Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-03-08

cannot apply to those women who do not
have husbands, and there are thousands
of them who from choice never marry,
and in Massachusetts at least 20, 600 sur
plus women could not have husbands to
vote for them if they would. On ques-
lions affecting the family and home I'M
less the husbands voted right, the wives
would be very apt to be independent
voters, and especially, too, would women
be likelyto differ from their husbands in
their demand for credentials of good
character and high moral qualities. In
deed, all the testimony from Wyoming
agrees that woman's acknowledgements re-
suited in greater care ON the part of all
parties in selecting candidates whose per-
sonal habits We're correct, and characters
above reproach. The husband may swal-
low an Objectionable and unworthy candi-
date for the sake of his party; but the
wife will not vote for man who is
known to be personally bad; and if he is
bad with her intu tive perceptions she is
sure to know it. And this is one of the
substantial advantages derived from
woman's enfranchisement.
ca Another objects that "Women are
represented at the ballot box by their hus-
bands"
Answering, again 1 ask who will repre-
sent the 10000 surplus women of Massa-
chusetts, who have no husbands and in
the nature of the case under our mono
gamic laws, never can have? Besides,
men represent business and m lateral in
terests especially; their own tastes, in
terests and occupations. Matters OF
morality, refinement and sentiment can
best be represented by the women, who
excel in these qualities; and who can SO
well represent the home as the home
makers?
o. Another objects that Women
voting will lose the respect and courtesy
of men,"
This is an absurd claim. They will
command vastly more consideration and
respect because there is nothing in this
world that commands respect like power,
and the elective franchise confers power
and makes the person endowed with it a
sovereign-one of the sovereign people.
Do the idiots, criminals, paupers and I'M
naturalized foreigners of the male gender
command more respect because they can
not vote? Then why should woman when
taken out of such classification, so far as
her political rights are concerned, and
invested with the power of the ballot COM
mand less?
Co Another objects that eve have too
many voters now" That is always the
cry OF an autocratic oligarchy jealous of
it's special privileges, and anxious to retain
the advantages which it holds under the
crystallzed custom and habit which is the
common law. But as mankind have pro-
crossed in civilization, the statute law
has been more and more invoked to re-
place the common law, and enlarge the
rights and privileges of the many as
against the few.
Revolutions never turn backward. A
right or privilege once granted to class
cannot easily and peaceably be taken
away. Having granted the right of suf-
frage to poor and ignorant white men who
have just escaped from the REFRESHING con
ditions of European oligarchics and mon
arches, and to the ignorant colored men
of our own land, whose preparation for
the suffrage consisted of 200 years of
slavery, with what grace can we hesitate to
entrust the ballot to such of our mothers,
of meeting any test of education or in
telligence which would not be bar to
our own exercise of the elective franchise?
ca Another objects that they do not
know enough to vote" Then let them
go to school to Patrick, Fritz, Isaac and
Sambo. Ten girls to one boy persevere
to the end of the course of study in our
high schools, and political economy and
the science of government are taken up
in the last years of the course. The num-
Der of well educated women now greatly
exceeds the number of we'll educated men,
and the disproportion is rapidly increas-
ing.
They more rarely middle their brains
with strong drink and tobacco, and sur
pass the average man in morality, con-
science, character and obedience to law.
Why should they not have an equal voice
in making the law?
50 Another objects that sit will con-
taminate women to vote" Now / am
unable to see how the present process of
voting, which requires the voter to pass
inside a rallied enclosure, receive an off
cial ballot from polite election officer,
the son of neighbor, perhaps, retire to
solitary booth, mark the ballot with a
lead pencil and then deposit it neatly
folded in box presided over by one of
the town fathers, and then pass out, would
contaminate an angel from Heaven. But
if the exercise of the elective franchise is
necessarily communicating, good men
should be relieved from the duty and dis
franchised, the hands on the dial of time
turned back, and all government left to
the Cars and Sultans. But nobody in
his senses would propose this. The world
must go forward to the goth century, not
backward to the 10th.
90 Another objects that sit is con-
trary to the Bible. This is not So The
old Jewish Scripture even does not COM
mand the subsection of woman. 1t recog-
nizes their equal rights and dignity.
Deborah, a married woman, was judge
and led Jewish armies to victory; and
nowhere is it recorded that the gentle and
just founder of Christianity put badge
of inferiority upon women, and said that
she should not vote.
'Tis true, what that crusty old bachelor
Saul of Tarsus said about servants obey
ing their masters, and women being sub