Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-16
Mrs. Livingston
Addresses the Augusta
Women Suffrage Club
and Evening Meeting
Evening Meeting

Frank G. harrington introduced the
speaker of the evening and said in his
introduction that he had recently told
the pastor of the Universalist church
that he is personally in favor of equal
suffrage, and that he falls to see why
any woman should not want the vote.
He added that the coming century will
bring with it grave problems. which
the women of the nation could help
greatly to solve Alright. Il would trust
all womankind in the solving OF grave
and vital problems fully as far as the
average mankind" he stated, and then
introduced Mrs. Livingston, the State
manager in the coming campaign.
Mrs. Livingston said in opening: One
of the strongest arguments that was
advanced by one OF the visiting speak
ers who was here two years ago was
that Woman Suffrage was not coming,
but going, that 1t was not a universal
ly desired privilege, but Il fad which
was originated by few fanatical
women of the West" She explained
that every nation on the face of the
globe is concerned in the present agi-
tation for wonen's rights, and stated
that today when we look into Europe
greater political advantage than they
do in the on-suffrage states of the
United States. She told of the condi-
lions in Sweden. Norway, Denmark,
Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales,
where women enjoy some form of suf
fragc, and said. Even in the Orient
there is agitation along these lines to-
day, even in China during the past 10
years there has been a great deal of
discussion as to how much of the pol
itical advantages of men it will be pos
sible to allow women to enjoy equally
with men, She said that in industrial,
religious and educational circles the
woman is the equal of the man. and
said that if the move for equal suffrage
found birth in the Far West. the
women who were responsible for it
came from the East in the first place.
The men of Wyoming realize that
women should have an equal voice in
the government, as they are equally
governed with men, on the pure prin-
ciples of democracy. "All you need to
do is to peep into the halls of your
legislators to see that this country is
not "a country of the people, for the
people and by the people, but q coun
try of men (not entirely for the men,
1 grant you), but by the men certain
ly."
She told Of the stand that was taxi
en- by the state of wyoming, where
the legislators said I'VE will stay out
Of the Union for a hundred years If
necessary rather than go in without
our women and told how the state
was later able to go in with them,
and of the other states which went for
equal suffrage soon afterward, until
now there are II states and the terri
tory of Alaska which have equal suf
frage privileges for men and women
alike. In speaking of the opposition,
Mrs. Livingston said: Il am told that
to give the vote to women would in
crease the ignorant vote, and if that
were true it would be well worth look
ing into, for even here in your State
Of Maine you cannot afford to add to
your ignorant vote" She went on to
prove that the percentage Of illiteracy
is greater among men and boys than
among girls and women, that there are
more girl graduates from the high
schools than there are boy graduates
and that even the foreign born girls
who come to this country are better in
formed than their brothers.
IF education is to be the test Of suf-
frage, then there is absolutely no rea-
son at all why the ballot should not be
given to the women. Ninety per cent
OF the entire teaching forces of the
United States are women and less
than 10 per cent are men. You see,
gentlemen. that while you are willing
That we should teach your boys what
they should know and do, you refuse
to let us aid them in the doing of it,"
She told of a certain man who said
that education and morality are the
base of all suffrage" and she told how
he went to the church and found that
there We're three women to every man
there; to the state penitentiary of Ne
braska and found that while there
were 500 men there, there were but
five women, and he told Mrs Living
ston If women are good enough to at
tend church and keep out of Jail, thew
are good enough to vote" Then she
quoted from the Bible to prove that
there is plenty of Biblical authority
LOT equal suffrage, and from Genesis.
900 created man and woman equal
- ''iiN nc gave 10 tnem DOMINION
over the earth" She stated that the
reading OF those Biblical references
once won Il certain Methodist minister
TO the cause of suffrage, and that he
heiPed TO carry the state of Montana
AS we are together in industry and
labor one together in religion and in
education, why should we not be one
IN the great system which governs and
controls these things?" she asked.
She claimed that women as a class uu-
dcrstand and come in contact with the
tarlH as much as the average man.
SlXty-five per cent. OF the things on
our tariff list are commodities Of the
home. II we don't know them now we
have exactly the same chance that men
nave OF studying them, as men do. Wo-
men can purchase newspapers exactly as
cheaply as men. We shall not cease IN
clean and scrub our homes as we have
always done, but we want to also clean
and scrub those conditions in govern
ment which most need 1t. We want the
enforcement OF the prohibitory law, and
every other good law that is on the
statute books of our State woman's
place is I'm the home, but who shall saw
where the domain of my hope shall ex-
tend" she added. ito the remotest place
where the interests of my husband and
son shall take them. Every reason that