Date: Fri 07-May-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: JAN

Quick Words:

women's-suffrage-history

Full Text:

Eighty Years Ago, The Big Issue In Newtown Was Women's Suffrage

(with cuts)

BY JAN HOWARD

When women first entered the voting booth in 1920, that privilege had been

hard won through years of marches, speeches, and appeals to governors, state

legislatures, and the federal government. It had been a long time coming.

Eighty years ago in Newtown, women's suffrage was headline news.

During the Revolution, Abigail Adams raised the rights of women in a letter to

her husband, John Adams, "...In the new code of laws which I suppose it will

be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies, and be

more generous to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited powers in

the hands of husbands. Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could..."

Despite Mrs Adams' plea, when the state and national constitutions were

written after the Revolution, women's rights were not included.

In the late 18th century, a married woman was not a legal person, but a ward

of her husband. Her property or earnings belonged to him. She had no right to

make a deed, a will, or a contract, or to sue in the courts without his

consent.

The 19th century was not much better. Women were not permitted to vote, hold

public office, attend college, or appear on a lecture platform unless the

audience was composed of only women.

In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton raised the first American call for a woman

suffrage convention. She lectured all over the country on behalf of equal

suffrage, property rights, and educational advantages for women.

In 1850, the first national convention of women interested in securing

suffrage was held in Worcester, Mass. Under the leadership of Susan B.

Anthony, Lucy Stone, Anna Shaw, Mrs Stanton, and Carrie Chapman Catt, the

movement developed into the National Women Suffrage Association.

By the Civil War, women had earned the right to speak in public and were

beginning to receive a better education, but still did not have full voting

rights. That, however, was slowly changing.

Though Connecticut lagged behind by allowing women only certain local voting

rights, some states gave full suffrage long before the amendment granting

women the right to vote became law. Starting with the territory of Wyoming in

1869, full voting privileges in 30 states were secured by 1919.

Suffrage advocates in Connecticut had begun their quest for full voting rights

as early as 1865, but saw their efforts fail several times in the legislature.

In 1895, reformers had asked for the privilege of voting for presidential

electors but this was rejected, as it was again in 1897. In 1886, 1887, and

1889, bills for full suffrage were defeated. In 1919, following a petition

signed by 98,000 people, a bill to secure presidential suffrage from the state

failed by one vote.

In August of 1920, the 19th amendment to the federal Constitution, conferring

the franchise upon women, became law. Women in Newtown voted for the first

time in the elections of October, 1920.

Suffrage On The Home Front

Discussion about women's right to vote and letters to the editor on the topic,

both pro and con, appear in The Newtown Bee at the end of the 19th century. On

July 13, 1894, the Men's Literary and Social Club had "Shall Women Vote?" as

its discussion topic.

On September 14, the paper printed "The case for women's suffrage," and a

woman from Monroe, who described herself as "Another Farmer's Wife," wrote, in

part, "It is plain that wherever woman is uplifted and has the largest scope,

her influence has a refining and purifying effect... whether it be in the home

or the nation, and the nation is but the aggregate of homes."

The movement was not without detractors. On January 2, 1910, The Bee printed

an article in which the writer said women should be in the home and expressed

opposition to the women's suffrage movement.

In the March 1, 1912 Bee , a letter from Augusta Campbell Peck of New Haven

cited four reasons for equal franchise, the most apparent being "simply a

demand for justice" for women to have a voice in government. "The

conscientious woman who is granted the franchise will feel that it is a sacred

responsibility. Some say that women are too good to vote Á the polls are not

respectable enough for her...if the polls are not respectable, whose fault is

it? It is a proof, that the influence of the good women of this country is

needed to make the polling places decent."

Letters on March 8, 1912, written by L.F.G., of the Gibson Homestead in Sandy

Hook, and on November 1, 1912, from Eleanore Hammond Northrop of Kittanning,

Penn., supported voting rights for women.

