Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-25

continued up to the present time.
Equal suffrage existed in eleven states
before New York was added to the INST
Each of these adioined one or more
where it already had been tried and
It's results were well known, This fact
ir itself is convincing answer to the
al cumentS against it.
Women should not he compelled to
go on for years bearing the heavy bur
den Of these State campaigns. Not in
any other State have they as many eN-
perienced leaders as in New York and
probably not in any other can they
raise proportionately the amount of
money they have raised here. This
campaign of 1871 cost about 100000
all contributed within the state and
principally by women. There Were
hot more than two hundred in the City
and State who received salaries. The
money all went for necessary and le-
ultimate expenses, maintaining head
quarters in many places, advertising,
circularizing voters and the creating OF
the most complete political orSanlZa-
ton of women ever known. For the
past three or four years thousands OF
women have given their services graf
uitously. This situation would have
t. be duplicated in all of the thlckly
settled States to carry an Amendment
Favorable conditions existed here
which are not likely to obtain in other
campaigns. The War Work of the
women, their registration. etc, We're
tremendous asset and the men eX-
pressed their appreciation with their
Hal -.
here than in any other State and was
a large factor. One at least of the dom
inant parties favored the Amendment
The Trade Unions voted for it. The
assistance of President Wilson was a
powerful influence. No such combina-
ton Of circumstances would be pos
sible in any other State.
There should be careful consideration
of what it means for the women to APP
PEAL to the individual voters. 1t means
that they must beg and pray for the
/ support of thousands of ignorant mnIi-
grants and of men Of every creed, race,
color and condition. 1t means that
| they must 90 on their knees to tn"
| liquor and vice interests and to the in
| temperate, immoral and degraded If
! every Kind In the north and in the
| south it seems as if every man should
wish to spare women from this humilia-
ton instead of forcing it upon them in
! order to obtain their enfranchiSement
| 1t seems as if the men in every state
should wish to set their women free
| from the drudgery OF these state cam
raigns in order that their services
might be utilized along the many chan
nels Of social welfare where they are
so much needed.
In a number of states the constitu-
tons are so worded that they cannot
be amended and in various others new
! ones can be made only at intervals of
many years. In some of them only one
amendment can be submitted at time
and in still others one cannot be re-
submitted until five years have elapsed
! If one state every year adopts woman
| suffrage, which has been the average
for the last seven years, it will require
Sc for the women in all of the states to
be enfranchised. If two states each
! year are gained, which is the most that
could he hoped for. is wears will be re-
| quired. Long before that time every
progressive country in the world will
| have given suffrage to women and the
United States will come in at the very
end of the procession. This is un-
| thinkable
If the position is taken that three
| fourths of the state legislatures shall
not enforce their will on the other one
| fourth. then 1T must be accepted that
the Federal Constitution never shall be
amended. Those who maintain the
| States right TO determine it's own
! electorate declare in fact that the men
of the State shall decide who shall vote
| and may hold the women forever in
disfranchised condition if they choose
to do so. 1t does not mean the right If
! the people of the State. but simply the
right of the men, and this is absolutely
| contrary to the principle of individual
/ representation on which our govern
! ment is supposed to be founded.
| It IS generally conceded that univcr-
1 sal woman suffrage is inevitable Why
insist on the state-by-state method
which will make it impossible during
the present generation, when a Federal
| amendment would end the contest
within a comparatively few years"
After it has been submitted by two
thirds Of each House of Congress 1t
must then be accepted by the legisla-
lures of three-fourths Of the states.
| Their members can be elected on this
| issue and the men of the State
will have an opportunity to direct how
they shall vote. Should ii be adopted
each state will still be entirely free TO
make its own requirements for voting,
except that it shall not disqualify
! solely on account of sex
| A Federal amendment offers the east
| est, the spediest and the most dgnified
method for obtaining the suffrage. The
women of all the states are joining In
! this movement for action by Congress.
| II all the newspapers and all the politi-
! clans in the United States should op-
! pose l. they would not be swerved from
\ this position. Why then prolong and
\ intensity the struggle which has al
| ready continued for seventy years.
! Why should Congress wait until urged
/ by the President to submit the ques-
| ton? Why should it not receive its
mandate from the people of the coun-
4 try
In behalf of the women everywhere
who want the suffrage, we earnestly
| request that you will extend to this
Federal amendment yonr valuable sup
! port and help to create a public senti-