Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-02-18

was cut and put into large boxes, and sent
around the country to be made. AT the place
where l was visiting. they were making
drawers. The material was good drilling:
the drawers were TO be made as well, and
strong, as l should want them in my own
family, and must all be examined by a COM
petent individual. They had the whole Of
four cents pair for making them, if they
were made well, if they were sighted at all.
cent pair was deducted until the loss was
made up. Now instead of woman rising to
womanhood, and refusing utterly to work at
such prices, you should have seen the rush,
when fresh box came, and the look of dis
appointment, when the work was all given
out, and one had to go home without any. l
was ashamed Of my sex, that woman in en-
lightened New England, would be SO servile !!
Who was to blame? say, it was woman her
self. What good would voting do in such d
case?
Let woman qualify herself for any position
that it is proper for woman to occupy in this
country. and she is not long in getting stu
alton, and if she does not get good wages, it
Is because there are dozen or more ready
to take her place, at the same, or lower wa
ges, if she becomes dissatisfied and asks for
more. How is voting going to help it?
IT women vote, they have got to enter polit-
ical life, have their caucuses, their stump
speakers, their election money, and go cleo
tioneering around the country. Every office
from the President down is just as much open
to woman as to man; we should soon see
them in the Senate, and House of Represen-
tatives; in all the departments of State in all
the legislatures; ia our courts Of justice, as
judges and jurors; and in all our town and
city offices. Voting will be no matter OF
choice. The good must go to counterbalance
the bad. Do not fancy that women voting is
going to purify the ballot. Eve was As sus-
ceptible to temptation as Adam. Think OF
our Presidential and Gubernatorial elections ;
the women coming from the sinks and alleys,
as we'll as from the palaces and comfortable
homes.
Think Of their votes being bought and sold,
just a mems are now. Think of their enter
ing into political life They must attend town
meetings, and keep booked up in all the
affairs of the town and nation. l think we
must discard wifehood and motherhood, when
we take on our new duties, for every wife
and mother has duties enough to attend to.
Though there are multitudes Of excellent
women, whose influence is power in our
land, think it can better be exerted, in the
home, and the family, than in the halls of leg.
islation, and courts of justice. She has al
ways the opportunity to be the power behind
the throne, by educating the sons and daugh-
tiers, while the husbands, fathers, and broth
ers. are necessarily absent.
hope it will be long time, before the
women OF this country, will feel obliged to 60
to the polls. hope the women all over our
land, who DO not want TO vote, will send pc
titiOns to our legislations against it, to coun-
teract the petitions and speeches for it. l
hope our legislators will consider we'll before
they open this door. that can never be shut.
Let the whole mass of the women of the land,
decide the case, and not the few, who seem
to look upon the ballot as the one forbidden
tree whose fruit is going to open their eyes,
and set them in a large place. Adam stands
in the way this time. l adjure you Adam,
stand firm and keep this door closed, that
Eve may not all another curse upon her
race, B.