The Portland daily press., 1874-02-03
The Petitioners for Woman Suffrage.

Tno retltiOnerS Tor woman Suffrage.
A large number of petitions bearing the
signatures OF about sixteen hundred persons
ing for the ballot tor woman. These petit
tions come from towns in ten of the counties
In the State. Many more could easily have
been obtained, had the Woman Suffrage Soci-
ETY. been in the possession of names of per-
soas willing to circulate the petitions. The
greater number of petitions and the larger
number of signers come from the eastern
part of the State. This is exactly what
might have been expected, for Washington
and Hancock counties we're the principal
fields of the labors of Mrs. Campbell, the
only public speaker on woman suffrage who
has ever attempted TO make systematic can
vass in this State.
It appears that a feeling favorable to the
reform is rapidly making Roadway among an
influential part ofthe people-men and women
whose public advocacy of the cause will great
ly accelerate its progress among the masses.
Take the petition from Belfast for instance.
This is headed by Judge Dickerson of the
Supreme Court and his acc emphasized wife,
who is most vigorous and efficient worker
for woman's emancipation in that part OF the
State. Among the other signers are Hon.
Axel Hayford, Hon. A. G. Jewett and Hon.
VIM. Pitcher, all ex-Mayors ofthe city; W.
II. Simpson, the famous editor of that spark
ling Democratic paper, the Belfast Journal
Hon. Wn. II. Mcclellan and Gen, F. s. Nick
erson, leading lawyers, Geo. E. Bracket and
many others including number of clergymen
and physicians. In most cases the wives Of
the gentlemen named have also signed There
are other names on this weighty 3tition of
people equally prominent but we only mention
here, as in other cases, few that happen TO
be familiar to Vi. Mrs. Dickersor, in trans
hitting the petition says: 81 am happy to in
form you that there is a perceptible increase
ofinterest in the woman question, especially
in so far as it embraces the temperance qucs-
ton" She also says: The petition includes
the entire bar, and could have doubled the
list in another week."
On the mammoth petition obtained in Els
worth by Mrs. Ann F. Greeley, whose woman
ly spirit and great capacity, earnestly enlisted
in the cause, have done much to popularize
the cause of woman among her neighbors, we
find the names of II IN. John D. Hopkins,
Judge Drinkwater, John f. Whitcomb. ESQ.,, of
Gov. Dingley's staff, with many other leading
citizens with their wives.
Mrs. H. E. Litchfeld of Bath says that on
her petition are four clergymen, one Judge,
and other prominent people.
Mrs. W. w. Rice Of Thomaston, wife of
the warden of the State Prison, and one OF
noblest of the daughters of Maine, sends one
of the largest petitions. Mrs. Rice, whose
humane exertions in behalf of our convicts
ought to place her name in the same list with
those of Florence Nightingale, Julia Ward
Howe and other women philanthropists,
writes that she spent only day or two in cir
culating the petition which bears the names
Of three clergymen and their wives, three
judges, three lawyers, two physicians, two
bank presidents and Edward K. o. Brien whose
name is known the world over as ship build
er.
On the Rockland petition, forwarded by
Rev. A. Fl. Swaetsir are the names of nany
professional men, 2 Pope Vose editor of the
Gazette and Edwin A. Sprague of the Free
Press
From Orono, Mrs. C. B. Foster sends, with
other names, those of the college faculty and
their wives,
From Lewiston and Auburn, Ara Cush-
man, the leading boot and shoe manufacturer
in the State, sends the names of five clergy
men, F. L. Dingley of the Lewiston journal
and many others.
In Machias, at the instance of Miss Penni-
man, Mason II. Wilder and G. o. Furbush,
editor and proprietor of the Republican. Geo.
W. Drisco of the Union (Democratic). two
clergymen and many others, joined in Pc
sition to the Legislature. st gld
It will be seen from these facts, furnish ed
Us by the Executive Committee of the Maine
Woman Suffrage Association, that it can no
longer be truthfully said that the ballot is de-
mand-d for woman only by few restless
agitators, who busy themselves in advocating
it for want OF other occupation. The case
seems still stronger when we look over the
list of prominent gentlemen 10 the State, not
on the petitions, who are outspokel and earn
est advocates OF Woman Suffrage, including
such men as Hon. A. P. Morrill,, Hon. Geo. F.
Talbot, Hon. T. B. Reed, W. p. Whitehouse
Esq, Hon. Joshua Nye, Gen. S. F. Hersey
and many oilers of our most intelligent
practical, sagaclous, progressive and eminent
public men. The cause has now taken so
firm hold on the masses of the people and
so enlisted the interest of persons in all sta
tons, that it cannot be safely ignored or
sighted by the most wary politician. With
the press of the State almost a unit in its ia
vor and so strong popular support Maine
should be the first State to remove political
disabilities from women.