Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-12

n ba both just and expedient and
have reasons for Than belief Il Is not
tNN purpose al this time and place 10
-l- nN,antIate these reasons hy detailed
statistics O, arguments but This much
win SAY. We believe that the en-
-r..r i.-s n1aut q women is Just be
cause as We inol down the long vista
uf Tie PAST along which has come the
evoluu9n ol The woman Of today, We
tote tie various landmarks Of her
progress. We see her first in me feud-
q, aces q mere serf the chacJel of he,
sYru ana master, We sec her next
emerging INFO the stage where she &C
ag-~ed property RIGHTS the right to her
. Wae-.s. to own and hold separate prop
/ e"tl. the wight 10 the equal guardian
snip o. he~ children We find her next
h~ force OF circumstances achieving
Independence and equality in the world
"t industry. both business and pro
teSr5cna.. and QW-ljfvinG successfully
there. W. follow her from that into
he period where against The opposi-
tlou and ridicule Of a violent ma iOri-
IS she f3uchT for and achieved her in
tclleCtual liberty and opportunity for
an equal education. and now II last
ia our own DAY and generation we
perceive her slowly hut surely. all over
the civilized world. acquiring that last
ppl IL the Workshop. welding that last
link IN the chain Of wurNan'S develop
mcnt as an individual being which Sc
cures her political freedom. And 50 l
sly that woman today Is justly entitled
t4 the franchise for she has fully
earned i Is the reward If her Ions
lars uf patient enIeayor and noble
achievement.
/ know. Of course, it is said that the
I franchise Is not a right. bur u privi-
ie4e hul I care nOt how You choose 10
-crtn II, Il II is 4 right, then II ~ just
tla, woman should have Tier right: if
Il Is a priviie ge. then ii Is time she re-
ceiVed *, because she has qualified
herself lndustrially. Intellectually and
morally. &uG has therefore justly earn
ga the privilege
Suffrage needs woman in poll
tics 70 help establish and enforce re~u-
lationS aGainst child LABOR and the ex-
ltiuIlallon OF children for gain TO help
secure further l@ws for the promotion
ol temperance. prevention If waite
slavery, and the proper enforcement OF
those laws whatever the! m~v. pc. 10
help eliminate bad candidates and Sc
lect the best men Tor Office. Senator
Borah during his recent speaking touc
ln Maine said that one o1 the results
o. womans suffrage III his state Of
Idaho and the other suffrage states is
the fear OF political parties 10 put up
bad candidates on account of the pc
Jcnti&I vote cf the women who would
-C1I 90, IN fun force to get a. them.
We do MOI believe that the advent Of
equal suffrage will cure all political
evils or usher in the millennium:
only The enemies of suffrage attribute
these beliefs 10 lis: but YOU. gentlemen
and I, know instInctively that the ad-
mission Of the great majority Of moth
ers. wives and daughters OF our state
and country 10 the privilege Of the
franchise viii bring to suffrage and
politics an influx of morality and ideal
ism OF q higher average quality and
standard than that maintained by the
great majority Of the men, which is
bound to make for social and politi-
cal uplift in the long run. That such
has been the tendency is the testi-
mony of Legislators. national represen-
tatiVes, mayors, ministers, and social
workers from every suffrage state
Eut if you, gentlemen. do not know
and feel this 10 be true, there is q
great body Of men in this country who
do: and these are the criminals, cor
ruptionists, and opponents of organized
vice of all kinds: who in every contest
have been found aligned up in opposi-
ton to suffrage. Why? Because their
keen instinct of self interest and self
preservation tells them that the advent
of women into politics viii be inimical
to their purposes and threatens their
very existence.
In these Gays when the existence Of
political corruption is such a recoSnIZ-
ed facI that il has ceased TO be profit
able for our MAGAZINES to exnloit il: