Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-20

Our own land, ana we shall demon
strate TO YOU that our own American
women should have the ballot. In 1869,
forty-four years ago, the State of Wy
oming gave full suffrage to its women
Governor Joseph NJ. Carey of Wyoming
has issued a public statement. in which
he says:
Woman Gin Wyoming) exercises her
right to vote and hold office as a mat
ter of course. | am satisfied that wo-
mems influence in political matters
has been good: L know it has been
great advantage to women. as girls in
schools and in young wemanhoed make
preparations to hold positions of re-
sponsibility in civil as we'll as IN official
life. Not two per cent of the voters
Would deprf~e woman Of her rights in
this State. Within the last few years
have been strongly impressed that il
is right that women should vote and
hold office because of the fact that
many women have come into very i'm
portant and responsible positions"
Congressman Mondell, Of Wyoming,
in the National House of Representa-
tives, last June, speaking OF Wyom-
ing, said:
NY political experience which COW
ers a period of Twenty-Five years and
ten Statewide campaigns in nine of
which | have been a candidate, has all
been under women suffrage in the State
of Wyoming. have never experienced
a serious disturbance in a political
meeting | have never witnessed or
known Of the slightest disorder at a
polling place, and do not recall of n
single charge having been made in that
time of fraud in connection with an
election in our State.
When we turn our attention to the
stock arguments against woman suf-
frage, such as its alleged unfortunate
effect upon the home and family, our
experience has been such that all such
arguments appear to us peculiarly ri
diculous. In twenty-five years of ac-
tive participation in politics, and with
as wise a political acquaintance and
experience, perhaps, as any man in the
State, l have never heard or known of
an instance n which political differ
enceS between husband and Wife or
other members of families, have led to
any disagreements of weight or mo-
ment; no complaint has ever reached
me from. any source that political ac-
Invites or the performance of political
duties has caused any woman to ne
eject other duties; nor de l recall Il
single case where any woman has in
dulged in any improper, unseemly, or
QUE stionahle conducr in connection with
political matters.
TWO generations of women have
grown To womanhood in our mountain
Commonwealth under woman suffrage
For forty years our elections, our leg
islation, and our administration OF
public affairs has been largely influence
ed by women voters. We know and
all the world knows and freely admits
that nowhere are women, in the high
est and best sense, more womanly,
more modest. more charming. more at
tentiVe to their home duties better
wives and mothers than with us. In fact,
we believe that their calm, uhostenta-
tious. and faithful discharge of the
duties of a voter tends to enhance ev-
cry virtue and charm which distin-
euishes true womanhood. We would no
more think of eliminating women from
cur electorate than we would of sur
rendering the charter of our beloved
Commonwealth.
Seeing the noble example of Wyom-
ing, her sister State by her side. Col
erldo, in 1889, pineteen years ago,
gave full suffrage 10 her women. And
Congressman Taylor, of Colorado,
standing in the National House of Rep
resentatives, last April. said
~ have lived in Colorado for thirty
one years and have taken an active
part in public affairs during practically
all of that time. / personally know the
condition of politics before and since
womans suffrage was granted; and
while my judgment may not coincide
with some others. / certainly have no
reason fer making any erroneous state
ments or expressing other than my
candid Judgment, and | can honestly
and conscientiously say that | do not
know of any bad effects whatever that
womans suffrage has had in The State
of Colorado, and L do know OF enough
good that they have accomplished to
fill many volumes.
| am often asked if the best women
in Colorado vote. As a matter of fact
it is the good women who vote in the
largest numbers, proportionately; that
is, IN the best residence sections of
every city and town and throughout
the country the woman vote is much
larger, in proportion te the female
population, than it is in the
less prosperous and less desirable
localities. There is no class OF
woman in Colorado, no matter what
their station in life may be, who do
not vote. In the little city of Glen
wood Springs, where l live, l do net
know of there being a woman in the
city or surrounding country who does
not vote. Tie records of nearly every
voting precinct in the State will sub
stantiate what | say, and any person
who makes the assertion that any APP
precia bic per cent of the good women
do not vote is unqualifiedly misrepre-
senting the facts
Everyone who knows anything about
woman's suffrage or about human ma
ture, or who has had anything to do
with public affairs or politics, know
that the vicious and criminal vote is
always cast solidly against equal
rights for women. All those who
thrive upon the violation of the law