Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-12-05

pared with those states adjoining them
that have not answered it.
II do not think that giving the wo-
nen suffrage will produce any marked
Improvement in the condition of wo-
men. / do not believe that it will pro-
dt;ce any of the evils feared and I am
very certain that when women as q
whole take any special interest in the
matter they Will have the suffrage if
they desire it. But at present I think
most of them are luke warm; J. find
some actively for it and some actively
against 1t. l am, for the reason above
given, rather what you would regard
as luke warm or tepid in my support
of it, because while I believe in it,
do not regard it as Of very much i'm
prrtance. I believe that man and wo-
man should stand on an equality of
right, but I do not believe that equality
of right means identity of function;
and | an more and more convinced
that the great field, the Indispensable
field, for the usefulness of women is as
the mother of the family. 1t is her
work in the household, in the home,
her work in bearing and rearing the
children which is more than any mans
work and it is that work which should
be normally the woman's special work,
just as normally as the mans work
should be that OF the bread winner, the
supporter of the home and if necessary
the soldier who will fight for the
home.
"There are exceptions as regards
both man and woman but the full and
perfect life, the life of highest happi-
ness and of highest usefulness to the
state is the life of the man and the
woman who are husband and Wife who
live in the partnership of love and duty,
the one earning enough to keep the
home, the other managing the home
and children.
Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
DR.. Abbott who was the principal
speaker, argued what he held would
be the infection of new and unnatural
responsibility and duty upon women
by forcing upon them the obligations
of public life. The title of his address
was "The Assault on Womanhood."
Secretary Root in letter which was
read at the meeting says:
81 do not myself consider that the
granting Of suffrage to women would
be any Improvement in our system of
! government On the contrary I think
| it would rather reduce than increase
the electrical efficiency of our people.
7 am inclined to think, however, that
! if the women of the United States. or
any very large majority of them,
| should really come to want the rlgh'
/ of suffrage for themselves, they would
ultimately get it. For the purpose OF
exercising the right of suffrage IL
they should ever get it and for the pur-
pose of determining intelligently
whether they really want it, the wo-
men of the country generally ought tc
have and to seize the opportunity fol
a greater degree of education in ques-
tions of government and in the practi-
cal art of government than they have
| had up to this time"
Richard Watson Glider, editor of the
Century Magazine, presided at the
meeting and in the course of his adj
dress said: within a few days the
country has been shocked by the ap-
Mailing official figures of divorce in the
j United States. In the face of this Ia
. mentable showing as to an increasing
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