Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-22

tunity OF sitting by his side in the
councils of state and of deciding ques-
tons OF welfare that affect SO vitality
herself, her husband and her children
One hundred fifty years ago a great
English jurist, Lord Mansfield, said,
Wherever English law extends, there is
no man, however humble he may be,
who has not rights as sacred as those
of the King" and l hope today we shall
meet this question unitedly and write,
in letters of fire that will flash around
this world the verdict of the people of
Maine that wherever Maine law extends.
there is no woman however humble she
may be, but has rights as sacred as
those of men. (Great applause)
Mr.. MESERVE of Naples: Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen of the House: l
rise to oppose the passage of this re-
solve. I will not inflict upon you a
24-hour speech, because l know. il [
did. there would not be a vote here for
this resolve or against it,
1t has been said by one of the previ-
Gus speakers that if any gentleman OPP
posed the passage of this resolve, he
would be politically dead or otherwise.
have always opposed the passage Of
any resolve like this. and I am pretty
much alive today, and / expect to OPP
pose 1t again.
would ask you gentlemen to remem-
Der your grey-haired mother, your wife
and your daughter. Do you want them
to go into the slums of politics and po-
litical strife? AS l once heard an emf
nent divine say, the ways in politics
are deep. dark. devious. and sometimes
Gavt1iNh - which rr6piIht iS n
many instances. Gentlemen. do you
want your mothers. your wives or your
daughters to participate in anything
like that? ] hope not. Again ] would
ask each and every one of YOU to OPP
pose this resolve.
Remember the rome-the fathers
kingdom, the childrens paradise, and
the mothers world.
Mr.. SNOW of Mars Hill: MI Speak
er and gentlemen of the House: We are
about to vote upon question which is
of great Importance in the State of
Maine. If we linger few minutes long
er than is our wont in the consideration
of this matter, the time may not be en-
tirely ill-spent.
1t is not a question of sections or of
clans. It's extent is as wide as the
Sldte u NldlIle 1t EXTENDS from lhe
farthest island at the south to the st.
Francis river on the north. 1t extends
from the palace or mansion of the city
to the hut in the wilderness.
History tells US that why the Anglo
Saxon people made such strides in civ
ilization was on account of their love
of home and their veneration of woman
hood When their army engaged in a
a<r1,&
for their homes. That spirit has not
passed from the earth, but is alive to-
day Wendell Phillips said. perhaps in
some degree we have done what no peo-
,, pie or tribe in any time anywhere dared
even to try; we have found great en-
pire upon the unlimited suffrage of the
millions. and yet it is not unlimited, and
that limitation, year By year. is being
removed.
| wish to pay small tribute for a
few minutes to American womanhood.
Washington, the Father of our Coun-
try, wore around his neck for 40 years
the likeness of her who was his great
est inspiration among the SHOWS of
Valley Forge, or the honors of the
Presidential chair. John Adams had
his greatest inspiration in his plain
wife, whose inartistic manners We're
often the amuse ment of the people in
the circles into which they We're invit-
ed. During the Civil War that leader
of Red Cross fame, Clara Barton, was
called the heroine of the trenches
remember woman now dead-and |
have reason to remember her-who
lived in the county of ArooStook, and
Fer husband spent three years or more
in the army during the Civil War. one
Gay she was walking along and was
oVertaken by a gentleman, or at least,
! will coll him so now, and he asked
! her TO have n ride. and Immediately
i he began to talk Of the war. that it
was failure. that the troops had to
be called home, and that Lincoln ought
to be imprisoned. She said and told
me many times, Il could stand the
lonliness Of those three years: | could
stand the suspense of news from the
front, but / could not stand that: |
gave that Southern sympathzer that
taitorous copper-head, such a piece of
my mind that he was glad to drop the
subject and talk about something
else
If you want an example of patriot
ISM ana courage l point YOU to Bar
bara Freitchie of old Fredericton
who tool. up the flag and shook it in
the face Of the destroyers of her coun-
try and said. You may sacrifice me.
but spare your countrys flag"
Gentlemen of the House, I believe We
are in honor bound to submit this uucs-
ton to the voters of the State and let
| them have a chance to express their
opinions upon it. Let the men outside
| this Legislature have a chance to say
, whether they favor woman suffrage or
rot ! dare say if woman suffrage
becomes a fact in the State of Maine,
there will be ir some future Legisla-
ture some women representatives, and
believe, though ] do not know, that
every citizen in this Legislature who is
! opposed to this measure, were he elect
| ed to some future Legislature like
that, would be very glad to be APP
| pointed upon a committee to which
some looking woman was APP
pointed. Gaughter) | doubt if any gem
tleman here today will tell you that
such an arrangement would not be sat
| isfactory.
| MI Speaker and gentlemen, | hope
| that this measure will receive a two
| thirds vote in this House.