Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-04-11
MOVEMENTS IN MAINE.
Progress Of the Cause of Woman Suffrage
In the "Pine Tree State"

Progress of tho Cause Of Woman Suffrage
In the "Pine Tree State"
There is Il genuine Woman Suffrage
Revival in Maine, says H. b. Black
well, in Woman's Journal From Saco
to Eastport numerous petitions in its
favor, signed, it is said, by about
twenty thousand citizens have been
sent to the Legislature. Remonstrances
have been forwarded by about one
thousand and two hundred women,
mostly of Portland and Bangor. The |
petitioners include many women OF the |
highest social standing, large tax
payers, cnl almost without exception
the leaders in charities, reforms and |
benefcicnt public enterprises. They
are representative of the best mental |
and moral elements of the State. The
remonstrants are largely composed of
''society women" influential in that |
class whose men are often most remiss
in the exercise of their political duties
and everywhere averse to change 1t
is u strong argument for the proposed
measure that women of this class re-
monstrate on the ground that If the
right is conferred they will regard its
exercise as a responsibility and a duty
--unwelcome, but imperative. This
fact affords woll-grounded hope that
when the women of this class vote, the
very men who have hitherto refrained
will vote with them. thus adding two
votes where now we have none
In the House Ex-Governor Robie rcp-
resents the Changers, 10000 strong,
who have by resolution endorsed wo-
man suffrage. and he is himself an ar
dent suffragist. The chairman of the
Senate Judiciary Committee, a man of
great ability and force of character,
voted for woman suffrage two years
ago, and is believed to be in favor of
the bill Senator Libby, of Portland.
is also understood. to favor it. Many
leading Republicans and some Demo-
Gratis, among the latter Senator Looney,
of Cornish, have expressed their inten-
tion to vote for the measure.
II is proposed to give women citizens,
otherwise qualified, and who can read
and write, q vote in town and munich
pal elections. In 1880 there were in
Maine male citizens over twenty-one
years old 1875, 223, OF whom 1864 were
illiteratcs, and l1,776 of foreign birth.
OF women over twenty-one, there were
1S9, ,723, of whom similar proportion
were probably of foreign birth, and
| S,005 were illiteratcs. Woman suf-
frage, therefore, would add to the 1885,
223 male votes in town and municipal
ell ctions 1S1, 718 women who can read
and write, ten tout of eleven OF whom
are of native birth. The effect, there
fore, would be to raise the standard of
education and still further to Ameri-
canize the politics OF the State
Kansas has recently given municipal
suffrage to its women. There is a
striking raralleism in the character
and political condition of Maine and
Kansas. Both are largely Republican,
largely American, with q minimum of
illiteracy, and both have prohibition in
their State constitutions. Let us hope
that Maine, like Kansas, will grant
municipal suffrage TO women.
In Maine, two years ago, a woman
suffrage constitutional amendment re-
ceived majority vote in both Houses,
but failed OF the needed two-thirds
Municipal woman suffrage, for its en-
aclment, needs only majority of both
Houses with the assent of the Governor.
If reason and not prejudice governed
the opponents, we should expect a
much larger vote for this more limited
measure than for change of constitu-
ton. II this bill! pass, the Legislature
will continue to be elected by men
alone. II the participation of women
in town and city elections prove I'M
welcome TO the men it will be speedily
repealed. And its repeal would be
the greatest possible obstacle to it,
further agitation. On the other hand,
II it proved satisfactory. prejudice
would disappear, and further advances
would probably follow. Surely If tho
friends of suffrage are willing TO abide
by the experiment its opponents car
afford to do so. But prejudice never
discriminates, and the remonstrants o.
two years ago will oppose this bill as
vehemently as they opposed the con
stitutional amendment.
Meanwhile the uniform success o
full weman suffrage during the las
twenty years in Wyoming and Wash
ington Territories, OF municipal woman
suffrage in Kansas, Canada and Grea
Britain, and OF school suffrage in four
teen States, can not fail to impress
every man who will open his eyes. Ant
, the fact that in the U. S. Senate. il
December, 1887, two-thirds Of the Sen
ators from Maine to California nortl
\, of Mason and Dixon's line, including
one of the Senators from Maine, voted 70
woman suffrage constitutional amend
ment. should have great weight wit
the Maine Legislature.