Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-19

Of life as men, and they have demon
strated it in every city OF this union an
lin the whole world from the beginnln
of time down to the present day. Tn
woman Of the future must be woma
willing to take hold of the great respon
sibilities of life. Womans sphere is al
right ut the present time--We admire thei
devotion-we admire the sphere in whicl
they now tread. But l would like to Sc
a higher and loftier sphere for the wo
men of the good old State of Maine.
We have in history, recorded the grea
learning of Harriet Beecher Stowe. w
have that grand old woman, Mary Liver
more, who has for a series of years gon
from one end of this country TO the othe
speaking and pleading for the uplifting
of the women of this country. | have IL
fear that if Mrs. Livermore lived in thu
State OF Maine today and wave given thu
right of the ballot that your right:
would be jeopardized. Don't you thini
that grand old woman would look aftel
the interests-fnancial or moral-nc
matter what. of the country just as wei
as a man would? Would you have any
doubt of that? Women have told mt
that some OF them do not want the righ1
of suffrage. They do not want it, because
they have never exercised it. They dc
not want it because they have a false
idea of true womanhood. True woman.
hood is not to grace the parlor alone, but
it is to take hold of the great problems
women to think that if they take hold OF
any business operation that they won;
be thought to be acting-to make use oil
an expression-very toney. Let me say
that that is a wrong idea. | do not care
how we'll a woman dresses-I do not care
if she wears silks and SatinS at the polls
All / ask of her is to exercise that judg-
ment and discretion which [ know she
has and all would be we'll
1t is coming-you need not doubt it
Way back in 1856, when the great cry
was between slavery and it's adjustment,
Wendell Phillips and William Lloyd Gar
rison, whose memory will go down
through the ages, We're the first men who
agitated it. They had a small following
at that time. But it went on, until by
their efforts the shackles were stricken
from the wrists of three million slaves,
and a great thing had been achieved for
the benefit of mankind So it is with the
question of female suffrage. Some are
not prepared for this ordeal, but, as sure
as the sun shines in the heavens, just so
long as mankind or a few Of them have
the rights of the people at heart, just
so long will some of you cry out for equal
right. | hope you will have plenty of the
male sex to help you carry on this grand
work. But don's forget it. Get upon the
band-Wagon while it is going; for you la
dies, if there are here who do not want
the ballot-if you think it is going to I'M
sex you-if you think it is not popular-if
you do not think it is toney-why, then,
have got to sooner or later. You have
got to get there. 1t is coming-coming
fast. Several states in this union have
tin the old mother state of Massachli-
sets they vote in school matters. 1t is
the women, not the men, who have been
foremost in school matters here in the
State of Maine. They are foremost in all
great matters that uplft mankind If
there is woman here that don't want
to vote, | beg of her to study this ques-
tion-get rid of those false ideas, be-
cause it is coming. coming, coming.
The 18th amendment to the constitution
Of the United States gave the ballot to
three millions of negroes in the South;
ana down here in Maine, where we boast
Of our Intelligence and fairness, we deny
woman the ballot. l, for one. am will
ing they should have the ballot because |
believe in universal suffrage; and when
nend that these stylish women who think
It is awful for them to vote, should have
The right to vote in municipal affairs in
the State of Maine. l am a great believer
in the future of this country. There is
10 country upon the face of Gods earth
Today so great as America; and she has
been made great by the women Of the
country. If she is to remain the fore
most nation of the earth, you must give
woman the ballot. The safety of this
country depends upon the intelligence and
virtue of the women of this country. Why
should not you women have the same
=
says: I'VE do not want it," You do not
want it because you do not understand it,
and you do not appreciate it | think |
know the lady and that she would make
very active politician, and | should hate
% run against her. / am glad, Mr.. Pres
ident, that there is no politics in this /
10 not know whether this would be thirty
to one or twenty-nine to one. [ don't
care. | believe in it. l am willing it
should be known that the senator from
Knox is liz favor of municipal suffrage for
women, and | will go on advocating it
and the time is not far off when you will
come here-or if you do not somebody else
will. and vote suffrage for women in the
good old State of Maine. | believe in
Maine. | believe in her Institutions |
want to see them transmitted to my chill
lren unimDaired. | want to see the old
lag remain. | want to see these grand in
sttutions perpetuated, and to perpetuatc
hem with the conglomeration of voters
lriSing from the foreign population we
lave--the safety of those institutions de-
bends upon giving women the right to
yote. | tell you we can trust them. Let
hem go to the polls Give them equal
Fights with men upon questions of munic-
ipal suffrage. and bye and bye the at
mosphere will be cleared away and You
will find no such debauchery in your town
meetings. as you find today. Morality and
purity will be lifted up. One woman said
20 me the other day: why, if they were
all good women, | do not know but
SDOulQ be IN TaVOf Oh the ballot. Sup
pose 7 should answer. ''If they were all |
good NEIL" They are not all good men. |
am sorry to say we shall always have |
abandoned women and abandoned men. / |
10 not like the man who abrogates to the |
male sex all the virtues of this world |
because, in woman there is implanted-in |
the breast of woman more sensitive ma |
ture; and there is implanted in the breast |
of women a higher ideal than men ever
and those ideals are what we |
want in forming this country today. |
believe it was intended by the great Mas |
ter of the Universe that -wonGn should |
have equal rights with man in this HEM |
sphere of the world. 1ibelievei in @heir /
potent influence coming down froru3 the |
other world today and workiIyG-~9pon the |
minds of men, believe that 6fVi4e Hfu-
ance wiHs SETTLE this quest en ThoN Aand |
women " no have done theif pFofkA HES |
SPHERE and passede,cvef= the rlrer, have /
sent us fi1csxages from the ~ofiler World /
to benefit mankind Letus give the ballot /
TO women in the State of Maine; and if /
you do that, | know tho ajority of the
men will rejoice | have not any doubt I
the angels of Heaven will rejoice, and |
that Jove himself will lend an approving
smile. prolonged applause)-
The same senator requested that the /
vote when taken be by Yeas and Nays.
A Yea and Nay vote was thereupon or
"EaKEs PROPER DlETr
-