Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-03-13
REFERENDUM
AND RECALL.
BY r. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.

I
| for leadership In those political move
ments which concern the woman OF the
| present day. But she fell under the In
| fuence of Mrs. Montgomery Stone.
who was greatly Interested In the mat
| ter Of obtaining votes for women. and
| that lady made a vigorous effort to In
/ fuse some of her own enthusiasm on
| the subject into Miss Winston. The
| process was like molding a statue of
a soft material which would not hard
| en-. To describe Miss Winston In wom-
| ans parIance as a votes for woman
| advocate. she wouldn't "tell."
| However, after her first interview
with the stronger woman she consid-
| cred herself converted 10 the cause
| and. being engaged to be married, be-
lieved 1t fitting that she should an
| nounce her conversion to her lover.
| She sent for him and said:
Harry. | deem 1t proper to announce
| to you that am taking great interest
| In a matter of which don't know that
| you approve. Since | expect to as
sumo a position in the working out OF
| new idea
Whose idea"
| why, it's one of those ideas that
don't belong to any particular person;
| it's for everybody-I mean for every
| woman"
where did ybu get itT'
IL don't see that that has anything
TO do with the matter. 1t Is sufficient
for me to tell you that l have Joined
| the votes for women movement"
"oh. that's all right. I'm In favor
Of that too I'll give you my vote right
away. There are so many puzzling
questions In our country's political
status that my brain is In whirl all
the time trying to find out which way
TO vote upon them. I'd like mighty
we'll TO turn my duties as citizen
| over to you"
why. it's all very simple. isn't itT'
simple. Not to me. There's the
| tariff. and the trusts. and the referen.
| dunn, and the recall. and lot of other
things. 1t takes all my time to keep
| up even With what they mean"
Agnes. who had heard Mrs Stone
| rattle over these things as cat would
| run over piano keys. said confidently:
"oh. know what all these things
| mean"
whats the referendum
why. when the governor OF a state.
| for instance. doesn't exactly know what
to do in a certain case he refers the
matter to the people. He submits 1t at
| an election"
whats the recailT'
why. when a Judge doesn't decide a
question right they take away his
| iudseship."
"Splendid! | see that you have cas-
| lily discovered the purport of these two
| novelties. over which have been puz-
zling my poor brain ever since they
were born. l can't make out whether
| q trust Is an economic development or
an assumption OF monopollsts treading
| on the peoples rights. | have no Idea
whether we have too many voters al
ready or too few. There are so many
candidates for me to investigate before
our election that haven't the time for
the work. / shall have to do our pro-
| vidlng when married. and | think IT
will be better TO turn my political du-
ties over 10 you"
You couldn't. stupid. It's against
the law for women to so to the polls
| to vote"
But you can tell me how to vote,
and III go to the polls and vote as you
say. Wouldn't that be the same
| thingr'
Il suppose so In our case. but every
woman couldn't do that with her tiance
or her husband"
she might with her fiance."
That's 1t. When she's married her
husband will wish to vote as he likes"
We'll. suppose that he wishes to
vote one way and the wife the other.
In that case what's the use Of either
of them voting? The one is a stand
OF against the other"
Il never thought OF that"
"In other words. they pair as they
do in legislative bodies when two
members on opposite sides wish to be
absent at the coming up Of an impor-
tant measure"
- think well pair" she said softly,
feeling for her lovers hand.
And If a case OF referendum comes
up In our family I'll refer 1t to you"
That win be very nice"
"As to the recall But there's no
recall in marriage, Is there?'
only divorce. and that's awful"
The dialogue was interrupted at this
point by kisses and was never renew
ed till after their marriage. Then one
day when the couple differed on some
domestic subject the wife said:
What did you say. dearie. when we
were engaged. about matters Of this
kind occurring between usr'
II don't remember"
II do. You said. If case of refer.
endum comes up between us I'll refer
1t to you"