Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-01
Refutes Statements of Ants.
Editor Kennebec Journal:

Editor Kennebec Journal:
A recent speaker against suffrage
in your city made some statements
which I would like the opportunity to
refute, If you will permit me space in
your columns to do so. She said,
the reform bills are enacted by the
men, and they have so far given US all
our protective legislation" OF course
she refers to the legislation in the
male suffrage states, for much of the
protective legislation in the equal
suffrage states is credited to the wo-
men, by such authorities as Judge
Lindsey, Congressman Taylor, George
Creel and Gov. Shafroth. And even
ir the male suffrage states while the
actual passing of laws to protect wo-
men and children is due to the men
many of them owe their existence to
the persistent effort of the women
who have impressed upon the mel
the need of such laws. The late
Samuel E. Sewall, who drew the bills
upon property rights for women in
the Massachusetts, legislature and
argued the case before the judiciary,
reviewed the progress made in that
time in the following words: How
has the work been accomplished? By
the steady growth of public opinion
promoted and aided in great degree.
if not entirely created by. the labors
Of the suffragists. / may add that
when the suffragists first began to
move. the prejudice against altering
the status of wives. and giving the
women tho spublic offices into which
stronger than that which exises
against the franchise"
The same thing can be said of the
equal guardianship law which the
suffragists worked for So years to get
upon the books of Massachusetts.
The statement made by the speaker
as to the fact that suffrage does not
serve a reform movement" is a trif1e
ambiguous, but I gather that she
means that reforms are not aided by
woman suffrage. DIR. Wiley says on this
subject, we will never get pure food
laws or their enforcement until the
women vote" Carroll D. Wright,
late Commissioner of Labor, said,
Lack of direct political influence is a
powerful reason why woman's wage
has been kept at a minimum" Flor
ence Kelley says. Until women get
the ballot, it will be impossible to get
adequate legislation for them or
proper enforcement of laws to protect
them"
The inter- Parliamentary Union at
ter trip around the world investi-
eating conditions pertaining to the
welfare of children, declared that the
hy,v,r nd
gressive laws 20 be found in the
world relating to the child were to be
found upon the statutes Of Colorado
and every one of these laws was
passed after women had the franchise.
According to the National Vigilancs
Committee every suffrage state has
good laws against white Shaving.
Eight of the male suffrage states have
no laws against 1t or grossly made
Quate laws.
On the question of expediency,
which the speaker laid such stress
upon, the case of the suffragists is
won, if the statements of governor
after governor Of the equal suffrage
states, the judgment of 140 mayors Of
the equal suffrage cities, the unani-
nous opinion Of legislatures and the
geographical argument" are worth
anything. If it had not been ex-
pedient in Colorado and Wyoming.
would the neighboring states Of Wash
ington, Utah and Idaho and Kansas
and Arizona and California and Ore
gon and Montana and Nevada have
adopted 1t? II q law in Maine worked
such direful influence upon the women
and the cities and the government as
the women declare the law in Colorado
has, would the people Of New Hamp-
shire be in a hurry to pass it?
We admit, with the speaker Of the
other afternoon, that woman is the
home maker Of the state. and that her
first duty Is to her children, If she has
any. But we deny that a woman
who Is unmarried and homeless should
NOPE in idleness, instead OF earning
an honest living. II the best does
not come to q woman, she must take
up with the next best, and there is
certain honor due her. If she finds
happiness and efficiency In 1t.
Woman's power along certain lines
Is greater as woman than as Re-
publican or a Democrat or Progress
sive, but in politics it is nil unless she
has the ballot, and politics controls
her home, the food she gives her chill
dren. the clothes she wears. the water
she drinks, the schools her children go
to, the amusement places her chill
dren visit. Her duty to her child
does not end when he leaves her
house, and begin when he returns to
her hearthstone. The woman who
keeps her parlor clean, and negiects
| her halls and kitchen Is no more
| neglectful Of her duty than the mother
who keeps her home attractive, and
let's the city tester with badly
patroled streets, open saloons, houses
of i'll fame and uncensored picture
shows. To carry the analogy fur
Their, the dirt from the halls and kit
| chen will be carried into the parlor.