The Portland daily press., 1893-02-04

Good Speeches by Mrs. Hannah j. Bailey
Mrs. f. s. Osgood, DR.. Jane L. Hersom
Mrs. Geo. S. Hunt, Mrs. L. M. n
Stevens and Others-The Committee
and Spectators Greatly Interested.
Especial to the Press.1
AUGUSTA, February st has been a
long time since a question has been pre-
sented to committee of the Maine legis-
latnre in a more effective and pleasing
manner than was that of the granting OF
municipal suffrage to women to the
judiciary committee this afternoon. As
Mrs. Osgood of Portland pointed out in
her bright remarks, the presence of the
representative women who appeared be-
fore the committee was a strong argu-
ment in favor of their cause. The
speeches they made and the manner in
which they delivered them was another.
The ladies began to arrive early in the
forenoon and some of them saw the pro-
ceedings of the forenoon and how the
men folks did the business of the state.
The hearing was advertised for two o.
clock in the afternoon and the commit
tee met i'll their room in the third story
of the State House. This is large
room but it proved to be entirely in
adequate to accommodate all who
wanted to listen to the remarks of the
ladies. In this large number of audi
tors were many ladies, many members
OF both branches of the legislature. and
the third house was also well represented
although the subject is one which does
not go to their branch of the law making
establishment.
Mrs. Hannah J. Bailey of Winthrop,
president of the Maine Woman's Suffrage
Association, opened the proceedings by
reading a carefully prepared address.
Mrs. Bailey had not finished when the
people out in the corridor who were
anxious to share the committees privi
lege and hear what Mrs. Bailey was say
ing, found spokesman just inside the
door who remarked that if it was not pre-
sumptuous he would suggest that the
committee adjourn to the Representa-
tives' Hall. Editor Drisko, who is be-
coming noted as man who makes him
self heard, seconded this motion and the
committee agreed that the idea was
good one. When they reached the hall
below, they found that the crowd was SO
large that every seat was occupied.
Mrs. Bailey in her address alluded to the
large taxes paid by many women in this
state and others who were not repre-
sented in the government. She based
her conclusions upon inf 'rmation OBJ
tanned from assessors! In concluding
her valuable paper, she suggested to the
committee that, as now composed, the
government in which women had no
voice resembled perhaps an oligarchy
rather than Republic.
Mrs. E. S. Osgood of Portland was the
next speaker, she said the committee had
demanded of them the highest proof of
the much ridiculed and much talked of
request of the women for municipal sui
frage. Six years ago the women of
Ma ne had put their hands in the treasury
and had paid Mrs. Mary A. Livermore to
come here and answer the objections to
the granting of woman suffrage. Four
years ago, the opponents of the measure
had hired a gentleman to come here and
represent them. Today, the women of
Maine were here in person, not all of
those who asked for suffrage of course
any more than all of the men who voted
in state elections were here making laws.
Mrs. Osgood said she would not presume
to make an argument in behalf of the
ability of women to exercise the suffrage.
That did not need argument before an
intelligent committee. She spoke of her
just pride in representing the women's
clubs, although religion and this question
were not considered there. Mrs. Osgood,
speaking of some of the objections and
ridicuie often heaped upon this move
ment, said she could assure the gentle
men of the committee. that the babies
were we'll taken care of. The women of
todav knew that there was something to
do in this world besides rock the cradle.
In fact, Mrs. Osgood thought it might be
due to the vigorous rocking gof the era
die by their grandmothers that the views
of the statesmen of today were so griev-
ously mixed on the silver question and
other matters. When the question of
women voting was raised, this matter of
the care of the babies was always men
toned Somehow, nothing was said
about the care of the babies when ladies
came to Augusta to attend legislative
ball. 1t took half an hour to vote. Mrs.
Osgood could not say how long the
legislative ball occupied because
she had never attended one. 1t
was because of the ridicule heaped upon
the question that many women were de-
tered from joining in this movement.
When Ko-ko sang:
And that strong minded female
The woman SuffraglStS
I've got her on the list
She never will be missed,
that little bit of ridicule had more eff
feet than many long article. Women
did not like to be ridiculed. Mrs. o.
good hoped that the committee would
favorably consider the question. Her
remarks were loudly applauded.
Mrs. Blanchard, wife of the Rev. DR..
Henry Blanchard of Portland, said that
she was not accl stoned to public speak
ing, but was glad on this first occasion
on which she had spoken in public as
representing over 100 women in Portland
to raise her voice in behalf of this move
ment.
Mrs. Cram, wife of Judge Cram of
Biddeford, in brief and forcible speech
said that from her earliest youth she had
looked forward to the time when she
might enjoy tho right of suffrage 1t
had never seemed necessary to her to az
que why women should enjoy the right
to vote. 1t seemed to her far more
difficult matter to find reason why
woman Should NOT vote than If xuas RI