Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-13

| ing nothing it seems to me proper that
| should proceed to say what little ! nave
| TO say in opposition to the motion, or 70
| say what | have to say In support or
the majority report. 1t happens that L
am member of the committee. and one
Of the members signing the majority re
| think, that the distinguished gentleman
from Portland (Mr. Allan), who intro
duced the bill and whose name appears
at the head of the report on the part of
the House, is not with us today to speak
and to represent the views of the ma
iority as he is as well qualified to do But
as member of the committee introduce
ing the majority report, think at least
that the question should he fully dis
cuSsed. / am free to say at the outset
that / think perhaps that some other
member of the committee might speak
better in place of myself. l am not a
radical advocate of woman's suffrage. /
have not reached 1.-THE conclusion to sup
port this measure without hesitation and
without careful consideration. think
that we must all agree that it is a most
far-reaching bill. If this passes it will
change many conditions,-not simply in
voting. it will reach into business. it will
reach into all social affairs, it will reach
into home life. and its affects are difficult
to measure, as it seems to me. | am free
to say that / have had much sympathy
with the views expressed by many ladies,
voiced recently by distinguished mar
ried lady in a speech which | saw in the
papers, in which she said that If woman
could retain her privileges she did not
care very much for her rights; and
think that very many women in this State
have that same feeling L know that it is
"a fact that for many man who supports
womans suffrage, his opponents would be
in his own household. / know it is a fact,
as has been evidenced in the hearing be-
fore the committee, that many brilliant
ladies believe this would be undesirable,
and have even Joined together to oppose
it. And yet, Mr.. Speaker, in my judgment
the conclusion must be reached ON Il
careful consideration of this question,
conceding everything which we ought to
the other side of the question, conceding
all the difficulties which attach to the sub
ject, it is my view that the conclusion
must be reached that suffrage should be
granted to women in municipal affairs.
and it is for that reason that | wish to
discuss the question very briefly from the
standpoint which 1 have reached in the
matter.
Now 7 will lay aside in discussion of
the matter a good many things which
might fairly be claimed and are strenu-
ously urged in behalf of woman's suf
frage. lay aside the claim that womanS
suffrage has been demonstrated by ex
perience in ether places to be a success.
do that in this argument because that
claim is Stoutly controversial. and ] do
not care to rest what / may say upon such
claims. | lay aside the claim that by
this measure the conditions of society will
be greatly and Immediately improved. al
though that claim is urged with great
force and may be entitled to great weight.
Let us concede that the conditions will
not be much changed, and that the
average position of things in society, in
business matters, in political matters,
will remain nearly as it is now at the
present time. | concede, as / said that
there is great opposition among many in
telligent, refined loyal women through
out this State AN these things | think
should be reckoned with and yet. I say.
the conclusion l think still should be
reached that woman's suffrage should be
granted.
Now SO far have noticed the pres
ent discussions in this matter, there
certain things which nearly everybody
will concede at the present time. l believe
that there are few persons at the present
day who will deny that the women of the
State OF Maine are intellectually quail
he'd to cast a proper vote. / believe there
are few people today who will deny that
the women of Maine are morally qualified
20 cast a proper vote. | believe that there
are few people in the State of Maine to-
day who will deny that the women of the
State of Maine are physically qualified To
cast proper vote. | believe today that
We shall agree that the women of the
State of Maine. with the enlarged rights
which have been granted by the State of
Maine by statute, enabling them to take
part IN the business of the Common
wealth, enabling them to conduct their
own affairs and own their own property,
with the increasing education OF the wo-
men of the State of Maine. that the en-
larged concessions made by public opinion
throughout the State of Maine. the great
er recognition of the intellectual rights
and possibilities of the women of the
State of Maine make them, today, citizens,
as they are designated in the bill re-
ported by the majority of this committee
they are citizens of this State of Maine,
today. They are active parts in this body
polite today in the State of Maine. Now
If that is so, it seems to me that the CON
clusion is irresistible that the women of
the State of Maine today have right
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