, were
accounted by the women their most bitter enemies and Speaker of the
House James F. Walsh used his large powers to defeat the suffrage
bills. Of the fifteen important House committees anti-suffragists held
eleven of the chairmanships. The chairman of the Woman Suffrage
Committee, Admiral William S. Cowles, was an "anti" but in spite of
his influence the committee report was favorable. This was due to the
progress of public sentiment, accelerated by the work of women during
the war and to the organization for suffrage which had been going
forward. Of the more progressive group of Republicans in the
Legislature who fought for suffrage may be mentioned Lieutenant
Governor Clifford Wilson, Senators John B. Dillon, Charles E.
Williamson, William H. Heald, Arthur E. Bowers and Representative
Harry R. Sherwood. Senator Charles C. Hemenway, Democratic leader and
editor of the Hartford _Times_, was one of its most valuable
supporters.

The liquor forces always employed lobbyists against the suffrage bills
and fought the movement secretly and openly. There were a number of
prominent women opposed but they were not organized until aroused by
the activity that followed the election of Mrs. Hepburn as president
in 1910. The State Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage was then
formed with Mrs. Daniel Markham as president and she held the office
until the proclamation of the Federal Suffrage Amendment put an end to
her organization. It held occasional meetings with speakers from
outside the State. The members attended legislative hearings and at
the large one on the Municipal and Excise bills in 1917 they occupied
the right of the chamber with row on row of the liquor men back of
them wearing the red rose which was their emblem.

As the Democrats constituted a minority party it was always easier to
secure from them expressions favorable to woman suffrage and in 1916
and 1918 such planks were placed in their platform. In 1918 they
declared for the Federal Suffrage Amendment and a majority of those
elected pledged themselves to vote for ratification, if it came before
the Legislature, and did vote for the Presidential suffrage bill. The
women went to the Republicans conventions each year to ask for a
suffrage plank but were steadily unsuccessful. In 1916 the State
platform reaffirmed the national one, which declared in favor of woman
suffrage. In 1918 the Republican platform included a plank approving
the principle of woman suf