of German voters
ISIS imilar in every borough of Greater
New York.
"Mr. Hillquit polled 142,17S votes.
This was a gain of 110,021 votes over
the legitimate Socialist vote of 1913
and 1916.
Calls 1t Anti-American
1.-THE proof that this was not le-
Ultimate Socialist vote, but a pro-Ger-
man, pacifist, anti-Anlerican vote, is
found in the fact that in three years,
from 1913 to 1916, the regular Social
list vote of Greater New York did not
increase 1000. Russell, the Socialist
candidate in 1918, received 32,057
votes. Benson, the Socialist candidate
in 1915, received only S1,787 votes,
and the Socialist Labor candidate re-
ceived only 1888 votes in New York
City.
"Hillquit gained this sudden, signifi-
cant increase of 100000 votes in
city where, according to the United
States census of 1910, there were 1922
513 Germantown men of voting age
naturalized or with first papers. This
was in 1910. Since then the number
of German-born men who have rushed
to obtain American citizenship is
enough to explain the entire Hillquit
increased vote of 900 very signifi-
cantly.
"As these men, one by one, marked
their ballots for Hillquit-and against
the war-they thought the secrecy of
the ballot box would shield their sub
marine attempts to stop this war. But
the figures expose this trick unmerci-
fully. The United States government
has already announced its discovery
that pro-Germans throughout the
country were using socialism as a
shield for sedition.
Consider these facts:
TN Manhattan there were 40,786
male voters of German BIRTH
'In Manhattan there were 37,306
more votes cast for Htllquit than any
other Socialist candidate received be-
for