Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-29
SUFFRAGE MEN MEET
Continued from Page ons)
The Speaking

past 30 years, and added that although
defeated time and again they have never
been discouraged. but have persevered,
ana that 1t now seems that victory is
at last on the way. He read a record
OF the work since it's very start, and
stated that he remembers as boy wo-
men working for the amendment. He
referred to the passage of the amend
ment as step toward progress. and
urged both Republicans and Democrats
TO take the last logical step. and vote
Tor suffrage in September He said.
the 10th of September will be Square
Deal Day for our women. what are we
going to do about it?" He appealed
to the men who voted for the referen-
dunn not to stop with that act, but to
carry 1T through do it now and do it
for Maine" He stated that the present
war crisis need not hinder the suffrage
movement, and explained that while we
may send ten million men to the war,
a great many times that number will
be carrying on. their usual vocations at
home. and that giving the franchises
10 women will not interfere with the
necessary war measures. Not every
woman is a Peace at any Price paci-
fist" he said, and closed with an appeal
to all those present to enable the wo-
men of Maine to stand side by side and
shoulder to shoulder with the men in
whatever the future may bring forth.
Hon. Charles F.. johnson
He then introduced as the next speak
er Hon. Charles F.. Johnson, who stated
that when he first went TO Washington
he was not in favor of Suffrage, that he
had been in position.to.: hear a great
deal of the enthusiastic approval ex-
pressed by his associates in Washing
ton who came from the states where
suffrage had been adopted, and that he
was very deeply Impressed. with a mot,
to which is engraved on the fine statue
in Statuary Hall, erected to the memory
of Francis e. Willard, the motto COM
mencing. 1T is woman who gives to
fortune the costliest hostages. out into
the battle of life she sends her best
beloved" and he went on to say that
mis- ideas in regard to suffrage had be-
come entirely changed, and gave a num-
Der of concrete reasons for the
adoption Of the measure, saying
Il do not look upon the granting of
the suffrage to women as a mere mat
ter of duty or justice, we need her, we
need her influence to make for us
better citizenship" He went on to ex-
plain that many of his collea CUES from
Colorado. Wyoming and other western
states where suffrage has been given
a thorough trial are all enthusiastic
and ardent supporters of the cause, and
called attention to the fact that in no
state where it has been tried has there
k,v~ 40
the measure.
Governor MiIiiken
The next speaker was Governor Mil
kilen, who came in for just moment,
as he was occupied with other bust
ness in the other branch of the Legis-
lature He stated that he was very
sorry that it would be- impossible for
him to remain through the entire pro-
gram. that he agreed with the last
speaker that the question was not so
much one of Justice to the women as
of necessity for the good of the State.
I'VE shall all get nearer to what we
all desire, a better system of handling
our State government. if the people
vote. as I believe. they will vote. for
equal Suffrage for>yomen in the State
OF MAINE. ne Sdu
Hon. w. r. PattangaIl
Following the departure Of the Gov
ernor, one of the vice presidents of the
league, Hon. VIM. r. Pattangall, was
introduced and stated in opening that
he had never heard an argument
against suffrage for women that did
not apply with equal force to men. He
said that it will not take. a woman any
longer to attend to her political duties
than it takes a man, and that if wo-
mar should be engaged in taking care
of home, the man should be engaged
in supporting it. What are the re-
quirements Of good voter?" he ask
ed. There are hut two that l can rec
ognize. and they are intelligence and
Patriotism. You certainly cannot draw
n sex line on either Of those points.
imagine that the brain capacity of the
men anG the women Of our State would
not vary much. We read the same book,
and attend the same schools. 1 hardly
see how there could he a difference"
He added that if the argument is
brought up that women will not go to
the polls. that certainly also applied to
the men of Maine. for There were $780,
900 votes cast last Fall in the guberna-
torial election, and it was big vote. and
then in the national election in Novem-
Der, with much more serious issues at
stake, only $4,000 voted. which shows
that about 1900 men in Maine didn't
care enough about the national election
to go and cast ballot. One reason for
this was because there were no means
at hand at that time to urge reluctant
voters to the polls. He spoke of the
difficulty which always exists in get
ting voters to attend the polls. and also
spoke of the use Of money in corrupt
ing voters, making the statement that
there are between $4,000 and 10000 cor
cupt votes in the State which are bought
and paid for at every election, by both
parties.
He referred to the statement made by
the anti-suffraSe workers that woman's
place is in the home. and he said "They
refute their own argument even as they
utter it, if it is true that woman's place
is in the home. why are they out speak
ing themselves" He stated that he be-
lieves granting the women the vote will
result in the cleaning up Of corrupt
practices in voting, and the cleaning UP
nm Il1C enc m cClrl0a rim