In the April 4, 1913 Bee , a writer, referred to as Mrs A.C.T., wrote, "If the

anti-suffragists wish to be classified with the criminals, the insane and the

idiots, that is their privilege, but it is to these three classes that the

franchise is refused. Doesn't personal pride come into the matter?" She

questioned how men would react if women had the voice in government instead of

them. "Wouldn't that part of their nature they call their `personal honor' be

outraged and insulted?"

On April 16, 1915, A letter entitled "Ten Questions", signed by A.S.B.,

questioned the validity of arguments against women's suffrage.

Suffrage Meetings

On February 23, 1912, The Bee reported that a series of meetings was being

held through March 24 in Fairfield, New Haven and Hartford counties by the

Connecticut Women's Suffrage Association to let people know the meaning of the

movement. It does not mean any of the "terrible things seen in comic papers,"

the paper noted. It is "significant of the awakening interest on the part of

American women in those duties which the government has assumed to help her in

the care of the home," such as Pure Food laws, and "to help elect the people

who make and carry out these laws."

Meetings for the cause of women's suffrage began in earnest in Newtown in

1912. The Bee reported on a June 8 meeting at Edmond Town Hall that was

"largely attended." The Town Hall walls were decorated with banners listing

the names of states that had already approved women's suffrage.

Mrs A.L. Livermore spoke on "The Political Handicaps of Women," the chief one

of which is that "the self respecting women, who are the backbone of all your

churches and philanthropic institutions, will no longer allow themselves to be

placed with the criminals and the idiots, the two classes who are denied the

ballot."

Sixty-five people signed statements of their belief in women's suffrage.

In August of 1916 an Equal Suffrage Club was formed in Newtown. Mrs A.E.

Scranton Taylor, chairman of the Litchfield County Suffrage Association,

addressed the meeting at the Newtown Street home of Mrs Adela Irwin, president

of the Newtown club. Other officers were Mrs Cora Pierce, vice president; and

directors, Miss Kate Tibbals, Miss S.J. Scudder, Mrs W.A. Honan, and Miss

Louise Bigelow.

Mrs Taylor emphasized the need for organizing suffrage sentiment so women

could more closely interest themselves in civic needs and social legislation,

such as the National Child Labor law.

On September 22, 1916, Mrs Annie G. Porritt, recording secretary of the

Connecticut Women Suffrage Association, addressed the local group at the home

of Miss Louise Bigelow. She described suffrage as "a winning cause," noting it

had been endorsed by every political party, which "did not rush to embrace a

losing cause."

In October of 1917, Miss Murray of the New York campaign, was reported as

saying, "Because Connecticut is very conservative, we shall have equal

suffrage in from two to four years." The prediction proved to be correct.

On June 28, 1918, The Bee reported that a "large number of enthusiastic women"

attended a suffrage convention at the Inn in Newtown on June 20. The paper

said 135 women "filled the parlors and lounge of the Inn to capacity." Mrs

N.M. Schoonmaker spoke on "Preparing for Citizenship" and Miss Katherine

Luddington said "suffrage is nearly won. No cause that has gotten so far is

going to give up."

In July of 1918, Mrs Schoonmaker, addressing the Newtown Equal Franchise

League on citizenship, said, "We owe it to the world to become enfranchised

because as women we have something to give the world."

Also in July, the local League announced it was offering a six-week course on

citizenship and government led by Mrs Schoonmaker.

In March of 1919, The Bee reported on a suffrage demonstration in Hartford at

which suffrage campaigners on the "Prison Special" were welcomed with banners,

a brass band, and speeches. The visitors had served jail sentences in the

cause of the Federal Suffrage Amendment.

Throughout 1919, the local Equal Franchise League continued to meet at

members' homes. A large delegation attended the July 24, 1919 county meeting,

according to The Bee .

One of the early suffrage supporters would not live to see the national

amendment passed. On September 5, 1919, the paper printed a resolution adopted

by the local League on the death of Dr Anna Howard Shaw, noting the "great

loss" the cause had sustained in "the death of one of its most ardent

pioneers."

