The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-12-07

anu livery one LOT many years.
Mrs. Reedy brought an invitation from
the suffrage society of Hampden Corner
that the next annual meeting should Dc
held there, which Invitation was accept
ed.
This closed the business of the after
noon, and Mrs. Bailey then called upon
Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, who was 10
take the side in the argument for the
suffrage, which WAS planned for the TO
Spouse to the remonstrants. Miss Black
we'll said she should try to answer some
of the arguments of the remonstrants,
but she was very sorry there was nobody
to voice them from the other side. MISS
Blackwell spoke of those who are exempt
| from the suffrage, children. criminals,
paupers. aliens, and said there seemed
no reason why women should be classea
with those others.
The first argument, which is generally
offered by the remonstrants is, that WON
EN- would probably vote like the men IN
their own family. Perhaps that may pc,
but 1t isn't always SO, and it often hap
] pens that man represents seyerai
women in his family who do not always
agree withshim.
The other arguments which Miss Black
well mentioned were: The amount OF
time which women think it would take;
the idea that women cannot fight; that
| their influence would be lost in the world
the ignorant vote, and lastly the fact that
women do not want it. Each Of these
Miss Blanchard refuted
The time need not disturb them, says
Miss Blackwell, for one gentleman kept
strlct account of the hours he gave to his
political duties, and he found that
through the year 1t took him but nine
hours and quarter. AS to the fighting
quality. said Miss Blanchard, it seems
rather strange that the men who general.
ly bring forward that argument. are the
very ones themselves who have no capa-
city for fighting. Moreover, statistics
show that very often the men who apply
for admission to the army are unable to
pass the physical examination. Al to the
loss of influence among women, Miss
Blackwell felt that must be increased, es-
pecially after we get accustomed to the
idea. As to the ignorant vote, the speaker
stated that with the educational quail
hcation for women in Massachusetts,
statistics showed that two thirds of
the women who could be voters were
native born, and furthermore, that so
far, it had not been the experience in
equal suffrage states that the vicious and
ignorant women had availed themselves
of the privilege. AS to the Indifference of
women in this respect, that came from
an inherent quality with them, to let
themselves be led, and to be invited to do
things, but the sentiment towards
suffrage was undoubtedly growing, ~ for
the number now who did not actively op-
pose it was increasingsevery year.
Miss Blackwell spoke very rapidly and
with much earnestness of conviction for
much to champion.
The session closed with the singing of
a hymn in which many of the audience
joined with Mrs. Ladd, followed by the
benediction by the pastor of the church,.
EVENING SESSION.
The evening session was opened by an
invocation by the Rev. Louis Malvern,
followed by song by Mrs. Ladd, after
which Mrs. Bailey, the president, gave
her annual address.
In beginning Mrs. Bailey said: al.
Wy. ~ =,
again we have come together, and al
though the results have not been such as
we could wish, we are surely convinced
that our course is right. Petitions were
signed by more than 5000 of the people
of Maine, and sent to theijudiciary COM
m1ttee, but these members chose rather
to favor the few represented by the remon-
strants, presumably for political reasons.
Mrs. Bailey said that one of the local
auxiliaries gave up It's existence after
the disappointment of last year, but I'M
doubtedly the cause is growing, for peo-
pie who used to oppose, now keep quiet.
Mrs. Bailey spoke of the banquet Civ
en- to Mrs. Julia Ward Howe last May,
after which the. Maine president and
seven members of the Maine association
were. by courtesy, elected vice presidents
of the New England association. The
president hoped that at the next national
convention the Maine association would
be we'll represented, as this will be an
important meeting, as it will celebrate
the 50th anniversary of the first eonyen-
tion of woman suffrage.
Mrs. Bailey gave an interesting account
of the wonderful development in the
educational opportunities for women
and of the positions they are taking in
the business, scientific and legal fields of
work, owing to these opportunities. In
Lincoln, Neb., the municipal government
is composed entirely of women, and is
probably the only one in the world.
Many people say that one of the obJec-
lions. to women's voting is the fact of
their being so emotional, and in this con-
nection Mrs. Bailey described a scene in
an Illinois legislature which proved that