Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-19
A Few Assertions Corrected.

! A Few Assertions Corrected.
Editor Kennebec Journal:
There was TO little time for -ebuttaI al
the Legislative hearing that 1 ask you 10
allow me space ii your column, 10 taae
up same % the more important points
which were not touched upon. Mrs. Oil
phant one OF the professional workers o.
OF the association opposed TO woman
suffrage, brought here from New Jersey
TO represent them on this occasion, is
perfectly described By the words which
DR.. Shaw used in reference 20 Mrs.
Dodge. president Of the y. \. Q. Y. 5,
she is a brilliant and convincing speak
er, mainly because she does not coafne
herself 10 facts"
Mrs Oiirhant gave Us 70 understand
that the women Of New Jersey rad The
franchise for many years and valued i,
50 little thar they allowed il Il be taken
away from them. without ore dissenting
voice" Although the women OF New
jersey from 17,5 were allowed the same
right OF citizenship as the men Tor q
years, the properly tax which vas .
pounds, disqualified many OF ne women
from using this privilege. In 7Sg1 a srec-
ial election was held 70 decide u?on
site for court ho1sesaEd Jail. Feeling
ran high and gross freG Ids were pe-pe-
trated On both SIDES. ana the women
were made the scape goats The lagisla-
ture arbitrarily Gisfra nchisec the women
by ''sEspe-ding" the constitutional right
The nearest suggestion TO no dsseat.n-
voice Is the statement that the action
OF the legislature does rot seem to have
been contested" atlerward. The question
was never referred 10 the people ana
the women had no chance 10 make Their
objections legally effective. Ter adverse
statements in regard II the working cir
OF suffrage IN Colorado we're made U7or
the fimsy authority OF ;solateQ opinions
one Of which. at least, x2s credit q 20
woman il that state who is making war
on equal suffrage, is a bitter opponent o.
Judge Lindsey, and one Of the few par
tisan politicians in Colorado. She wen,
+ 70 de-eat with her party, and since the
women are given the credit CT defeat
ing that party size is naturally antago-
nistic 70 woman suffrage Mrs. Goddard
worked 70 have her home town. Co,ora-
do Springs ga wet and i went dry, a
majority Of the women voting dry 50
this is still another reason why A.rt
Goddard was Gissruntlej with woman
suffrage. The state legislature OF Colo
RADIO, py vote OF - 70 !, passed RESP
luton 70 the effect that women have
exercised the right OF the ballot as gen.
e-al!y as men, with the result that bet
ter candidates have been selected fo1
Office. methods OF elections have been
purified and the character Of legislation
2 i'm oil f,,-z
and womanhood developed TO g-ea.e-
usefulness BY political responsibility"
and these resolutions were sent 10 every
governor in the United States. One hun
dred mayors OF the different cities and
towns Of Colorado and the governor and
nearly all Of the state officials issued a
similar statement over their signatures.
( In 1911 mems league Of Colorado was
formed to answer statements in regard 10
the working out OF suffrage in that state
Why don't tie anti-suffrag ists consult
this league, instead Of Mrs Goddard ami
! other d!sgruntled, defeated politicianso
+ Because If they did they would find, to
quote Hon. John J. Shafroth. ex-gover-
nor OF Colorado, there are not q dozen
respectable men. in or out Of Office, who
would assert over their own names
/ that 1t had had any bad results 1t
was stated that if the people of Colorado
had the opportunity woman suffrage
! would be repealed by a large majority.
They did have the opportunity and wha.
( was the result? For eight years woman
suffrage existed only as a statute. Then
I Colorado amended her constitution by
striking out the word male and incor-
/ porating woman suffrage into the con-
stitution and the majority it received was
4 three times as large as when Il was first
Z! adopted in 1898. Mrs Oliphant said she
loved the suffrage map. 1t was SO in
teresting." and then she proceeded to say
! that North and South Dakota, Nebraska,
/ Ohio and New Jersey ought 20 be black.
denoting 10 suffrage. After the hearing
at the State House. she was asked wha:
she meant by that. since those states had
| partial suffrage. and she admitted that
she did not understand the suffrage
map, and did not believe that those
states had partial suffrage. The au-
| thority for most of the statements she
made at the hearing was as well found
ed as was this.
She said that California went wet
under wonan's vote; but she did not tell
! US that the reason it went wet" was be-
cause the proposed prohioitory Law was
such a drastic measure that 1t prohibited
| a man serving wine On his table, having
it In his possession except for medicinal
purposes, and giving it to his friends
She did not tell US. either, that j. forbade
/ the manufacturing OF wine in the State.
| and that thousands Of vineyard workers