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

system.
DO THE WONFy or MAINE WANT TO
VOTE
To the Edstor Of the Journal:
This seems to be the subject, that is agitat-
ing the popular mind at present. l attended
the woman suffrage meeting, holden at Au-
gus,a recently to ge. enlightened if could,
on the important subject of female suffrage.
There was very large, intelligent and at
tentive audience. Many of them went, like
myself, doubt not, saying ''cui bono,' what
good? The lady speakers seemed in earnest
on the question, told Row much happier they
were, since they had gone into this work. bu.
did not inform US in wha, the happiness con-
sisted.
They spoke Of old English law, that never
had been in force in this country of laws de-
rogatory to women, that had been in force in
this country long ago; they spoke Of the low
price Of woman's wages; told anecdotes of
niggardly husbands; spoke Of the degradation
of woman because she was refused the ballot,
CHASING her with paupers, idiots, felons, and
Indians. think very few of the women of
Maine feel this degradation.
Much good has no doubt been done, by agi-
tating the subject Of woman's rights, by ex-
posing unjust laws, and by awakening the
public mind to many abuses. The education
al facilities for women. have been much i'm
proved, and several colleges have opened
their doors to them; great many avenues
have been opened whereby they can earn ia
livelihood, and unjust laws have been amend
ed. All this has been done without woman's
voting.
| l have conversed with quite number of
our most intelligent ladies, and have found
but few, who really want to vote. Some of
them thought that some of the laws with re.
gard to property, should be amended. l said,
which? They said: "Why, if husband dies
leaving no children, his life canno. have all
the property, but part of it must go to other
relatives" l said, "suppose man is worth
$50 900, has been married one year and dies
leaving no children; he has a widowed moth
er, and younger brothers and sisters, depen-
dent upon him, should the wife, who may
be married again in year or less, have all
the property, and all the hard earnings of that
son and brother go to those who are no rela-
ton to him? In that case they could see the
injustice at once. Are there not many other
cases, where it would be equally unjust? A
man always has right to make will, and it
is pity he did not oftener avail himself of
this right
| When a man dies leaving no children, the law
gives his wife half of the personal prop
erty and one half of the real estate for life, and
the same to the husband if the wife dies, leav-
ing property and no children. In the State
of Maine all the property that woman owns
before she is married, she owns af,erward,
and can do with it as she pleases, real estate
and every thing else. She can sell it, give it
away, or will it away. If a man dies leaving
children, one-third of the personal property,
and third Of the real estate for lite, be-
| longing to the wife. and the same to the
husband, if a wife dies leaving children.
The property laws of Maine have been
amended until they are as liberal to women as
to men, and it has been done without women
voting. The laws are made by our fathers,
husbands, and brothers, who have the good
| of daughters, wives, and sisters at heart, and
not by tyrants. think the great trouble is,
our ladies are almost entirely ignorant of
| what the laws are. ! think a treatise of COM
| mon and probate laws, should be put into our
| schools, and our boys and girls should study
| them We need information, more than we
do the ballot. feel as safe to trust myself
to male legislators, as should to female leg
islators. Some ladies think if they could
vote they could be greater power in the
temperance cause. Now the reason there is
SO much intemperance is not because we have
cause they are not enforccdSan without vo-
ting any lady can help enforce the law.
The ladies who addressed us, seemed to
talk as though when a man and woman are
united in the holy bonds of wedlock, they
should each keep separate interests, and the
wife should look with suspicion on her hus-
band as though he had evil designs on her
rights and property, and wished to get all she
mad without any compensation on his part.
DO not see how the ballot is going to help
wife II she has niggardly husband. do
not see how the ballot is going to help her to
get more than cent an hour for healing and
| toeing stockings. l contend that it is woman
herself who keeps her wages down. As long
as our farmers wives and daughters and 9TH
ers who have homes where they do not need
| to pay board, but where they cannot get much
spending money, will take coats, vests, pants,
jackets, shirts, stockings, &c., at starvation
prices, to get their spending money, those
who have to work to live, must work at the
same cheap rate, or not get the work at all.
During our late war, was visiting in a
town near Boston, and, as you know, there
were great many firms who took govern
-. Co. - 80 Al