Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-03
Suffrage in New England.

sanizins to help the Congressional
Union in its campaign for the federal
amendment to remove from the ballot
the. qualification Of sex. Equal suf-
frage advocates are busy in Maine,
Vermont. Connecticut, Rhode Island.
New Hampshire. and Massachusetts,
sending Populations to members OF
Congress with a view to ascertaining
where they stand. or getting them to
pledge their support for the Susan B.
Anthony amendment to enfranchise
women.
The Congressional Union cam
paien is progressing in every section
of the Union. The work was slow In
beginning in the South and some parts
of New England but there has been
an awakening recently. and good re-
suits are reported constantly.
The New England women are pre-
pairing to send large delegations OF
women to the Washington woman
suffrage rally in December. when 5000
suffragists. under the auspices Of the
Congressional Union, will make a
demonstration before the House and
Senate. Until recently work in the
six New England states was devoted
to amending their state constitutions.
L,,S ca
now sweeping the country is gaining
influential support in New England.
New England suffragists contend
that suffrage amendment to the ma
tional constitution is a more direct
road to women's enfranchisement than
amending all the state constitutions,
one after the other To unite the suf-
fraee forces of the whole country-the
powerfully organized states in the
East with the equal suffrage states in
the West-behind the national suf-
frage amendment will mean in an i'm
mense economy of time. money and
energy, and New England women have
not been slow to recognize this fact.
In Maine active work for federal
suffrage amendment has been recently
started by Mrs. Florence Kelley, whose
summer home Is at Naskeag, Han
cock county. Mrs. Kelley has a ma
tional reputation for her work in con-
nection with child labor legislation.
Recently she organized deputation to
call on Congressman Peters. United
States representative from the Third
district, urging him to support the
Susan B. Anthony amendment, for
bidding the Acknowledgement Of citi-
zens on the ground OF sex. Mr.. Peters
promptly replied that he favored wo-
man suffrage and would vote for it in
the coming session Of Congress.
In the Maine Legislature" said
Mr. Peters. Il did not vote for suf-
frage because in my opinion there
were not enough women who ex-
pressed a desire for it. but the growth
of the movement has led me to sup
port it in Congress-
The leading members Of the Con-
gressional Union in Maine are Mrs.
Frances Butler Aver, Mrs. Harold
Hinckly. Mrs. Keppele Hall of Bangor;
Mrs. Harrie A. Woodman, Miss Ella O..
Woodman of Portland; Mrs. F. W.
Grover, Waterville; Mrs. Emily Howe,
Miss Mary B. Stevens. New Glouces-
ter. and Mrs. John Jay White, York
Harbor. officers Of the State suf-
frage associations in Maine are: Miss
Helen n. Bates of Woodfords, presi-
dent of the Maine Woman Suffrage
Association; Mrs Hannah ]. Bailey of
Washington. D. c.. president at
large; Mrs. Emma E. Knight Of Port
land. vice-president; Miss Anne
Burgess Of Portland, recording secre-
tary; Mrs. Lucy Hobart Day of Port
land, corresponding secretary; Mrs.
Lizzie H. French, Portland; treasur-
err and Miss Alice Blanchard. Port
land, auditor.
The general sentiment in Maine
seems extremely favorable to woman
suffrage. The State suffrage amend
ment passed the Senate last winter by
a wide margin, and received a big ma =
jority (sS to 59) in the House, though
it failed Of the necessary two-thirds
vote. In Congress one of the Maine
senators and two Of the four repre-
sentatives have declared themselves
unqualifledly for woman suffrage.
With more energetic work on the
part Of the Maine suffragists, a solid
vote Of the Maine men in favor of the
suffrage amendment is hoped for next
year.
II would not raise a boy for a woman