Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-11-25
EAST NEEDS ITS
WOMEN AT POLLS
New York Herald Calls it "Scan-
dali That One Section is Dis
franchised.

The Woman's Journal and Suffrage
News has the following OF especial in
terest to Maine at this time:
The importance of the women's votes in
the national election last week has stirred
the entire country. The New York Times
(Dem.) and the New York World (Dem.)
are declaring that it was the Western
women who reelected President Wilson.
From political standpoint there are two
reactions to this belief
O feeling among Democrats that
equal suffrage has been a good thing and
should be extended.
(2) A feeling of resentment among Re
publicans tempered by the fact that they
realize the obvious unfairness OF having
women in the West a part of the electcr-
ate while women in the East are rot.
If the East is to keep up it's voting
strength. they ask. must not the women
of the East be given the same rights that
the women of the West have?
Last Sunday Chairman Wilcox of the
Republican National Committee declared
that Republicans were feeling easier over
defeat because they saw that President
Wilson had won the popular as well as
@AC SASSSOA a. VIE. ~ 10 d oleiiiiiSoiiS AeASN
that in this popular vote are counted the
ballots of the Western women. While
the electoral vote of a State remains the
same after its women are given equal
suffrage. the popular vote of course does
not. Although the largest suffrage State,
Illinois, with its g electoral votes, went
for Hughes. 10 of the IL others went
Democratic. The Democrats. therefore.
have increased their popular vote through
the women's ballots. In conceding to the
Democrats the popular vote, Mr.. Wilcox
frankly puts the rest Of the country at d
disadvantage numerically. Throughout
the East only mems votes are counted in
the popular total Throughout the West
women's votes as we'll as mems are
counted.
In this connection the New York Herald
independently says:
while the fact cannot be determined
with accuracy until there is an analysts
Of the official vote, the present indication
Is that the result in California will have
been decided by the votes of women. The
same situation may be disclosed by
analysis Of the results in some other far
Western states. We do not know. But
we do know that 1t is little short Of ma
tional scandal that women should be al
lowed to vote in some states and not In
others-that the selection of President
and national administration should be
committed into the hands Of women vot-
ers In one State or group of states when
women Of other states are denied the
voting privilege.
1.-The Herald is not speaking from a
partisan standpoint, for 1t is not partisan
1t is speaking from he standpoint of
broad Americanisln and Is speaking for
the future.
THE United States cannot long remain
republic in fact if such inequalities In
our political system are permitted to con-
tinue."
The New York Tribune Rep) says that
the part played by the women voters in
the election shows that they are not only
able but willing to take their place at the
polls with the men. Entirely aside from
the merits of equal suffrage as an acad-
emic question, the fact remains that in
about half the territory of the country
women are voters today. and it Is a GER
taintv that this right will never be taken
away from them. Thus women in the
non-suffrage states are disseminated
against, not only in lacking the vote
which husband or brother has. but in
comparison with their sisters fortunate
enough to live in more progressive COM
monweaths. The discrimination should
be removed as speedily as possible. SO
that each community may avail Itself Of
the distinct service which the feminine
half of humanity can give to the public
In exercising the rights and filling the
duties of citizenship"