Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-19
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 49, 1903

| this country, the women of the world
| from the beginning of time down to the
nresent day have been of such a char
acter as to warrant them fully equal
rights with the male. / do not know
as | would have attempted to have
spoken upon this subject, had l not in
NV mind the memory of my mother to
whom l am indebted today for what
little of good there may be in me.
cannot forget her many prayers. |
cannot forget her good advice. ] can
not forget the many weary hours, the
DAYS and nights, that she has given to
me; and what, Mr.. President, IS true in
her case is true of every mother, or a
majority of them. When think of
the great heroism that woman has dis
played from the earliest times down to
the present, | stand appalled, to think
that the male inhabitants of this coun-
try who are indebted today for the
grand Institutions that they enjoy, for
the good society that we have in glo-
rious News England. to the women of
this country, should deny them equal
rights. The heroism that the women
of this country displayed from 1861 to
1865. in a measure made it possible to
perpetuate this government and permit
the old flag to continue to wave over
us. 1t is to them that we are indebted
in a great measure that not q star was
plucked from the national galaxy. The
heroism that was displayed upon the
field and in the hospital; and at home,
when the father, the husband, the son
had gone forth to do battle that the
government might be perpetuated, the
heroism that they displayed, the brav-.
cry. equaled that of Grace Darling, sur
passed that of Florence Nightingale
and was equal in humility to Mary who
is spoken of in the Sacred Scriptures.
History is replete with the heroism
of women. Woman is more adapted to
heroism and faithfulness than man.
can never read, without admiration
that legend in ancient history of Ger
trude whose husband was put upon the
rack to remain there in torture until
he died. The faithful wife stood by
him during the vigils of that long night
and when the next day came spoke to
him words of encouragement, know
ing that he never could come from the
rack alive, but pointing to that higher
life. o. my friends, after she had
stayed there all night, until the sun
had risen in the morning. he turned his
head for the last time, and said: Ger
trude, this is faithfulness until death
and died. What heroism was there,
what faithfulness until death. Truly
said. That is only one instance, Mr.
President, that | might cite away down
the line of time, where the faithfulness
of h mr.
and sublime / need not so into an
cieEt history. | may so to the fireside
upon every New England hill and down
in every New England valley, and fine
the faithfulness, Watchfulness and
grand devotion that the mother has for
the child. 1t is true that it is woman
who first gives the best instruction to
the child. It is true that it is woman
that cares for the child; and l tell you
that when you find one mother that
gives any wrong advice to a child, you
will find millions that give him good
advice. You and l, every man in this
Senate, every man, 1 go so far as to
say. in New England, is indebted more
to the mother for grand coun-
sci, than he is to the father.
Do you think, for moment.
that as to such women, who nurse us
from boyhood to manhood, who, in the
silent watches of the night pray that
we may be honorable men, Astounding
in honor and integrity, do you have any
fear of putting the ballot in such wom-
ems hands? l have not. We need not.
Woman has been the first in every
thing. 1t is woman who first bushes
the feeble wall of infancy. 1t is wo-
man. in the lajority of cases, that
weeps at the tomb over the brow Of
age. 1t is always woman who has
been foremost in all grand deeds Of
charity. Whenever the question of
education arises you will find the moth
er always speaking of the profits and
benefits of education to her children.
How many mother works hard all
night that she may send her little ones,
to the halls of Harrington what?
That they may become citizens-that
society may be benefited by the tuition
and the education given them. l can
not forget these things, Mr.. President.
| cannot forget having been associated
in the school business all my life. !
know something of the difference of the
fathers ideas and the mothers. the
mother spends hours and hours of hard
labor that the child may attend school:
and she has never said one thing in
deterioration of the great question of
education. 1t is education that frames
the common mind-that makes men
that makes women. Woman has been
foremost always in the great cause of
- -------------"