Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-04-27
WOMEN AND THE BALLOT.
What the Woman Suffrage Movement
lists Guarantee.

What the Woman Suffrage Movement
lists Guarantee.
The press committee OF the Maine
woman suffrage association is very busy
preparing articles on its favorite topic,
and many of them are being printed in
various newspapers in the State. A re-
cent article sent out reads as follows:
At heart, the woman suffrage movement is
the expression of sincere desire TO intuse
truth and Justice and fair dealing into the gov
ernment. Women are capable OF assisting to
that end az well as men. Their influence Is dis
tinctly effective even when used Indirectly, as
has, by compuision, been necessary up to the
present.
What would rot that influence achieve If it
might work directly? Woman's itnuence has
always been for good, and no humanizing, civ
ilizing, or progressive movement is ever com
pleie, IL, indeed It could be successful without
her presence. Everywhere she is admitted to a
share in the burdens and glories of such move
ments, except In government; there she has the
burdens, but none of the privileges or distinc-
lions of citizenship.
Now, is this right? Is 1t just? Is 1t wise?
What every body Is interested in is to find out
the correct answers to these three short ques-
lions.
1t has been said that truth is Gods remedy
for error of every kind, and truth destroys only
what Is untrue" We are all. professedly at
least seeking after the truth-that is to say, the
right and proper thing 10 think, to say, and to
do but Ii is a sa 4 fact that many people. while
protesting aud believing themselves to be seek
ing for this Jewel. are secretly afraid of the
consequences of finding it. They fear that
somehow, in some inscrutaDle way. the finding
of truth will destroy many Of their Ideals,
without making satisfactory compensation.
Everything of merit is founded on truth
wit out It there is nothing good. pure. manly or
womanly, or spiritually, or even materially pro-
gressiye. To suppose that this wonderful pos
session can do aught but enlarge and beautify
| and ennoble life is simply absurd, ridiculously
and unspeakablv absurd.
There never was, never will be, nor never can
| be anything good in error; error is pure blind
| ness and all that truth does is to destroy this
| blindness and replace it with clear and perfect
vision enabling US to sec all the beauties o. the
| world invisible Just as would be the case II
| eyes which had been closed to all the material
beauty of this physical world from birth were
made to see.
| If you were blind, what would you not give
| for the blessed privilege of seeing? That Is
what the truth will do for you; It will open
your eyes. Why, therefore, are you afraidf
Why will you not inquire into the subject OF
woman suffrage TO find out the truth?
| We guarantee that honest Investigation VIII
establish these facts that the ballot has not un-
fayorably affected the social and domestic status
of women; that Il has not made her less admir-
able womapIy or attractive, and that II has
not rendered her less agreeable or charming to
her family or society. When you get thus fAr'
/ If you are interested TO know whether giving
| the ballot to women has benefited the State, we
think we can satisfy you that 1t has.