Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-11-28

Attracted by the announcement that
the question OF the right and expediency
OF permitting women To vote would be
discussed at Music Hall ou "Wednesday
evening, dropped in. 10 discover if pos
sible how soon our ward rooms aud bal.
lot boxes must be changed to crinoline
proportions. The affirmative side was
supported by its acknowledged leader
and champion. Mrs. Livermore, and the
negative by Gen James A. Hall of Maine.
An audience composed of the best intel
loct of Boston filed its full capacity, up
through the rows of balcony 10 the fret.
ted and gilded root The great organ.
with its huge shining pipes giving a ra-
dance OF gold. and its statuary challeng.
ing admiration, was yielding its harmony
to the subtle touch of woman's fingers,
shaking the building with its double
bass. and sinking into soft. wierd notes,
like tar distant music heard mt evening.
Soon a ripple of applause ran around the
crowded audience, and the speakers
were seen coming upon the platform.
led by Gen. Hartman who was IN pre-
side. The chairman stated that there
would be three speeches OF fifteen min
utes duration allowed TO each speaker.
concluding with one of ten minutes each.
To Gen. Hall was assigned the beginning.
Space will not allow of report of the
debate. 1t was able and well sustained
on either hand. There was much thrust
ing aad parrying, and some good hits,
supplemented by applause. In the course
of his remarks Gen. Hall said: -
If this government has been we'll and
wisely managed under male suffrage, il
the unjust and tyrannical things in it have
gradually, step by step been done away
with. il certain laws which were unjust
towards the female portion OF this com
munity half century ago. have been
I all the time since undergoing correction
and il they to-day are ia this process.
why, ii would seem that there is no great
necessity for bringing about this grea,
change and giving the ballot TO the wo-
men OF this country, Women did vote
once. The Constitution of the State of
Nsw Jersey in 1916 allow al them TO vote
The last time they voted there they voted
early and often. rs often rs they could
by Disgusting themselves in the changing
I OF their dress and who in Heavens name
can equal woman in that rLaughterl .
Mrs. Livermore says not only that, but
that the men changed theirs and put on
women's dresses. All | have TO say is
that is the thing YOU will have TO do
when women vote. IApplausol.
| haven't any doubt that if female sui
frage should be brought about, YOU
would find any number of repeaters in
this city wearing women's garb, and yot-
ing fifteen or twenty times apiece. This
resulted in the annnlling of female suf-
frago in New Jersey by the Legislature.
That's the past generation when women
voted, and if you want a sample for the
present, why, they vote in Utah, and the
Government of the United States is using
its strong arm 10 break down the infa-
nous sin and iniquity Of polygamy.
When Mrs. Livermore's turn came. she
responded to this argumep; as follows:
I All Governments derive their Just
powers from the consent OF the govern
ed Before the Revolution We declared
that taxation without representation was
tyranny. and the Revolution arose from
it. Well, if representation without tax
alton then was q tyranny is it not just as
much tyranny now. The speaker claim.
ed that il was not possible for husbands.
fathers and sons TO represent women un-
less they elect their representatives by
women. "All men are created equal
means all men and all women. In the
beginning women could vote in Georgia,
South Carolina, and under the colonial
charter of Connecticut and in New Jer.
sey. The especial reason why the wo-
men of New Jersey were DISTINGUISHED
has not quite transpired in the course of
I Gen. Halls story. There was voting late
and early and repeating. More men
came TO the polls disguised in women's
dresses than women who changed their
dresses. and if = woman is great at dis
guising herself by changes of dress. the
speaker submitted that man who should
dress himself in woman's clothes would
be equally effective in carrying on the
same sort of disguise There was great
corruption ut The time. We are not
claiming that women are better than
men. You couldn't make ballot repeat
ing and stuffing much worse in this coun-
try than il is to-day Applause The
cause OF the women of New Jersey be-
I ing DISTINGUISHED was that the women
and negroes there voted side by side,
and then, when they voted on The last oc-
casion they voted with the Liberal party
against the party that was not; there was
a great deal OF cheating and Disgusting,
and men did it as much rs women. The
next Legislature was of The opposite
complexion politically, and they took
from the women and the negroes the
right to vote. and they did il unconstitu-
tionally.
This may serve as a specimen. The
debate was conducted with The utmost
courtesy aud fairness. with ahont equal