Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-24

! ~ ue'ei mined by the people.
10 state those conditions is n,t
ui"cnit. The resolution must he suc,,
'hdt II can, in and of itself, command
support from people of intellieenca
! eApeIlehce and character. It must he
such that fair vote on its nar;ts
Can De secured: one which will bri,,,
/ 20 the polls on election day n,,-
! poruonate representation Of its Oh
popehts and its advocates, SO that tn,
paiIctlnS viii in fact represent tine
| Judgment and wishes of the voter.
measures for which one side has suct,
a large selfish interest that it can an,
"hI procure vote larger in propor-
! '!o1 'hah the real intelligent support
shouId not be submitted. It must .,e
pam and direct SO that people Will
not ny mistake, vote upon any cues
| uon without in fact understanding il.
! 90 not mean that this understanding
must agree with ours.
| If that were true, there could neve-
ne two sides, but that voters should
be such that understand the i'm
mediate effect Of adopting or rejecting
that on which they vote There mus
De such demand that there NAV DC
some reasonable chance of the Ultimate
adoption of the amendment. These,
then, are the four prerequisites: soma
i inherent merit, sufficient interest o.,
each side so that each Will poll a. like
proportion Of its strength, imposs;-
! hlllty of Misunderstanding the cues
ton submitted, and popular demand
( Tor the submission. If these four De
present here il must follow that this
resolution should be adopted.
has womans suffrage some inner
ent merit? That question needs no
argument. No member of this House
. Gould he SO bold as to consider the
/ men and women of this State and ma
ton who are its enthusiastic advo-
Gates and say that this movement is
absolutely without argument in it's
favor, and its supporters lacking in all
! reasonahl intelligence.
Is there such an interest in the
question that the proponents and OPP
ponents alike will vote upon il? The
attention here today. the spirited and
able hearing held some Two weeks ago,
the circumstances filed with the
House and the energy and ability with
which the opponents are conducting
X not confined 10 either side. The
final vote is on a regular election day.
VIXEN every voter will be at the polls.
can this question: submitted he mis-
4 understood" Nothing could be sim
pier. shalt women vote, or shall the
not -ote? Sometimes long and com
pueat"a statutes are submitted 20 the
people. such that no one could under
stand without careful study On such
Questions / greatly doubt whether the
ccung Of ballots has any especial bear
III on he viii Of the voters. but We
hav~ robins OF that kind here. No
one could fail to understand his Voc
q this amendment.
Is there a popular demand for a
) submission Of this question? TO my
mind, there is
The Hu:n2e" Of enthusiastic advo-
cats -he pcrsistency Of their efforts.
IT. history and growth OF Wona n
SUf-rage III our sister states, from
U n:ch a.. ara rot so different after all
ami the esrousal Of il by both r.
rubllaH ana Progressive parties. al
show ,hut MANY OF cur voters faN%F
H. t. te sure. the matter was YER
little discussed in the last campaign.
hu5 Inc lna-e fact that Il could achieve
the honor If a platform plank shows
largo pIbi!c interest.
.G.nt,, inen OF the House. this reso =
larlon meets. then, these four pre-
.4,u .si;os. !, has inherent merit: =
cl1a-i. understood by every voter: il
VII, secure a fall and fair expression
Of r.e Peoples will: and is demanded
a government If the people. fer the
r.on}e aad by the people. We shou!
,.->e .lhis rgSolution-allow The people
= settle the question for Themselves.
ana SHOW them that our faith in pop
u.ar 20. crnment j. not an emp.
catch 7orG but. living, real and
strong.
Governor Curtis Present
While Req Pierce was spea hln2
Governor Curtis entered the hall anu
vas recognized ~ the speaker 1h9
assenblage accorded him the usual
! honors by rising and standing until ne
had taken hi- seat at the right Of TN"
sneaker President Hersey Of the Sen
..fc had previously been seated a. the
! speakers left.
The Telling Blow
( The HI rdest tloN struck at the resolve
vas undoubtedly the eloquent and Witty
or9-ioo delivered by Rep. NcCartF OF
lewiston. lis speech aboCnded n irony
yit and ridicuie and though he himself
acknowledged that he might not be deal
ing IN logical argument, il IS freely stat
"a, .hat his was the blow that hurt most
; Of all. He held his audience throughout
his sneech and time and again threw the
aiority Of his listeners into unrestfalh-
ed laughter. The foundation OF MS
speech vas the statement that he does
mt believe there is any occasion for Vot-
! rr unon the question Of equal suffrage
a, this time. He declared ne "ouio De
! one of the first to speak in its favor Wheti
y. ras SIRE that a majority of the wo-
men of the State desired ii, but could NOT
! favor il while l5.coo women asked 1t
a,ains. the silence Of over 10000 women
either opposed or disinterested
]