The Portland daily press., 1895-02-01
LADIES' DAY.
Judiciary Committee Gave a Hearing
Yesterday.

! CViuulblcc UdNO 81
Yesterday.
To Women from All Over the State, Who
Appealed for suffrage-Mrs. L. NJ. N.
Stevens Opened the Case in a Bright
Speech.
Especial to the PRESS.)
Augusta, Me-, January 31.-As a dem
onstratlon of the fact that there are a
great many women in the State of Maine
ana That large proportion of them
| came to Augusta to 90 on record as in
favor OF woman suffrage, the hearing
before the Judiciary committee this af-
ter noon was a great success. Early
this forenoon, the ladies began to ap-
pear at the State House. Extra chairs
were provided for them on the floor of
| the house and Senate chamb her, and they
were eager watchers of the work of leg
islatlon. In the House, they were the
subject OF legislation, and joined in the
laughter when Mi. Lawrence of Lubec
presented an order directing the judic-
larry committee to inquire into the expe-
diency of passing a law forbidding wom-
en- TO have pockets in their gowns, and
requiring them to cary their purses in
their hands. This order, on motion of
Mr.. Fairbanks. of Bangor, was referred
to the paper session.
But it was when the House adjourned
that the size of the demonstration be-
gan to be apparent, for no sooner had
the representatives left their seats than
the ladies commenced to take them, so
that in a few minutes the chamber
looked very much as it may appear when
in 1895 the women of Maine have full
suffrage, and the right of election to
Office Some of them, however, think
that the suffrage will come long before
then.
From the hour of adjournment until
2 p IN, the time set for the hearing, the
| crowd constantly grew. The ladies who
had early secured seats appreciated their
own foresight as they saw the chairs in
the aisles taken and then the standing
| room pre-empted. Long before O'Clock
it became evident that the chamber was
so full that the only way to get in was
to take the place made by some tired
person who hadJ slowly made her way
out of the room. In the hall the sight
was one like unto nothing seen; here
since the day when the Portland cohort
came to take It's State House home with
them. And that was a gathering of
men ALMOST exclusively, while in this
eh. women predominated. The jam
about the Speakers platform was so
dense that The committee with difficulty
made their way into tbs room and found
places behind the desk, where they &C.
cupied as little space as possible. This
time there can be no doubt but that the
lawmakers were controlled by the wom-
en-, for had the ladies not made way the
committee could never have gotten into
the room. The aisles were equally
crowded, and at the hack of the room
women were sitting on he window sills,
while up above, in those dfngy little
cupboards. they stood upon the benches,
SO that the rear rows of faces were only
q foot or two from the ceilings
Outside, in the rotunda, the people
were standing SO close together that to
go from one place to another required
time. Around the, doors of the hall
were groups trying to look over the
heads and the bonnets and hats of those
in front. Tired women sat on the stairs
and all the chairs had occupants, while
many weary one found refuge in COM
mittee rooms and the library.
1t was quarter-past two when Chairman
Spofford called the committee to order.
and annduncd the ubject of the hearing.
Mrs. L. Nj. N. Stevens opened the case for
the ladies. and said that in the past the
women had been told that it was better
for Maine women to present their case
than to have distinguished women from
away speak for them. "Well." said Mrs.
Stevens, "we have come" Daughter
Mrs Stevens added that it was the n
tention to have women from every coun-
ty in tine state address the comm ittee,
and she urged the committee to remem
Der that each of the speakers represented
thousands of women. Some of the
women who intended to speak might
not be in the hall, but they were some
where in the city. Mrs. Stevens told
how one of the ladies from remote sec
tion of the st ate, had ridden many miles
in a sleigh, not minding the severity OF
the weather, in order to reach Augusta.
In closing, she said that remembering
the alphabetical arrangement OF pupils in
school days, she would call the roll of
the counties alphabetically for the
speakers.
Mrs. Stevens then called upon the follow
ing ladies. represeI ting the counties named,
whose brief speeches were received with
frequent bursts of laughter and applause.
Ambrose oggin, Mrs. A. j. Benson. Auburn;
Aroostook. Mrs. W. q. Spaulding, Caribou:
Cumberland, Miss Cornelia Dow. Portland;
Franklin, Mrs. Harriet T. Kyes, Farming
ton; Hancock. Mrs. r. f. Grindle. Blue
Hill; Kennebec, Mrs. NJ. Fl. Wyman. Au
gusta; Knox, Mrs. R. @. Hall, Rockland;
Lincoln. Mrs. S. Il. Winslow, Waldoboro; Ok
ford. Mrs. E. A. G.. Stickey. Brownfield;