Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-06-29

were taxed and not represented; they
were held amenable to laws they had no
voice in making. They were denied the
rights of trial by a jury of their peers.
They were denied rights granted to the
| ignorant foreigners fresh from the peni
tentiaries of Europe.
BY the persistent and self sacrificing
efforts of such early pioneers as Susan B.
| nthouy, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lu-
cretia Mott and Lucy Stone, the political
and civil conditions OF women have been
materially improved. In many of the
states colleges are opening their doors and
ena bling women to fit themselves for
| higher positions in literature, art, sciences
and the professions.
| In twentysix states women have limited
suffrage, and in the states of Wyoming,
/ Utah, Colorado and Idaho, women have
full suffrage on equal terms with men.
In 1853 law was passed by the legisla
ture of Maine, giving woman control of
her earnings and during the last sessions
woman was given equal control of her
children with her husband. But TO the
/
ligence of its law makers-her native bern
women are on a lower political plane than
her naturalized citizens, her Indians and
her negroes.
The women have no vote; there is not
foot of soil in our State where woman
can stand and claim the rights of citizen
of the republic. She has no recognition as
citizen, excepting when the tax collector
makes his annual rounds for her money,
or the sheriff arrests her for some offense
against laws she has no voice in making.
am often told by women: 81 do not
want to vote" In reply | would say,
under republican form of government
the only weapon that can be used against
unjust legislation is the ballot. When the
southern slaves were emancipated it was
urged "Giye them the ballot, as it is
their only defense against unjust laws,
and it was given them.
While believe the property laws in our
State are more favorable to women than iii
many other states where women are not
enfranchised, they are very far from just
young couple start in life to esta blish
a home; both work hard and live pru-
IDENTIFY to that end. Almost invara bly, the
property acquired by both is in the hus-
band S name. He suddenly dies before a
will is made; the wife can live in the
house not over ninety day without pay
ing rent to his heirs. A husband can con-
vert all of his personal property into wild
uncultivated land, and unless he makes a
will, leave his wife without cent, for
"wife has no dover in uncultivated
land
The reason for these unjust laws is not
because men are cruel and intend to
wrong women, but because they are the
dominant class, and dominant class is
always unjust. They are never imbued
with the spirit OF the golden rule. Power
makes tyrants of men just it would of
women, and so advocate equal rights for
the sexes
l ask the objector to the enfranehise-
ment of women, If she would not like to
close the liquor saloons, build better
school houses, give to women equal COM
pensation for the same services as men re-
ceive, the power to protect her girls virtue
after she is sixteen years of age. by APP
peal to law, the power to vote against
drunken and licentious men who present
themselves as candidates for office at every
election? If she would like to have the
power TO accomplish all this, let her work
for the enfranchisement of women.
Fifty years ago Ralph Waldo Emerson
said: "A wholesome discomfort is the
first step towards progress Now there
is no discomfort wholesome unless it
seeks to remove the cause producing the
discomfort. One of the most necessary
things is the great movement among
women to make our sex free and equal in
the governing and the government of the
country in which they live.
You cannot elevate women without
elevating men. There is no such thing as
''woman's rights independent of mans
rights, the sexes are one in interests.
God like or dwarfed, they rise or fall to-
gether.