The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-02-04
SHALL WOMEN VOTE?

10 the Editor of the w aterville Senti.
mel: We believe that the home is the
corner stone of the nation and here
women have in the past moulded charac-
tiers which have shaped the destinies of
nations. If women so desire, they can
control the ballot from the home. We
believe that majority of the right
thinking women do not concern them
selves so much about how men shall vote
as they do to instill thoughts of pure
thinking and right living and to rear sons
VINO are capable of steering the affairs of
government and bearing burdens which
are too heavy for their frall shoulders.
Not long ago we read a statement by
some prominent man that the reason why
women had NOT been granted the ballot is
because the majority of the right think
ing women had never asked for it and did
not want it, but he said, if the time ever
comes when this class does demand the
ballot, it will be granted to them. We
believe that this is true, and that all
praise, all credit, is due to the men of
this nation who have refused the ballot
on the demands of those who are un-
worthy to use it.
Some one has said that men are the
home makers and women are the home
Keepers. Surely we can trust the men
of this nation to make laws to protect
the homes. They have done this well in
the past and we see no reason why they
cannot continue to do as we'll in the
future.
If we grant the ballot to one class, we
must grant it to all. Then the question
In our mind is this: Shall we on election
day turn loose that great army of crea-
lures, thousands, tens of thousands, yes,
hundreds of thousands of them, who in
habit the red light sections of our cities
and let them go to the polls and there, side
by side with the good, pure women of
this country, cast their votes and have a
voice IN the electing of our Town, State
and National officials and in the making
of our laws? Their influence would be
downward, rather than upward. They
would want officers elected and laws en-
acted that would protect crime. And
shall we give this class chance to be-
come candidates for high positions and
perhaps, yes, probably. defeat good, up
right women? Weregret to have to admit
1t, but there are women among this class
who are bright, intellectual, and we'll
educated, but perfect demons morally.
we DO not hear very much now about
the Suffragettes over in England and are
wondering what they are doing. We hope
they are trying to atone for some of their
unwomanly actions of the past by scrap
ing lint and rolling bandages for the poor
men who are suffering for home and
country on the blood drenched fields of
Belgium and France, or making gar
mcnts and collecting food to send to the
innocent, destitute victims of the most
horrible war the world ever knew. And
we are wondering If the Suffragettes
could conduct matters over there any
better than they have been and are being
conducted
For our part, we could face any amount
of charges from batteries of human
tongues, but when it comes to guns,
especially of such size and power as
those being used by the Germans, we
must confess that we are towards and
would run, and give up the whole game.
BERTHA FRANCES HILLMAN.
Troy, Me-, Jan. 25, 1915.