The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-07
THE PRESS.
THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH z, 1872.
Chance for the Woman Suffrage AdvO-

Since the narrow escape of the opponents
of woman suffrage from defeat in the Legis-
lature. Maine has become one of the most
promising fields in the country for the labor
of the advocates of the Acknowledgement of
the better half of our citizens. 1t is most
encouraging thing to be able to say that the
change of only seven votes in the House OF
Representatives on the 2Sth of February
would have given an affirmative answer to
the petition of that most estimable woman,
Mrs. Oliver bennett, and her associates, and
the vote of Maine would have been nearly
doubled at the Presidential election in No
vember. 1t will be remembered that the bill
removing the odious discrimination against
women had already passed the Senate by
vote of more than two to one. ...-r
If the prominent advocates of the reform
will begin seasonably vigorous canvass OF
the State, directing their efforts not only to
the elucidation of the general question, but
to the specific purpose of securing the nomin-
alton of right men for the Legislature IN the
Republican caucuses, there is hardly doubt
that satisfactory measure will be passed at
: Augusta next winter. A large majority of
the Republican members of the body that has
just adjourned were in favor of justice to wo-
men. After the excitement of the Presiden-
tial canvass is over, woman suffrage can be
made party question, with every probability
that the Republicans can sweep the, State on
that and the other reformatory issues already
embraced in their platform. .i,.-..t
The opportunity of effecting something
practical is so apparent, that it is almost suf-
ficient, one would think, to tempt the leaders
in the woman suffrage movement to aban-
don temporarily their efforts in the national
field and concentrate all their forces here. 1t
is hard work to convince the lawyers who
constitute the majority of both houses of Con.
gress that the women are clothed with the
right of suffrage by the fourteenth and fif-
tenth am endments The world is suffering
for the coming of that tremendous reinforce
ment OH the side of reform, virtue, progress
and righteousness that is implied in the ballot
for women, while Judge Trumbull and the
Judiciary Committee are weighing author
tiles. Can't the enemy be beaten in detail,
beginning with Maine? a a9ss' oHtt
There are several circumstances that should
lead laborers in this field in other States to
consider seriously this proposition. The
movement here has fallen into excellent
hands. 1t has no faint, no suspicion of those
Objectionable views which have brought it in
to disrepute elsewhere. The Republican
party, we repeat, is committed to it by the
platform adopted at the last State Conven-
tions and by the votes of its representatives
in the last Legislature. Many of the most
Intelligent women and a majority Of the best
men are sincerely in favor of the reform. We
believe there is no other State in the Union
where so large and influential part of the
press openly advocate it. In short, the
probabilities are strongly in favor of the sue
cess of a concerted movement of the friends
of woman suffrage in Maine, especially since
it can be shown that an experiment on
small scale has already been tried with most
encouraging results in Wyoming. What
those results are is explained in selected
Darapraph which annears elsewhere