Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1920-05-07
SUFFRACISTS URGE
SPECIAL SESSION
State Campaigners Well Receiv
ed and Leave Fine impress
sion On Large Audience
Resolutions Adopted. - Individual
Letters and kilograms to Be
Sent Governor

rious states in the Union, who are in
Connecticut this week campaigning to
have Governor Holcomb call special
session of the legislature to see if the
state will be the seth to ratify the
constitutional amendment giving owe,
nine million women the right to vote
are as able as was the delegation sent
to Putnam, the citizens of the Nutmeg
state have been properly impressed
with the women's contention and with
their earnestness for the cause they
represent
1t was large and representative
audience that gathered in Odd Eel
lows hall Thursday evening and they
were delighted with all of the speak.
ers and agreed to assist in the move
ment by individually writing or tele-
graphing the governor urging that the
special session be called. The gather
ing also adopted the following resolu-
ton:
Whereas, The Federal Amendment
giving full suffrage to women is now
before the states for ratification, and
the United States Constitution ex-
pressly provides that amendments
shall be ratified by the legislatures of
the several states; and
Whereas, The Legislature of Con-
neeticut has expressed its desire to
be called into special session as the
legislatures Of twenty-four states have
been, to act on this question; and
Whereas, The right of over nine
million women in the United States,
including three hundred thousand
Connecticut women, to vote in the
coming Presidential election may de-
pend upon the action of Connecticut
and
Whereas. Governor Holcomb has
twice called special sessions in order
TO insure the Connecticut men in the
service of their country the right to
vote, in the next coming election
therefore, be it
Resolved, That we, Connecticut citi.
zens, assembled at this meeting, dc
vigorously assert our wish that oui
elected representatives be allowed to
act upon this amendments and that
we hereby call on Governor Holeomt
to summon the Legislature in specia
session for this purpose.
Rev. Boynton S. Merrill acted az
chairman of the meeting and intro
ducea-t the speakers.
G. Harold Gilpatric, state treasurer
welcomed the audience, prefacing hi:
remarks with little humorous story
appropos of the occasion. He ther
told the gathering that he knew thai
Governor Holcomb favors suffrage
but that he felt that possibly major
ity Of the women of the state did moi
want the ballot. He said that he die
not want the speakers, who had come
to Putnam, to return to their homes
feeling that Connecticut had failed
them. He asked them to have faith
and assured them that it would not be
n isplaced, but would be justified.
Nh. Gilpatrie read the resolutions
above, "a copy of which has been mail
ed TO the governor.
The delegation assigned to Putnam
included Mrs. Hugh Brown of Nevada,
Mrs. f. P. Flick of Washington, Miss
Josephine Miller of Arkansas, and
Mrs Ben Hoover of Wisconsin. All
spoke most interestingly, entertain
ing4y and with impressive earnestness.
Ally spoke of the acknowledgements of
women in their own states and the
benefit derived from women having
the ballot. and pleaded with those
present to use their Individual infiu-
ence with the governor to have him
call a special session of the general
assembly.
Mrs. Brown spoke of being of old
pioneer stock and said that the men
of Nevada had always looked upon
women as entitled to the same rights
as themselves. She said she was not
professional speaker, but that this
was her first public effort, She said
that when she was chosen to represent
her state she hesitated, but her hus-
band insisted that she accept the hon
or. She felt tina. the east lacked the
enthusiasm of the west. Nevada has
had equal suffrage for seven years ana
it has proved success.
Mrs. Flick spoke of what the wo-
mans vote had done for her state and
outlined how the voting was done.
She said that she made the explana-
tion because she knew the women OF
Connecticut would soon be voting.
She alluded to.her husband who serv-
ed two wears in France and the praise
he had for the women workers with
whom he came in contact while over
seas. She expects to vote in the next
presidential campaign and said tsaf
her state was the 35th to ratify.
Miss Josephine Miller Of Arkansas,
the only Democrat, was the next
sneaker. She is a member Of the ma
tional delegation and viii attend the
Democratic convention at San Fran
cisco. She said her state was the 18th
TO grant equal franchise and she told
Of the many things that the women's
votes had done for "My South" She
said the women had done SO much for
education, (illiteracy being a great
drawback in that section). The wo-
men had also, by their votes, helped
in getting better roads