The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-20
THR LAST sHAME OP MATNE.

Everybody, says the WoDldn's Jour
nal, remembers the desperate endeavor
lately made by Republicans in Maine to
prevent the disfranchisement Of few
men of that party whose votes had been
thrown out by the Democrats. They
told how documents were torn, letters
scratched to alter names, and sll the
dishonorable means used to deprive
them Of their rights.
y crime against the rights Of meu had
been committed. Il must not be al
lowed. The hue and cry so justly raised
about it created discussion all over the
United States. Maine became one great
stamping ground Of Republicans, who
eontended with hot words for their "eOn-
slitutional rights" Ministers preached
about it, editors wrote about it, women
prayed about it, aud in the end the dis
frauchisei and unseated Republicans
got their rights. Then they settled into
quiet possession Of the State House With
the comfortable assurance that there
would not soon be another attempt to
disfrauehise them.
This vehement effort encouraged the
women Of Maine, who for many years
have tried to secure their political rights.
Presuming that those who had shown
such zeal to defend aud keep their own
rights would respect the rights Of others,
the women of Maine petitioned to be
made secure in their right to vote. One
petition ran thus:
To the Senate and House OF Representatives Of
/ the State OF Maine:
The undersigned, disfranchised women Of
Maine, who feel as keenly as some OF you have
lately been made TO feel the evils Of "a disfran-
chised condition, pray your honorable bodies
TO take such steps for the amendment OF the
Constitution as shall prevent any citizen OF
this state from being dlsfranchised on account
of sex.
But, as this might be considered per.
sonal, the following petition was substi
tuted:
To the Senate and House OF Representatives o
the state OF Maine:
We, the undersigned, residents Of - an,
citizens Of the state OF Maine, twenty-On
years Of age and upwards, respectfully pra
, your honorable bodies 20 enact a law enablin
women 10 vote 10 school district meetings AM
Tor school officers; also, to take steps so E
amend the state Constitution as 10 establish
: the equal political rights Of all American cit
+ zens, irrespective OF sex.
This petition, with several hundret
: names, was referred to the Judiciary
] Committee. In due time this commit
tee reported, "The petitioners hav,
} leave to withdraw"
The women of Maine number hun
dreds of thousands. To deprive them o
their right to vote, the Bill of Rights o
the State of Maine, which aflirms "PO
litical power inheres in the people," il
trampled under foot The theory Of ouI
Government about "the consent Of th,
governed" is utterly ignored Womer
are governed, and women are people
But these men, who in their own cas-,
made the welkin ring when a single let
ter scratched out in name cheated {
few men Of their right to vote, will no
hesitate to ignore their own Bill O
Rights, and the fundamental principl,
Of the Government itself, that they may
keep women from their rights.
The action Of the fusionists of Maine
and Of those they sought to disfrsnchise
is historic; so is that Of the Legislatur
Of that State, which has just closed il
session. In the coming time, when tn
two are compared, shame and discredi
will attach to both. But the large
share will forever cling to those who
having come out victorious in a coutes
for their right to vote, coolly denied th
same right to their own mothers, sisters
wives and daughters.