Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-24

There was a good attendance at the
regular meeting of the Augusta
Woman's Suffrage League held at 2.3O
Tuesday afternoon at the Senate
chamber at the State House and Al
especially interesting program was
carried out. After a short business ses-
s.on current events were given by
Mrs. S. ]. Beach and a paper upon
The National Congress OF Mothers
and Parent Teacher Association. This
was the last program meeting Of the
league before fall.
chairmen Appointed
Mrs. w. r. Pattargall, chairman of
| the city committee o. the league, was
unable to be present at the meeting
but it was reported that she intends o
start the work in the ely in the near
future. She has appointed the follow
! ing chairmen to supervise the work in
the different wards: Ward 1, Mrs. 6.
A. Ellinwood; Ward ., Mrs. W. E.
Swift; Ward 3, Miss Slice H. Johnson;
Ward 4, Ms. Katherine Morrill,: Ward
), Mrs. May P. Sturtevant: Ward s.
Mrs. Annie +. Farnham: Ward Z, Mrs.
/ w ..
ace Sturgis. These ckairmen will ap-
point helpers to canvass the city and
an effort will be made to reach every
person in the city with literature and
q rollment slips. The idea is to get all
in sympathy with the movement The
sips carry no obligation hut are mere
ly an expression Of opinion. 1t is hoped
in this way to meet people in sympa-
thy with the movement, who would not
come out of their own accord
Mrs. Henry W. Cobb, president Of
the league. presiced at the meeting and
the secretary. Miss Alice H. Johnson,
was at the desk. The minutes of the
previous meeting were read and &C
cepted. New applications for member
ship in the league were received The
league is steadily growing in member
ship.
Current Events
In giving the current events Mrs
Eeacn spoke of the fact that Mrs Hell
Gil French Aldrich was recently elected
mayor Of her city, S4wtelle, CAL, while
| at London Mills, H., a complete
Uomen's ticket was elected. The most
important bit of suffrage news this
month was the validating Of the viii.
CT Mrs. Frank A. Leslie. under which
the sum of 100000 nas bequeathed to
Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait for suffrage
work.
The ladies were also interested in the
! announcement that following tie con-
vention of the Womens party, June 5
! to I, will come the largest suffrage pa
10 L. i
| ing day Of both the Republican and
| Progressive party conventions in Chi
| cago. Every state in the Union is to
be represented, large delegations are
| coming from distant points and ILL.,
nois is preparing to furnish a large
| contingent. On the basis of responses
| to date the headquarters sees 4O.OD
marching for suffrage on June l. The
| object Of it all is to urge the inser-
| ton of an equal suffrage plank in the
| platform to be adopted by the national
| Republican convention.
Mrs. Adams Paper
| Mrs. Adams in reading her paper
| spoke in part follows:
The organization known as the Ma
| tional Congress of Mothers and Parent
| Teacher Association needs for its full
! success the membership of parents and
| teachers, of all political parties, all re-
! ligious beliefs and of many different
| opinions as to the right and wrong of
| various movements and important ques-
| tions of the day but it confines itself
as body to one single high purpose
that of lettering conditions for "citi-
zens in the making" as the work Of
the Congress is essentially for those
who are not only Interested in, but
willing to strive for the betterment IF
| conditions for the race. 1 consider my
self most fortunate in having been
asked to tell the Augusta Womans Suf-
frage League something Of this Con-
gress, which l have the honor to rep
resent.
1T is very interesting after a lapse
OF 20 years to read what Mrs. Theo-
dore w. Birney, the founder of the Con.
SresS. wrote in regard to the origin Of
the movement. She says 1t was not
long after the birth of my second child
that l determined to put before a few
OF my intimate friends my idea that
there should be something like a fra
ternity among mothers. / had a de-
voted husband, lovely home and ev-
erything to make me happy and yet
II seemed to me that the responsibility
OF the little human souls dependent up
on me for guidance involved so much
responsibility that too much could
scarcely be done to acquire the neces-
sary strength and knowledge to per-
form my duties as a mother. / began
to think Of the hundreds Of mothers
not so biest as | who besides being de-
prived of the education that would aid
them in the home training of their chill
dren were lacking in the knowledge
conducive to making home healthy.
cheerful and happy. Eventually a
small group of earnest women Assem-.
bled at Mrs. Birney's home in Washing
ton and organized the movement which
has since become an international pow
err.
First Of all the Congress placed |
emphasis upon home life, for every
child comes into son.e kind of a home |
and the influence for good or evil are /
never forgotten. The Congress saw
children suffering from parental ig- |
norance concerning health, food, ply |
steal, mental and spiritual growth |
and methods which must promote !