Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-08-16
An Anti Trick Revealed.

An Anti Trick Revealed.
Maine is being treated to the same cam
paign tricks used by those opposing the
franchise for women in eastern states and
later in middle west states. This State is
being thoroughly circularized with a let
ter signed by William T. Hickey. dated
Oct. II. 1915, and supposedly written in
Colorado State Federation of Labor. The
letter is written in the hope Of casting
discredit upon equal suffrage in Colorado
and is designed to turn the labor vote
against the franchise for the women of
Maine. The matter being sent out refers
to Mr.. Hickey as "a fellow worker of
John r. Lawson" the well known labor
leader.
When this matter was first put out,
during the New Jersey campaign. it
was called to the attention OF Mr..
, Lawson who wired the National AM
cI INdI w oIIldu SuIlI dSc LaSSoCldtlOli,
Oct. IS, 1915. as follows
When William I. Hickey stated
that suffrage in Colorado was a fail
ure, he was not authorized to speak
for me, the State Federation, nor the
Miners Organization. The eight hour
law could not have been defeated by
factional fights of women in this State
for there were but two women in the
legislature when the law failed of pas
EQUAL suffrage has ALWAYS had
my hearty endorsement, and | intend
to remain steadfastly in the ranks of
its advocates. ! look upon it as one
of the means of solving many Of the
political, social. industrial and econo-
mic problems confronting the Ameri-
can people today.
(Signed) John r. Lawson.
International Representative Dist Is
United Mine Workers of the World.
The. reputation of Mr. Hickey's
Misrepresentation was equally as en-
phatic in the telegram received by the
National Suffrage association from
John McClennan who wires Oct Is,
I 1915:
William T. Hickey expresses his
own personal views and not that OF
! the labor movement of Colorado when
he states that woman suffrage Is A
failure in tSs State. Organized labor
in this State is not opposed to woman
suffrage. strongly favor woman
/ suffrage and believe 1t to be one of the
, fundamental principles of true de-
! mocracy, and entitled to the support
I of all who are interested in liberty and
! progress"
fSigned) John McClennan
President of Colorado Federation of
Organized la Dor has endorsed wom-
an suffrage repeatedly for - years
, realizing that the women employed in
gainful occupations need that same
protection that the ballot afford the
man.
The Maine State Federation Of La
Dor has shown conclusively where it
stands on the question Of suffrage by
its endorsement of the franchise for
the women of Maine
Mrs. James w. Wadsworth. Jr. of
Groveland, n. Y, and Washington, D..
G., wife of L. S. Senator Wadsworth
and formerly Miss Alice Hay Wash
lngton belle, came to Augusta, pre-
sumably with message to anti-suf-
fragists and with words that might
convert every suffragist who might
hear. She was the guest on Wednes-
day of Mrs. John +. Hill who hos
pitabily invited reporters to call and
see and partake of the inspiring pres
ence of Mrs. Wadsworth.
But other local ants obviously
vetoed the plans. for reporters were
! excluded because they did not have
the pass phrase Il am an anti" They
were sent away and told to call again
a little later A little later they called
but were again not permitted to hear
what Mrs. Wadsworth had to say. The
secret session was over and appar-
emily Mrs. Wadsworth would gladly
talk to a reporter, even from that
! hotbed of pestilence" which one of
the local ants so characterized the
kennebec Journal. But Mrs. Wads-
worth was hedged about in a manner
that probably gave her a conception of
her own lack of wisdom and political
astuteness. She might have convert
cd our reporter where local ants have
failed-and that must not be. 1t was
rot.
Be that as il is we meekly submit to
chorus of that hotbed of pestience"
because we have dared to make pub
lie the above facts from the pens of
John r. Lawson and John McClennan.
The Springfield Republican takes Col.
Frederic F.. Boothby of Waterville to
task for putting automobiles into a story
about Bill Nye that was supposed to have
happened in Maine in the middle sos.