Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-18

oLSi aHleEdment "A.
MT. WALKER of Somerset: Mr..
PRESIDENT. move that the matter lie
on the table and be specially assigned
LOT tomorrow morning.
Inc motion was agreed to- and the
OH was re-tabled and Thursday. March
IT, specially assigned for its consid-
Grafton.
Inc President laid before the Sen
a'e Majority report fought to pass)
ana minority report fought not to
pass from committee on judiciary on
resolve proposing an amendment to
the constitution giving political rights
! 10 women upon equal terms with men"
MIR. DCRGIN Of Piscataquis: / move
mat we accept the majority report
now yield the floor to the Senator from
Somerset.
| Mr.. WALKER of Somerset. Mr..
PRESIDENT: I approach a brief discus
SION OF the Resolve to amend the Con-
sttution of Maine comforting eoua,
suffrage upon women from the view
point OF woman's rights and woman's
duty l shall vote on this resolve now
precisely as l shall vote when it is sub
mltted TO the people for their ratifica-
ton or rejection. Did | not believe in
The wisdom of the subject matter of
the resolve l should probably vote
against it. My reasons for voting to
submit this resolve to the people are
| the same as my reasons will be when
vote for the resolve at the polls.
| providing I have that opportunity.
Other Senators may approach the re-
solve from the viewpoint Of demand
I On their constituents to &C.
ton at the ballot box They will vote
regardless Of their own private opin-
| ION as to the wisdom Of granting suf-
frage TO women.
! am aware that by venturing into
/ the territory of woman's rights shall
be treading upon delicate ground. ]
am aware that every step that has
peen taken toward extending the
sphere of woman's activity has been
severely criticized. l am aware that
| among the least civilized nations of
TO-DAY the rights which women enjoy
| are vastly inferior to those of men and
: also know that among the most civ
t lllzed nations, there are many men
! VINO claim for themselves more rights
than they are willing 20 grant women.
In discussing the rights OF women,
| out three positions are open for us to
| take. II may be said that women have
| no rights at all, that her rights are
| INFERIOR TO those of men. or that they
! are equal TO those of men. Whoever
| maintains the first of these positions:
! mat women have no rights at all must
! snow That the Creator intended women
! 70 De wholly at the mercy Of men, their
liberties. their happiness. their lives at
! mems disposal Few will have the
I hardihood 10 assume this position.
From the second position: that the
rights of women are not so great as
those OF men. there Immediately arises
! by how much are they less? What
| shall We use as our standard Of ap-
! portionment. What is the exact ratio
, between tie legitimate claims of the
/ two sexes? What tights are COM
mon 70 beth and wherein do those Of
the male exceed those of the female?
Or, putting the question, practically.
/ We desire to- l.rnw hy some logical
! method whether 4 man DO justified in
giving his orTen,..ng wife cold hath:
j whetnc~ :; wpin&ns rights be violated
when hc; husband beats her in mod
\ V4 s'iItAi SStbu HJiLAS up Ill SoIHt room
| in his house: whether a man may Just
| " take possession of his wife's earn
| ines against her willa These and a
multitude Of similar questions present
! themselves FOR solution. Does anyone
! holding the opinion that the rights Of
! women are not so great as those Of
| men, think he can formulate a rule by
which these questions can be solved?
to take up the third position-taat the
| rights of women are equal to those of
men.
One objection to the equal claims of
the two sexes IS that women are men,
tally inferior to men but this assertion
is not easily proved. When We think
of such women as Mrs. Livermore,
George Eliot, Harriet Beecher Stowe,
Jane Adams, women who tower far
above the average man and their join
ing the important consideration that
the kind ot life to which they look
forward does not present so great q
range Of ambition that they are rare
l. exposed 20 that most powerful Of all
stimuli. necessity. and it will be seen
that the alleged inferiority of the fem
mime mind IS by no means self evident.
But if il DC admitted that the intellect
of woman is less profound than that Of
man, that she is more uniformly ruled by
feeling, more iinpuIsive and less reHec-
tive than man is. This admission gives
no basis to the dogma that the rights OF
the two sexes are not co-eXtensive as
rights are not dependent upon intellect.
If they were. as there are women with
greater intelligence than many men, then
must their rights be greater. which posi-
ton, ! fancy, the man of small brain
cauacity would not care to take.
I am aware that the position which /
have taken gives women equal political
privileges with men. But why shouldn't
she have these privileges? Is il because
she knows nothing of State affairs? In
that case her vote would be like that of
her husband or brother and the practical
effect would be the same as now. Is it
that she might become better Informed:
In that case she would De about as com
petent to vote wisely Is man. l know i:
is said that woInans mission Is a done5-
tic one, that politics are beyond her
sphere but how are we to know what her
sphere really is? In some countries it is
thai Of a beast of burden, il other coun-
tries il is within wcrnans sphere to work
side by side with man under the lash Of
1$U