Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-25
Editors Letter Box
Are the Ants Woman Hatsrs?

Editor Kennebec Journal:
It is easy to see that the ants are
making a determined effort TO use the
columns Of the press through personal
letters for the purpose of disseminat-
ing their propaganda. The suHraglsts
ask the privilege of replying to these
letters in your columns.
In the issue of The Portland Express
Aug. %, Miss Mary Edwards of Free
port has a letter which is so typical OF
the Anti -Suffragists that the following
reply may be pertinent outside OF the
columns of the Express. Miss Edwards
shows throughout the letter the ear
marks of a misogynist. She is not
only disgruntled with suffrage but
with the world in general The old
days were so much better. Every
thing from morals. manners. health
and creature comforts have steadily
been on the down grade. She would
like to attribute the downfall TO wo-
man suffrage but being unable to do
this, she pours out her vengeance
upon suffrage because it happens to be
the thing. at the present moment, upon
which public attention is concen-
trated.
She tells US that Col. Roosevelt and
President Wilson at first were opposed
to woman suffrage. but fails to say
that their conversion has been due to
their forward vision and their ac-
ceptance of the trend of the times. She
charges the cost of the election on Sept.
10 wholly to the suffrage amendment
disregarding the fact that four other
II -
the same time accusing us women of
not minding the cost SO long as we get
our own way, yet the four other
amendments are laws which directly
interest the men.
She protests at adding the nonstrous
sum of So to her taxes for the price of
citizenship evidently not knowing that
In Maine. as the law now stands, only
aduie males are required to pay Doll
taxes.
She takes vicious joy in company
with many of the anti suffragists in
depreciating her sex, and we can fancy
her among the group of ants at the
hearing at Augusta two years ago.
VINO wildly applauded the attacks of
the anti speakers upon the virtue and
honor of the American women.
she tells US, this woman from Free
port Maine. that the conditions have
not improved in Colorado, in face of
the following facts; that two leeisla-
lures have unanimously endorsed wo-
man suffrage; that ten years after
suffrage was adopted in Colorado
by referendum of statute to the laws
the amendment to the constitution
was passed by a majority three times
the size of the first referendum: that
group of sc distinguished Colorado
men representing more than 40 So
cletles numbering thousands of Col
Torado citizens. came forward with a
punilshed statement in the New York
campaign two years ago denouncing
the anti concentrations of Colarado
ana endorsing woman suffrage;
tnat all the representatives to Con-
gress are loud in their praise of
the effect of woman suffrage in
their states and grasp every op-
portunity to speak for it in Con.
gress; that according to the fed
eral census In 1915 the wealth per
capita in Colorado is s131s, the tax
rate is $2.10 on $1,000 tone of the low
est in the U. s., the public utilities
are valued at 253 million dollars. and
Colorado municipal bonds sell at Al
per cent.
MEN OF MAINE, are you going to
be misled by such unfounded state
ments as-the anti suffra gists are pro-
mitigating? We believe not. We
sunragists ask you to throw the
searchlight of truth upon the condi-
lions in Colorado and while they are
far from perfect (women have only
voted 20 years in Colorado remember)
we are willing to rest our case upon
the results accomplished there.
Florence Brooks Whitehouse,
Fryeburg, Aug. %.