The Portland daily press., 1893-02-04

y
| house, who knew a little but dldn' t
| know much, but who did know that Mrs.
| Hamilton should not vote because she
| did not know enough. This young man
| Mrs. Hamilton finally convinced that she
| might be as able to vote as young man
| of whom she told him. This young man
| who served Mrs. Hamilton an illus
| tration was the brilliant genius who
| turned hot water into the we'll in order
| to warm the water for the COWS.
| Mrs. E. S. Fogg of Augusta spoke OF
| the influence of women in school affairs,
an influence of SO mnch benefit, and one
| which she urged should be extended by
| granting to woman the right which these
petitioners asked.
Miss Elizabeth W. Varnum was the
next to advocate the cause of the wom-
en-. She mentioned the position taken
upon this matter by Hon. w. W. Thorn
as, Jr., now minister to Sweden and
| Norway, who favored woman suffrage
| and instanced remark once made by
her grandfather, who in the early days
| of the statehood of Maine, served her as
state treasurer. At the age of 80, Mr..
| Thomas was asked if he believed in
| woman suffrage. He replied:
well, have lived for good many
years under petticoat government and it
has been good enou for me-" Miss
Varnum told story of a Portland school
house. While that structure was being
erected, Miss Varnum said that she and
some other ladies had visited it and
pointed out that the seats were all
turned the wrong way SO that the light
would fall in the children's eyes. The
ladies' suggestions were ridiculed, but
after the building was occupied it was
hat vx,y1i1c3 foi1tnn
and the seats were finally turned round
just as the ladies had said they should
be in the first place.
Mrs. Helen B. @. Beady of Pennington,
spoke of the aid of women to the found
ers of the country in the struggle of the
Revolution. She mentioned the letters
of Abigail Adams to her husband, urging
him not to forget the women who had
helped them in forming the Republic.
Mrs. Beady said that last summer, in
company with another venturesome
woman, she ventured into a political
convention in Bangor. She had never
seen so many men in one place with
their hats off before and she thought
it was remarkably fine looking collec-
ton of heads. But in this fine looking
assemblage, one thing was lacking, that
was presence of women. She urged the
committee to accord to women what
was already right.
Mrs. G. B. McGregor of Portland, said
few appropriate words and then Mrs.
Bailey called upon Mrs. Geo. S. Hunt of
Portland Mrs. Hunt said that the women
here today were not the ones who most
needed the right of the ballot. They had
homes and were sheltered. 1t was some
tunes asked why such women wanted the
ballot. 1t was because they knew of the
needs of other women. Mrs. Hunt said
that she had in the course of reformatory
work in which she was interested, been
for seven years before this legislature
asking that reformatory for wemen
might be established in this state. She
knew that elsewhere women who had re-
ceived by inheritance love for strong
drink were surrounded with opportuni-
ties for reformation in an Institution es-
tablished for that purpose, but in Maine
it was said that such an one could not be
built because it would cost too much.
Mrs. Hunt also said that it was often
found that school buildings were not in
proper sanitary condition, end lingering
the health, and lives of the pupils, but
when the city fathers were asked how it
was that they permitted these things
they replied that they could not make
the necessary appropriations to set them
right. They were afraid that they might
not be reelected. In similar case
women would not care whether they
were reelected next year or never so long
as they made things right for their chill
dren. Mrs Hunt believed that the time
was approaching when there should be a
political house cleaning. 1t was certain
" womans place to take charge of house
cleaning and Mrs. Hunt thought that
women could assist in this political house
cleaning.
Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens closed the case
for the petitioners. Mrs. Stevens said
that she was not to speak unless some
stitches were dropped. She did not find
many missing stitches, but did make
good speech. She referred to the reports
from assessors made to Mrs. Bailey and
said that one of these officers objected
to women's voting because they did not
pay poll tax. In this letter poll was
spelt "pole." Mrs. Stevens addressed
her remarks closely to the committee,
stating that she had come there for that
purpose, although of course she was
glad t. have all hear what she had to
say. Mrs. Stevens regretted the absence
of Senator Peakes, the chairman of the
committee. She said, however, that she
did not regret this as much as she other
wise would had she not known the posi-
ton of Mr.. Peakes on the matter. Mr.
Peakes wrote that his conversion to the
cause of equality for women came about
in most natural way. He had son
and daughter both in college now. He
had carefully watched them to see, if he
could, in what way either excelled the
other. He had discovered only that the
daughter was equalIeveryway,a nd.f given
the opportunity was quite as likely to
make her education useful to the worlds
well as to herself, as was the son. He
had considered the matter carefully and
was satisfied he was not doing his duty
if he INSTRUCTED by his VI tie any legisla-
ton which shall make the woman the
equal politically as she now is socially
and intellectually.
Mrs. Stevens, in closing, hoped that it
would be remembered that this was
hearing where everybody had chance to
be heard and she hoped the remonstrants
would take theirs turn. Nobody
spoke.
There were many more of the petition
ers present who might have spoken, al
though they could have added little to