Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-22

"oI'o "lS" ne interested TO protect the
nome. They surely should he ana
many OF them are, but they have IA.
n.other-hearts and we obsery, tbat TOO
many Of those who have the Iav-mak
| ing and aw-enforcement mowers IN
| their hands are too intent on money
| making and Office holding to give thc,r
| first thought to the home and tn con-
sider and devise WAYS and me,ps =.
better promote the interests and ,;phts
| of those who are ballotless and hence
pOWerleSS to improve to the greatest
| extent their own condition. If woman
had the ballot. laws unjust to them
would he amended more quickly than
| they are now. Colorado women made
vain efforts for mary years to secure
| equal guardianship with their hus-
| bands of their children, but after the
women We're eufranrhised The very
next Legislature granted it, Only. 7
think II of our a. states now give t.IlaI
guardianship to mothers.
| Hon. Carol d. Wright in quite f, re-
| cent address to college girls said: The
! lack of direct political influence const;-
| tuteS powerful reason why Women's
| wages have been kept at Il minimum
| Legislation for the protection Of chill
| dren is always readily secured i'm those
states where women are enfranchised
| Judge Lindsey of the Denver Juvenile
court. says: We have in Colorado tie
most advanced laws OF any state in the
| niOr. for the care and protection of
| the home and the children. These laws.
in my oponiou. would not exist if il
were not FOR the powerful influence of
woman suffrage
when Mr.. Roosevelt was governor
| of New York he recommended woman
suffrage to the Legislature. on being
| asked why he did so he is reported to
| have answered that many women have
Il Very hard time, working women IS
pecially and if the ballot would help
| them. even Il little. he WIS willing to
see it tried. Laws protecting WORKING
girls are better enforced in states
where women vote
Tho ballot would make women move
broad mind "a generally. also NOR"
practi"-ll and wise, more Cmpanionable
to their husb;n.is ami NOR" competen:
to train lp their children for good and
valuable citi% an.'ilip. 1t will incrca>"
their influence This has becl. proven. Ii
IS 4 quiet ami ,lignited way of inilu
encing public affairs and public people
in service for the public No party NOM
| mates impure or immoral men for i'm
| portant OFFICES III .nOsc states where
| WOMB II vote. T. women were franchise
more law-reSpt":ing and rOral people
| would vote than do now and also there
| would be more tduClt and more ma
tive born voters. According to the re-
rolt of the commissioner Of education
the High schools throughout our cOun-
Try are graduating many more girls
than boys and by the report of the
| commissioners general of immigration
we find that there are many more
| foreign men than women landed on our
shores Vicious voters would be in
creased hut very little il: numbers. Less,
think. than six per cent of the crimi-
nails IN Maine are women.
Gentlemen. is. it fair. is it right that
those who must ob>y the lays SHOULD
moi have q voice in making them? Is
it right that any who pay taxes should
have 10 vote in determining how the
hard earned money they thus pay shall
| be expended? How long shall the ty
ranny of taxation wiinOu. representa-
ton be tolerated in our fair State? How
long shall the wild animals and the
fishes be projected. the noses of porcu-
pines pc paid tor and our unfortunate.
| blind and feeble minded children be
| homeless and uucared for and our Wo"
men who yield % the temptation to
steal few dollars or their equivilerJ
be ncarcerated III the same prison with
men who have tranSgressed almost
every command in the GecalOSue?
oh we nead mOthe r-heGrts in state
land natinna! affairs wrO Will first guar
the children, tre helpless and the un-
fortunate and tempted ones and then if
possih,e extend care and protection %
animal life for the pleasure of the
hunter and thu fisher but let it be as of
only secondary importance to the hu-
nan. | trust the COOL me-, of this COM
rnittee will report ought to pass" and
there are enough good honest, fair and
Just men in the present Legislature to
cause il to PASS AMI cause an equal
G.:ffrage bill to become a law.
I'VE do not suppose there are any
| members in the House or the Senate
who are not fair and just and if they
have the courage of their convictions
will vote accordingly. Some of you gem
|
Legislature PROBABLY have daughters
who are the peas of your sons in every
respect and whom you are educating Or
intending to educate equally as we'll as
Won do their brothers. Will you with
hold from them the great possibilities
which may come to them by ballot?
viii you subject .nem to the humiliat-
ing and unjust classification which was
accorded to women in the original
statehood bill IS prepared and present
a 10 our United States Congress but
which vas re .cntly striker out on ac-
count of the protests OF women against
such insults.
For several years past women have
soon voting in England, Ireland. Scot
land. Australia. New Zealand. Canada
Wyoming. Colorado. Kansas. Utah AMI
Idaho with good results. Hundreds of
rrople prominent in politics and other
wise have testified 20 this. 1t is some
times said that yom N do not want to
| vote that if they aid want the ballot It
| would no sr,.1prrt Thor. many MAY,