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

the ballot box. We permit the for
eigner and the black man, the slave and
the free man, to partake of the suffrage.
There is only one left out, and she is the
mother that bore us and loves US, and
the wife that has been thought worthy.
to walk by our side There is only one
left out, and that is woman that we
put lower than the slave, lower than
the ignorant foreigner. We have placed
her among the paupers whom the law
will not allow to vote, among the aliens
and the criminal and the lunatics and
idiots, and the insane whom the law de-
prives of their vote. While she has
ceased to work in the fields harnessed
with beasts she is still in chains and
servitude. And today we exclude one
third of the Intelligence and more than
half the virtue of our people from the
ballot box
If physical strength and brute force is
to be the test of citizenship, then the
ballot should be limited to the negro
race. IL to be fighter entities a person
to vote, then Jack Johnson should alone
have the ballot, and some of our college
professors should be disfranchised.
notice this black brute. Johnson. WHO
has no more intelligence than an OK, has
taken his fortune, earned in the prize
ring, and opened a saloon in Chicago in
connection with a house of shame and
has become at once a prominent politi-
clan in his ward and a high official in the
organization and perpetuation of the
white slave traffic The Press tells US
that short time ago there lived near
this brutal Ting NyfJ inc VIII
her hands TO support herself and her little
14year-od girl And while this mother,
a white woman, was busy with her
daily toll, this prize fighter, decoyed the
little child into his den of shame aud
then told the mother who demanded her
baby that he was going to marry the
child, and when the broken hearted
mother entered his saloon and begged of
him to give her back, the only thing and
the most precious thing she had in the
world this demon grinned, and told her
he could have all the girls he wanted.
And when she threatened him with the
officers of the law. he defied her to go
ahead, saying, 1.-THE omcers won't pay
any attention to you, for you are Moth
ing but a woman. Get out of my place
of business or 1 will throw you out
Yes, why don't you call the police? Why
don't you call the polce?" When | reau
the taunt of this inhuman monster to
this broken hearted and helpless mother,
| thought of that tragedy in Shakespeare
where brutal men seized the Kings
daughter and cut out her tongue and cut
off her hands, and then babe her go call
for water and wash her hands
fTbap 7 tbouQbt Of the 0nO aln x.,o,,,o,, IN,
our land. who in their early morning left
their homes to go out into the world in
the battle of life, unprotected, meeting
in every street and alley and place of
business these monsters, Jack johnson,
who have the ballot; who toll in an un-
equal struggle with men for bread who
under laws that are oppressive and in
which they have no voice, fool the terri
bic elank of the loom upon the brain.
who. sweltering in the sweat shop long
for better air. and who in the fight for
liberty and life and purity, hear, every
hour in the day the taunt ''You are only
woman And feel every day upon
their wasted cheeks the hot breath of
lust.
These are some of the things intended
to say to You. / am a man. / have
been speaking to men about woman s
wrongs. How imperfeetly can / present
to you her case. She only can tell the.
story of her tragedies. She does not ask
you for praise; she does not demand flat
terry. She begs of you not to ridieule her
further, but to let her have in the battle
of life the same weapons of defense that
You possess; to let her stand and work
by your side, your equal, your companion
in the battle of life She asks only and
simply, justice.
For all mankind one Christ has sighed
Upon the cross; but hourly
Is every woman crueiiied
o sons of mothers, shall the pain
OF all child bearing be in vain2
Shall we drive nails, to wound her thus,
Into the hands that fondled us?"
tApplause)
The PRESIDENT: The question is
upon the adoption of the unanimous
report of the judiciary committee,
ought to pass" on the Resolve pro-
posing an amendment to the Constitu-
ton of Maine comforting the right of
suffrage on women. Is the Senate
ready fer question?
Mr.. MOULTON of Cumberland: Mr..
President, | move that when the vote
be taken, it be taken by the yeas and
nays
sufficient number arising the
yeas and nays We're ordered, and the
secretary called the roll. Those vot-
ing yea were: Messrs. Allan, Allen,
Burleigh, Chase, Colby, Conant, Dut-
ton, Emery, Hagerthy, Hastings, Her.
sey, Mansfield, Maxwell. Milliken, Mo-
reyo Murphy, Patten, Reynolds, Rich
ardson, Smith, Stearns, Walker, Wing
-23. Those voting nay We're; Messrs
Bailey. Boynton. Flaherty, Jillson,
Moulton, Packard-6. Absentees:
Messrs. Clark, Cole.
% senators voting in the affirmative
and six in the negative. the report of
the committee was accepted.
The Resolve was given its first and
seond reading was assigned for to-
morrow morning.
On motion by Mr.. Moulton of Cum
berland, adjourned until tomorrow
morning at 10 O'Clock.
HOUSE.
Wednesday February 10 1919