Norwich bulletin., 1918-04-05
OPEN MEETING OF
 EQUAL FRANCHISE LEAGUE Miss Katherine Luddinston Says Sui. fraHe ls War Measure,


 An open meeting. under the aus- plces of the Norwich Equal Franchise l League, vas held on Thursday after | Loon, at the homo of Mrs. Willis Aus tia.
 Mrs. William Norton. president of the league. gave a brief address, urg- ing each and every woman to do her Dit still more in behalf of the third Liberty loan. and to arrange. some- new to buy a bond. after which she introduced Miss Katherine Luddington, state president of the Woman's Equal franchise organizations.
 MISS Luddingtcn stated that at first, and to casual mind, it seemed a{far cry from the ever present tragedy of var to the subject of suffrage but, tast there are a; great many logical reasons why those interested in suf- frage should work harder than ever. It Is the woman's job. and due the memory of those seif-sacrificing pio- neers in the suffrage field. to keep on the Job. It would be gross treachery and desertion to give up the fight now, It IS true, that we should not be obliged to do this in war time, and if the country had had the faith and courage to. put thoroughly on act of justice to women similar to that which England, Canada and New Zealand have dones we would not have to keep ID the struggle for the vote in-war-- time, but we cannot drop out now. MT. Asguith, a stuEdg and conseien- tipns chjector to suffrage:s finally con- yerted made an honest confession when he said that he had, come to re- siize that tlliss era would witness wo- fnhr,s eiiicieney. and that it was in- credible they should be allowed to en- ter the period of re-Sh hapipg and re- construction without the power to help control their ewfi destiny.
 There is still al1o othef necessary req son whg the sif gist must keep on their job bs to def end the morale at home. the buiidiuE ID of civiliza tion; whole power as ctsizef1s.
 Miss LIddingto ton also dwelt with special emphasis on the point, that the war is sending an enormous number of our loyal voters out of the country, E q, ,600, ,060 men is the latest edict from tie war departfnent1 and that this loss must be eounteracted.
 Seven states allow men to vote on their first civilian papers. Nebraska, one of these states. has an enormous German element who can all vote Canada realized a. like danger, and So anfranchised her women that their loyal votes might take the place of their soldier husbands, brothers and sons.
 Suffrage is a war measure; that is why tns women must work in war times; we must do double duty, for the aileviation of suffering, and for the cause of suffrage itself.
 Believing. as we do, that equal suf- frage is an assured fact in the next few years we, in Connecticut must take a lesson from the New York wo- men, who were forced to assume their civic responsibilities. as well as the training of new voters. and set in mo- tion at once the plan of citizenship, education, and to be ready when the great day of emancipation comes. A generous woman has made it pos sible to do this bv giving funds for a 1 citizenship organization" for Connec- ticut, which will train women to edu- cate other women for their duties as citizens.
 Miss Luddington then presented Mrs. Nancy Schoonmaker, who will take charge Of this work of citizen making Mrs. Schoonnaaker stated that there were two great obligations for wo- men; they must work for the vote then, how best to use it and for those reasons she has come into Connecti- l cut to organize classes in citizenship Connecticut, she said, is much inter ested in the schaol franchise. but the l school franchise is only enough t6 make women want more. The mes
 curious thing is, however that naer think a vote on the school question i! all women need, and wonder why the, should have the temerity to ask fol anything further.
 l War has. however, wiped out the ob. stacles in the path; from now on wo. men are not domestic individuals, bu social factors in the great world. is up to us to be the best possible so' cial factors. We can't be that unless
 we know about the machinery of gov Eernment; therefore, we must study anC find out
 It is planned to give a course of -si1 lectures dealing with the machiner.
 of the government, and <the part tha politics will take in our 1ives--womel are not so much uninforned, as the! are slow in realizing that this is thei future problem.
 One thing gives us a tremendous ad vantage at the very first; we do no need to educate women's moral sense that is inbern, though we have no
 been conscious as a sex, of how " might best use this moral asset. Gu great danger has been in not realizing
 the strong obligation to make the mos
 or it.
 We can't do anything alone-th twar should have taught us that; "
 must get together and do anythin worth while, and the ballot is tn easiest way
 The fact that 1t took Massa chusett : 60 years to put through the co-guar dianship law, did not mean necessar fly, that the men wanted all the car !, of their children: it was only tha they were too busy in other ways. No' you can't run government WitFou
 women because one of women's job
 is children. We need the vote to bet
 ter understand politics and to secur . laws that will protect the child, shorten the hours for women in fac
 tories and mills. and to give the child = worker a chance
 , l It is our duty to the world. and " i, are not on our job unless we see ths such conditions are frightened. It re
 auires intelligence and vigilance to ! a good citizen and upon us lies tf If greatest obligations. We must try II develop a social consciousness" A Hong as there is in this great world (
 ours one person who is not getting square deal, We must never quit worE Iingi as long as there are little chi
 dren overworked and hungry, denie s their birthright of air and sun, W
 must stay on the job. Once you de
 1 veiop a social consciousness. it wi never let you rest, but will keep yc ,. working for the ultimate good of maI
 kind
 This is our world and if it does n,