Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-05-24

May ask space for a few words
of comment on recent speech of
Senator Brandegee.
That Mr.. Brandegee is opposed to
woman suffrage as he is to practically
all progressive legislation, has been
well known to his constituents. Many
have deplored his Bourbon tendencies,
but there has been certain respect
for the outspoken frankness of his
position. But the recent manner of
his opposition to all liberal measures
creates a situation which should not
be ignored by Connecticut citizens. It
would seem as if these four years of
desperate war for justice, and espe-
cially now the thought of our own
men, carrying our hopes and faith in
to the trenches, might sober even poll
ticians into some realization of the
gravity and dignity of the struggle,
but the manner of Mr.. Brandegee's
speeches is habitually either violent or
f1ippant. The following quotations
are fair sample of the style of the
man who, to- q certain extent, carries
Connecticut's good namea in Washing
ton.
II have no partisanship in this war
They can take my property; they car
take my life. They are taking the
lives of the men they draft into the
army, and they can have my life. j
have only one life to live, and I have
only one death to die' and I know OF
| no better cause in which to sacrifice
my life than in standing against this
German brute who is tramping over
civilization. But, my God, I'm a free
man! No word that I have said or
this floor has any partisan tinge tc
it,
you cannot win this war by talk
ing about woman suffrage and prohi-
bition. We won every war we were
ever in without woman suffrage ano
prohibition. We won the War Of
1875, and 1912, and the Mexican war
and the war of 1861, and the Spanish
American war, and there were nc
pink tea parties talking about put,
ting pink chemises on the men anc
Plymouth Rock pants on the women
The women do not propose to go ovel
in the trenches abroad and do the
fighting. 1t is the men who will have
to do that. Instead of bleatins
around here about their saving de-
mocracy by forcing their way into
caucuses and conventions, they hat
better go home anad knit bandagei
and pick lint and get ready to take
care of their brothers and sons anc
fathers, who are going to be shot tt
pieces in the trenches abroad"
Is the tone o fthis speech satisfac
| tory to his constituents? Do we wish
| it to be considered Connecticut!
tone? Does he, for instance, repre-
sent Connecticut's manhood, in its at
titude toward woman? Women a
wei as men are giving their all tt
secure victory? In Europe and Eng
land they are carrying on the worl
of the men in everey line of industry
They are risking and giving thei
lives at home, in the nnunition work
and at the front in. the canteens, il
the hospitals as Red Cross nurses ant
as ambulance drivers American
women can be counted on to do thei
part as the demand comes.
Senator Brandegee says with mag
nificence that the country can tax
! my life" He will probably not b.
called upon to lay it down-but WON
en- are laying theirs down daily il
the dangers of the front" and tn
labors of the second line, of defence
yet he bids US go home and knit &!
bandages and pick lint"