Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-02-13
MAINE LEGISLATURE.
Continued from page ~

vote in this State which is a government
OF the people by the people and for the
leople. as was declared in our Declaration
of Independence. The women of the State
of Maine today are a part of the people
of this State. in large sense. AS a part
of the people of this State they have the
right to vote; and am inclined to think
tRat. having the right to vote, although
Il will be putting burdens upon many Of
them which they do not care to assume
l am inclined to think that there is the
this State to vote If they have the oppor-
taaity>
Now, Mr. Speaker. my conclusion fur
ther. Is that this right to vote is not a
hNt it is the right of the individual wo
man. If it Is the right of the individual
woman, the fact that many women do not
believe in this. the fact that many women
DO not care to vote, the fact that many
wanen believe that it will be better for
them not to vote, does not prevent this
right from coming to the front for those
who DO wish to vote. AS l say, Mr.
after some hesitation. 1 have reached II
not entirely in accordance with my own
wishes and rather against the prejudices
which | had: but it seems to me that
conceding the propositions which 1 think
cannot be denied. 1t seems to me that the
right thing Is that women should have
the opportunity to vote.
Now, Mr.. speaker, / believe further
more that the argument of the time COLI
0ition is with us. ! believe that this thing
Is something which must be met by an
not distant future. I believe. If ] can read
the signs of the times Alright, considering
the progress of events from the time when
this movement first started years ago,
considering that many an argument which
was made at the time of its beginning
has been destroyed by the march of time
and events, / believe at this time We can
see that progress has been steadily made
rtlo &c or,d nd ma ic pp1x
ter of time when suffrage shall be granted
to women as 1t is claimed today. We find
women taking more and more part in
public matters, as it Is. We find women
taking more and more part in the great
societies which exist We find today the
State Grange sending a unanimous vote
for the suffrage for women. We find that
through the meetings of this body, an in
telligent body, body which discusses
matters of business, which discusses mat
tiers of politics i'll their higher sense
body which deals with questions of gen
eral welfare. VIC find the conclusion
reached by the members of this body that
woman should be allowed to represent her
own business. to represent the business of
her locality as she is qualified to do by
her ability, by her character and by her
Intellectual attachments. We see it,
think in the higher education of women
as 1t has developed We see 1t in the
not merely into the intellectual fields but
into the physical fields. We find it. it
seems to me, In all directions; and. Mr..
Speaker. in presenting this matter / have,
in view of the time to which l desired
to limit myself, refraned from discussing
the many things which seemed to me to
be open to discussion bearing favorably
upon this question, but l have confined
myself. as | say, to what | think will be
the fundamental question involved here.
believe that this thing is a question of
right. 1t should not be turned aside
but we should consider whether at the
present time we have not reached the mo
ment when this thing ought to be done.
when this door ought to be opened to the
enlightened and intelligent women of the
State of Maine tApplause)
Mr. CAMPBELL. of Cherryfeld: Mr..
Speaker. AS a member of the legal affairs
committee, signing the minority report,
we do not wish it to be understood that
those of the committee who supported the
minority report-which now in the alb
sence of our distinguished chairman and
our lamented friend from Lewiston is
really the ma jority report before the
House-we do not wish II to be understood
that by any delay in advocating on the
floor of the House this minority report we
shrk our duties. But. on the other hand:
Mr. Speaker. in matter of this kind
where we have had such an exhaustive
hearing so largely attended by the mem
bers of the House. where every intelligent
man is so well informed and every intel
ligent member of this House knows now
how he is going to vote, | do not think
that at this stage Of the proceedings very
much time should be taken to thrash over
this old straw. But IL there should be any
doubt in the mind of any member as to
how he should cast his ballot in this mat
ter, it is up to the members presenting
the minority, or those who are asking Tor
the substitution of the minority report
for that of the majority, to give their
reasons for the faith which is within
them.
do not think in a discussion of this
question. that we should go to the length
to which my brother from Auburn (Mr.
Cakes, has gone. This merely proposes
municipal suffrage for women; 1t merely
proposes that our women may take part
in the annual spring elections, the regu-
lar scrap that we have all over the
State of Maine sometime in Marcn or
April. Oaughte) Now | am aei m, It,
Q.aughter). And why? In the first place,
the women of Maine don't want 1t. Dlo
You hear Of any proposed improve
ment or of any radical change in matters
In Maine that was not supported by petl-
ton from great number? Where are
the petitioners in this case! NOT one; We
have had some hired speakers VINO naxe
enlightened us somewhat, but on the OH III
er hand we have had remonstrants Dy tne
hundreds from the thinking 1nteimgent
women of this State who say. Lon
thrust this upon u.s. 1t is for those WHO
pre- pose change to SHOW tnat .he ., c,taI LIE
been said in the discussion before tne
committee or on the tioor OF the fl ,.is
shows that. VIII it improve the conait ION
condition Of women in the states wnere
they now vote. Is it going forwards OF
backwards when we initiate the example
OF Utah or wyoming or Idaho? Glviiila-
ton is crude there; these things are eN
periments there. The civilization OF tne
State of Maine is of different chatactei
They tell us that in Utah the principai
prop of the Mormon influence is woman >
suffrage And in Idaho they expect nov
to return two Mormon United States SEN
ators through the influence of the woman
vote in that state. Laughter).
MIR Speaker the function OF q WoIna i y
in the State differs so from that OF man
that we cannot discuss question apply
ing to them both. from the same s.a !iu.,
point The duties of a woman, the uu..e 20
of home life and of the mother, are n.y.
compatible with the duties imposed 1y ,nu
suffrage Woman has her sphere woHiait
is satisfied to labor within the scope " "
her sphere And when the women u
Maine come here and ask for the rignt W
participate in the suffrage, it VIII TX
granted by this House; but until tnat ti IN
! say let us confine our suffrage 70 ~.
lines which we have followed SO may any
years, and give municipal suffrage 70 W. ~.
men when BY overwhelming maJorieirs S ~ Z,
by considerable numbers they ask TOT ~
nt 4 npla