Norwich bulletin., 1917-04-05
OVER TWO THOUSAND
 sUFFRAGIsTs IN COUNTY
Total for the State is 37,1o1 as Re-
 ported at Hearing.


 Wednesday afternoon there was a large assemblage of women in the hall of the house, attracted by the committee on the amendment to an act concerning qualifications of women voters and also an act providing that women may vote on the question of the manufacture and sale of liquor. Representative Shaw of Bedding made l the opening address for the suffraget- tes and advocated favorable action on both bills. Representative Martin of Orange said he was opposed two years ago to submitting the right of women to vote on full suffrage. but he fa- vored the act to give women the right to vote on the liquor question. He be- lieved there were faddists in the wom- en suffrage movement on both sides, but he believed there should be ear nest unison on the liquor side of the question.
 MT. Bowers, representative for Man chester, strongly urged the favorable report on the act which relates to wo- tion, and if this were done the saloon would be dead issue. He said that if men could only vote for school visi- tors the balloting would be very light, so it Is only to be expected that the women have no interest in their limit ed vote in that particular. MT. Hazen of Portland said he would be glad as member of the house to
 
 is not time to make money but a time to make sacrifice and abolish the curse of liquor.
 Representative Smith of P1ainville spoke in favor of the bills under con- sideration. He said the mothers in f1uence with the children is stronger than the fathers. It is the women who teach the young idea how to foundation of the universe, and the women ought to be given all voting privileges. He said the women would conNs into caucus and make 1t clean. He said the caucus abuses would be remedied. Mir. Smith asked if the la dies present were as intelligent as the buns about town who have the fran chise.
 wished to be recorded as in favor of the bill and MT. Wilcox of Stonington made like declaration, as did also half a dozen other members of the house. This closed the talk on behalf of the members of the house.
 Mrs. Hepburn announced that the Connecticut Woman Suffrage associa- tion favored the bill giving women the right to vote on the liquor license question and at municipal and presi- dential elections. She spoke at length and recited. as did all the other speak CTS, what had been heard before at hearings at previous sessions and at the present session when the hearing was before the Judiciary committee. Mrs. Bennett of Hartford told the committee of the suffrage blanks in the committee that it was almost time that it was demonstra2ed that these planksz mean some ething.
 Dr. Valeria Parker urged the efforts of women along humanitarian lines as a strong argument for their being granted the franchise. In Australia and New Zealand. where women vote, infant mortality is the lowest. This is a subject with which Connecticut in it's present crisis, may well concern itself.
 Frederick E. Duffy, chairman of the Connecticut Grange legislative com mittee, explained the position of the national grange and the state grange suffrage. He read resolution adopt ed at the state convention in Norwich in January. confirming his statement. Reminding the committee of the that neither party would have dared to reject the suffrage plank, and hc said that the day of reckoning is com ing for men and parties unmindful of their party platform pledges.
 The county chairmen reported as follows:
 Mrs. Daniel A. Markham opened the opposition, taking up the bill giving the vote to women in presidential and municipal elections. She evoked a suffragists when she declared that she represented 96 per cent. of the women of the state, which proportion, she declared. does not want the vote.
 Miss Reney of New Canaan, under took the task of disclosing the trick cry by which endorsements of various bodies have been obtained for their propaganda.
 Miss Marjorie Dorman of Virginia was also heard in opposition.