Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-27

Just much man. and don't you sup
pose that women are Just as much inter
ested in the laws that are made as are
the men, just as much interested in the
government of her children and in mat
ters of peace and war and arbitration and
schooling and education of the children
Haven't they just as much interest as
men, and then why in Heavens name.
since they are intelligent human beings.
why shouldn't they have the right to vote.
to determine these things which affect
them just as much as they affect the
men?
At one time this country went to war
because of taxation without representa-
ton. Women are taxed without repre-
sentation. Some of the wealthiest people
of this land are women who have no hus-
bands. anu yet they have nothing to say
in regard to the taxation of their prop
erty. That is taxation without represent
tation, the same principle exactly as in
dueed the farmers of this country to fire
that shot which was heard around the
world
This is a question which is greater
than any other political question in the
world. today. II is occupying the at
tention OF the minds of people all over
the world, Since the war in the Balkan
States the women there are asking for
the right to vote, and the men are
saying to the women, You cannot
vote, you help us in this way wonder
fully; we could not have succeeded
without you but YOU cannot vote. but
we will tell YOU what we will do: we
won't make YOU pull so hard when we
put you up side of the OK to pillow the
next time
A few years ago Russia started out
to Russianize Finland. The people Of
Finland objected and there was tre
mendOus contest there between Russia
and the colony of Finland as to Wheth-
Ell these laws should prevail.
Before that struggle the wcmen of
Finland had asked for the ballot and
had oeen refused. but after that strug-
gle Finland gave the ballot to women
without their asking for it. The wo-
men had struggled through that war
side by side with the men. and the
men came out of that struggle with a
different temper from what they had
when they Went in.
It has been said that this is not
Il HbllllCdI question anu tlidl llltlt 10
going to be no political lineup. | am
very glad that is so, but it seems to
me that the gentleman protested al
most too much. This movement is
bound to come You cannot find more
than one man in ten who will not ad-
nit that womens suffrage is going to
come 1t certainly will come, and
nothing can hinder it.
The civilized world are watching
us, today. There is a tremendous in
terest in this question, as you all
know What we do here, today. will
be flashed across this country and
across the ocean Millions of people
will read il with interest. Then why
rot settle this question by submitting
il to the voters of this state. Don't
YOU dare to submit this to the people
who elected YOU? This is a progress
sive question, and | don't mean by
that term To indicate any political par
ty. The man who is to be inaugur-
ated on the fourth of March next is
a progressive, as has been proved by
the progressive laws that he has fore
ed through the Legislature of New
Jersey And this progressive man
claims that he is going to call around
him progressive people to form his Of
fetal family This is progressive
measure.
The gentleman says there are only
per cent. of the women of this State who
want the ballot. You all know that is
not So He has put the per centage too
low. In the states where they have the
ballot they vote in just as large per cent
az. the "a Massachusetts
fall the women in good many of the
large cities registered and got every wo-
man in those cities that they could get TO
register a vote on the school question,
lust the same as we had here. Not all
the women want to vote, and neither do
all the men want to vote. and there are
Continued on Page Twelve)