Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-21
.4SEXED WOMEN.
A CONVERT WHO SAYS SHE FEELS
PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.

ehe Went 10 9leeIine anu Was W." Wv"
by the Logic and Eloquence Of the Speak
ers-The Arguments Which Made "an
Average Girl" a sufragist.
Aunt Jane is very advanced in her opin-
Cons. She is always blaming me for being
700 timid and calls me poor creature. l
know it, feel my inferiority, but then L
sm only an average girl, and even the Sci
cntific people say one can't manage one
nature However, l am always willing 10
learn, and when Aunt Jane proposed tax
ing me to meeting in favor OF woman
franchise l assented eagerly. wanted TO
see what the so called unsexed women
were really like and IL they wore very
dowdy clothes, for of course no girl who
respected herself could feel in sympathy
with a society that neglected the art OF
dressing. The room was very full, and L
am hound to confess that looked in vain
for pretty faces and smart frocks among
the audience. Most of the women were
elderly and seemed very serious wore
b most becoming hat, and l noticed one or
two chances of contempt directed toward
it, The meeting was very informal. Ihere
was no platform, and the speakers and
their friends chatted together and seemed
10 look upon the whole affair as a little
friendly gathering. The first speaker was
very well known lady indeed. Her fore
head was high and well developed, and she
had not an atom of fringe SO / knew at
once what to expect. She was very log
ical, very matter Of fact very incisive and
very clever She spoke In quick, abrupt
sentences, which clicked off like the snap
of a lock, and felt sure she would inevita
by have the best Of a domestic argument.
There was no weakness about her. She
told us that every one Of us, however fee
bic, could help in the great cause We
could talk to our servants, our poor peoplt
and our mothers meetings.
She quoted satisfactorily the answer OF
one poor woman whom she had advised
to think over the matter, 1T dom want
no thinking about" No; it all seemed
as clear as day. Tho paupers would soon
be able to vote, the lunatics in their lucit
moments could vote, the ex-convicts coulC
vote, everybody could vote except the wo
men. 1t was n real case of one woman,
no vote The woman must pay her taxes,
must be rated, must obey the laws, bui
she mustn't vote, when even her odd mar
or the hcdgcr and ditchCr could do so
My heart burned within me as | listened
had never felt my degradation before
If women could not fight, they at leas
brought the fighters into the world, sh<
bald' ana III INC struSEio iCi0 'icil "i4i' va
II 600 for dead on the field of battle.
Then we had delightful experience
speech from real uhSeAeu "oiliah' WIZ
had come an INC way from new Acai"h''
to tell us now women eNerclacu 'he Iran
chlsc thcrc' ono was young "hu pic.C4
ana had quite frivolous puich Vi my
/. IL, How,
OF the valley pinned TO her breast Sh'
was hiceiy oressou' 700, anu Moio oe
coming blach nat. Npo toiu Us now d.
Irst sho hau Doen INC only woman az .A'
men meetings, anu now people sdl' IL
was very unlaayllko TO know ahyIhlhi
about polltlcs, ana now inc otHcf lauicI
al sud 'fle!' ana staiu ut mono 10 WorS
fNnro'F. Et.1r plt, however, lhihSS I'm
a. ma one laHy issued her husband
aa"f and won TAG election IN nus an
sao' drunkenness diminished. 1t wa.
no Agcr considered chic to mako th'
electors drunk Tor a month Beforehand o.
to let OUT roWdylsm rampant ia th
streets. Yes, sad TINS courageous youh5
lady, 'wo shall soon outyoto men an'
elect our own candidates SIc scorhc'
the idea that taxpayers only Should vote
secuted thu thought that the lranchlS
would cause domestic dlssehsion ana tic
clarcd That real marriage can NlthStah'
oven political STRIFE. wish knew Wher
those real marriages can be picked up
By TINS tlhc was shortlhg dcianco my
SELF and quite ready to go down INTO tb'
arena and 90 battle Aunt Jane smlle'
and nodded her mead ana thumpcd ne
umbrella on Tho floor as tho speakers wen
on, crcsccndo, warming to thcirwork an,
growing moro ana moro outSpoEcn J
thought should not mind bong an un
sexcd woman, wearing nice clothes an
being adorcd by my husband. But nov
came the cream of the mectlng-a dark
handsome, earnest and interesting WON
an, with yellow roses III her nat ana
voice as mellow ana ueep as MISS ono
which she knew now 10 moaula'e SO api!
that felt IA little creep down my pack'
just as DO at the opera
Hltherto we hau peeh logical ihaI'er VI
1act, aggressive. Now we became aIueh'
ana enthusiastic Inc poor weak lalla
cles that women olSho hoC 10 III poiiVioai'
or only IN woman own particular way
which meant convincing the poor 'ireu
husband wheh ne came nome 10 oinhor +, ~
tho eVehlng-"ere VIGOROUSLY oispeiieu
by her ana meitea away IKE cooWeps.
Men had formerly claiihou 'he righo 70