The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-07

| which that lady laid down the proposition
that taxation without representa-.
| Mrs. Bailey told of a certain town meeting in
| Winthrop In which a. certain measure was
| carried that increased her taxes over S400
| but she could have no voice in. deciding the
| questions. Mrs. Stevens also read a letter
| from Mrs. Geo. 5. Hunt OF Portland.
MR.. TALBoT's REMARKS.
Thomas Talbot, Esq, of Portland, nexI
appeared for the remonstrants. This had
been great day for the female suffragists Of
Maine, be said. They had all come together
from Maine, and had called id help from
Massachusetts. He saw about him sea OF
women's faces, with only the few committee
men In the corner to show that the old
regime still existed. Now, it was well to
consider how much backing there was for
this demonstration. He was informed that
the Woman Suffrage Association of Maine
numbered $50, in all. But for two years
they had been fomenting this question. Yet
IL you granted that they had all the petition
ers claimed. was that force enough to justify
the change askedp Mr.. Talbot said he rep
resented no organization. 1t was only ie-
the great Importance of the matter. had been
bestirring themselves to get circumstances.
Mr. Talbot did not think the suffragsts were
we'll pleased with these remonstrances,
tuOugu Lney proI6Sseu 10 De.
The movement, in his opinion, was Of
larger scope than acknowledged. Not only
municipal suffrage was wanted; but also
suffrage on wider and q more extended
plain.
Mr.. Talbot asked the committee If any
member had received any new light from the
arguments urged today. 1t had been urged,
he said, that more effective temperance legis-
lation could be obtained. But municipal
suffrage would give no share in temperance
legislation, and whenever women wanted
more temperance legislation they would be
listened to just as readily by the legislature
whether they had the right to vote or not.
Mr.. Talbot said he listened to Mrs. Liver
more in Portland, and she urged as one OF
the reasons for woman suffrage the great and
indiscriminate immigration. But were not
the men showing themselves perfectly capa-
bic to deal with such questions. 1t was
urged that the Roman Catholics were taking
possession of our schools But this was not
a day for test acts; and, moreover, If the
Catholic Church was once aroused 1t would
hurl its force with all the strength of perfect
organization. and, If we had woman suffrage
the Catholic women would vote as unit.
Mr.. Talbot said that the man who uttered
the motto Taxation without representation
is tyranny" had no Idea of women suffrage
in his mind. For the right to vote is not and
has never been considered an inalienable
Do sn' not - vote % however SA much much properly. fy.
they may have. But it was urged
that many women are heavy tax
payers and should have a voice In affairs
Bnt the men who were property holders had
only one vote each and they were voted
down by a majority without property. Per-
hrps one man in three had property, and
against him were two without property.
But suppose there were Twenty-Five women
without property to one who had any. If all
women voted how much better off would the
toy ft,rr hn oil hof hnx
called attention to the fact that the condi-
tion of women under the law had been bet
tered and broadened by these men who are
denounced as opprs :sors, without help from
the woman voters.
Voting, Mr.. Talbot, said, was not right,
not privilege, but duty, and it necessar-
lily involved Fright. And 1t was proper
that the hand that did the voting should be
the hand that at the final resort would be
called upon to maintain the cause. And as
voting is a duty It rested first upon the
woman suffragists to show that the women
wish, to vote. This they have not and can
not show. Then granting that every woman
wants to vote, it is next the duty of the leg
islature to determine whether 1t Is right and
expedient that the request be granted. But
it would not be proper to place upon all
women the dutyIaslrepresentative of few.
For suppose a few women, carried away by
the example Of Zenobia, or the Amazons or
Mollie Stark, should wish to be drafted to
bear arms. Would it be right to straight
way make all women soldiers?
To be voter practical knowledge of
affairs is needed, knowledge which, Mr..
Talbot contended, which the women do not
have.
Again the privilege of voting carried with
it that of holding Office. And the women
would soon be holding office. This would
bring trouble to the families, would change
the relations of the sexes, would revolution
ize society. Suppose women may vote, and
you find family of a husband in one party,
the wife in another, and three boys approach
finds that the W fe has been tampering with
the politics of those boys and Is raising up
three boys to outvote him. How soon will
there be trouble in that family? Laugh
ter.
Speaking of the attitude of the women
themselves on this question Mr.. Talbot said
that if this State should be canvassed it
would be found that the women with good
husbands and happy homes were largely OPP
posed to exercising the privilege of voting
Their husbands and their sons would vote
Mr.. Talbot said that as whole class the
women did not take much interest in this
question. Seven out Of 10
would not sign either, petition
or remonstrance on the subject. He
tween those who went around with the re-
monstrances and the women when they met.
The question asked was:
Do you want to vote?
And here are some of the answers:
No. Woman has got.enough to do to do.honor to
home. without doing mems voting for em. But
think women had ought to have.
Women of property ought to vote?
No. / don't believe In women's voting; bit
there are some rights she'd ought to have that she
doesn't have.
Property rights?
Well don't know what they are; but then
she'd ought to have more rights than she does
now.
Well there's just this about it, l guess I won't
woman's going into politics, If ladies were to vote
there wouldn't be the abuses there are now.
young lady fliend of mine married wdower, and
phine into his arm. It's all calls where he ha
used it solong. Now il ace was to vote do you
suppose we'd allow the apothecaries to keep these
syringes?
Vote? Yes. guess do want to. Do you sup
pose want my boys to grow up drunkards?
want to vote more than do anything else in
this world. Iwant to keep down the Catholics.
Yes, IN sign this. Idont want to vote. sign
Stop minute. You signed the petition to allow
women to vote. Then you must not put your name
didn't know it was voting She said it was to
put down the Catholics So signed it. But
don't even want to vote.
Well don't know anything at all about it, but
sister and always believe as our pastor does
and he says we ought to vote to put down drink
ing.
Gentlemen, the trouble with the Suffrage is
not quantity :but quality. said Mr. Talbot,
in CLOSING, and is the evil to be remedied by
allowing women to vote? First, let us put
our house in order, and then we will consid-
er the advisability of admitting new class
to the suffrage.
Mr.. Talbot had an unsympathetic au-
dience, but he handled the question with so
much ability as to hold their closest atten-
tion throughout.
There were present large number of
prominent Woman Suffragists, including
Mrs. Sarah F. Hamilton of Saco, Miss Cor
nelia A. Dow of Portland, Miss Martha w;
Fairfield of Saco, Miss Carrie E. Paine of
Saco. Mrs. Elizabeth Dow of Portland
Mrs. John Bradbury of Saco, Mrs. Henry
Adams of Saco, Miss f. E. Paine, delegate
from the Biddeford and Saco Association,
Mrs. G. A. Quimby and may members Of
the Augusta League, Mrs. E. j. Cram, of
Biddeford, Dr. Mary Bates Stevens, of Au-
hErr 1r1 Nf