`The Bee' On Suffrage

An editorial in The Newtown Bee on March 5, 1915 urged Connecticut legislators

to vote in favor of suffrage. "Give the Ballot to the women? By all means

yes," the editor wrote.

Connecticut should not postpone equal suffrage, the editor wrote, since women

are leaders in philanthropies, activities of churches "and wherever her

influence enters, as a rule, a higher plane of morals exists."

The editorial continued, "We believe that in placing the ballot in the hands

of the women would give them a weapon to strike down certain grave evils that

are constantly menacing the security of the home."

The editorial asked why Connecticut should lag behind other states in the

matter of suffrage. "In a very short time, our own legislature will be casting

their votes on this question. Let us hope they will rise to their privilege

and put Connecticut in the foreground by deciding to give the ladies the

ballot."

On May 14, 1920, the editor of The Bee wrote that he was "disgusted" at the

attitude of Gov Marcus H. Holcomb. Gov Holcomb had declined to call a special

session of the legislature to act on the women's suffrage amendment following

a request from suffragists. The editorial noted that the governor had refused

to summon the legislature four times previously to consider the federal

suffrage amendment, once after the Republican state convention had passed a

resolution calling upon him to take action so Connecticut might be the 36th

state to ratify the federal amendment.

The editor wrote, "Thousands of women with tears in their eyes have begged the

Honorable Marcus to say the favorable word. But the stubborn old governor

wouldn't budge, and we're sorry, too, for we believe he has made a mistake. If

he should run again for the office, he wouldn't get as many votes as there are

hairs on the top of the head of Charles Hopkins Clarke of The Hartford Courant

."

Newtown Women & The Vote

In Connecticut, the first woman suffrage convention was held in 1869.

Even limited voting rights did not come easily in Connecticut, though women

were granted equal property rights in 1877. Repeated efforts for municipal

suffrage for women failed in the legislature in the late 1800s. In most cases,

the House had voted to give women the vote in all town affairs, but the Senate

had declined. In 1884 and again in 1885, a bill to give women the right to

vote at school elections and meetings was rejected by the legislature.

In 1893, Connecticut women finally were granted the right to vote for school

officials, and in 1909 they could vote for school and public library issues.

On September 25, 1914, The Bee listed the names of 64 "ladies" to be placed on

the list of voters to be made.

In The Bee , on July 30, 1920, Commissioner of Education A.B. Meredith wrote

to Mrs Wallace N. Mitchell of Newtown, that "women whose names appear upon the

registry list of women voters shall be entitled to vote in any meeting held

for choosing school officials or upon any matter relating to education or to

schools."

Finally, in August of 1920, after many years of hard work, the suffrage

amendment passed and women in Newtown registered to vote.

On September 10, 1920, The Bee reported that women "eligible to vote in the

coming elections are urged to send in their names to the registrars before

Sept. 16." The names had to be posted for two weeks before the women could be

made voters. It was also noted that "those who have already been `made' to

vote at school elections will have to be `made' over again."

In the September 17, 1920 Bee, Attorney General Frank E. Healy replied in the

affirmative to questions by Secretary of the State Frederik L. Perry as to

"whether a woman can register Thursday, be made an elector Saturday, and vote

in Connecticut for town officials on the first Monday in October." The

newspaper wrote that "in Mr Healy's judgement, the special session of the

legislature on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 1920, had the authority to ratify the

suffrage amendment to the Constitution."

On October 8, The Bee reported on the annual town meeting, noting "a number of

ladies graced the occasion."

On November 2, the members of Newtown's Equal Franchise League met at the home

of Mrs Irwin for the last time. They had seen their long quest through to

fruition.

Women finally had won equal voting rights with men.

(Some of the information for this story was gathered from encyclopedias,

Norris G. Osborn's History of Connecticut, and the Connecticut State Library.)