Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-09
MISS LAURA HUGHES
wins HER AUDIENCE
ON FRIDAY EVENING
AT Library Hall by Her Able
Disposition Of the Question:
Are w o m e n Patriotic ?"
Storm Prevents Large At
tendance But Those, Present
Are Greatly Pleased

are HTedCly fleaSeQ
Asserting that patriotism consists in
service rather than in street corner
protestations of love of flag and coun-
try, Miss Laura Hughes of Toronto.
canada, answered emphatically in the
ahrmative the question which she had
taken as the subject of her address,
Are Women Patriotic?" Friday eve
ming at Library hall. The storm made
an out of door meeting. as had been
scheduled, out of the question, and as
would be expected there were not a
large number present at the previous
ly unannounced meeting place. Those
who attended were rewarded by the
pleasure of listening to a woman of
most pleasing personality, who spoke
with simple directness and forceful
logic for the cause of woman suffrage.
She was introduced by Mrs. Florence
Brooks Whitehouse Of Portland. Aft
er introducing her remarks with the
question which was her subject Miss
Hughes said:
First, let's find out what is patri-
otism. Is it shown by the person who
stands UP and declares his flag the
greatest of any. being able to give no
better reason than the fact that he
is living under it? People who talk
about my country. with the emphasis
on the my are not always true pa
triots. True patriotism comes under
the head of service. l believe that the
majority of women are willing to
serve their country. 1t seems too, that
at the present time women should stay
outside public service: and that is the
type of mind that cannot comprehend.
economic principles. The anti -suffrag-
lists are unpatriotic because they are
denying their obligation Of service to
the country"
Since the war started. said Mrs.
Hughes, the countries that have denied
women the vote are finding that they
absolutely could not have gotten along
without the women's help. At first the
people were amazed the way in which
the women were able to take up the
work of the men. In England, she said,
women who sign up for public service,
are not allowed to leave the work and
there is even talk there Of conscrip-
ting the women for the service. In
France 10000 women are working be-
hind the lines. For a long time women
have been giving service outside their
homes, unnoticed, perhaps; but since
the war started, it has been noticed
that women's work outside the home is
indispensable"
1.-The industrial system" said the
speaker, largely supports the political
system. A country where the woman is
not recognized in the political system
is lacking Men reason and think In
one way and women in another. Meth
err is better tina the other-both are
necessary. The country is really suf-
fering because it hasn't the womens
voice The first government in the
world was in the first cave mans
home In that home there were two
functions. Tho man did the providing;
the woman did the nurturing. The
man is part in the government is the
only part that developed as the system
Of government grew. The woman's part
was left out. The function that says
that human life is the essential thing
is lacking.
When the appropriations are cut off
it is for the milk supply. the schools,
or some such interests"
Miss Hughes told of a personal inves-
tigat;on in Toronto. Canada, of condi-
tions of work on government con-
tract, in which she found the girls la
bored from Z in the morning until .
O'Clock at night, and that some did
not receive over SO a week There was
an inspector but he only saw that the
product was we'll made. He didn't
take note of the working conditions.
"If YOU don't pass that bill the her
ries will! spoil" she said was the rea-
sonins by which a bill in the interests
of the Gaming industry. relaxing the
strength Of previous legislation prohib-
iting child labor, was passed in Onta-
rio
Several places where the women vote
were mentioned by Miss Hughes as
having extremely low death rates. AS
showing the capacity of women for
government she told of the case of the
International Nickel Co. of Ontario,
which had been producing nickel which
in large quantities was sent to Ger
many. All the nickel that Germany
used in her preparations for the war.
were mined in Ontario, she said, III
was bad enough that Canada sent Ger
MANY the nickel before the war, but
after the war started she continued
sending over the metal with which her
own men were being killed. she ad-
ded. This state of affairs was brought
to the attention of the government by
the women. A similar case regarding
the zinc supply of Australia. was re-
lated by Miss Hughes.
Where women vote they don't vote
the straight party vote all the time
she said. Women say: Here is my
ballot; what can l do with it?' 1t
makes the members of Parliament sit
up and take notice when they know
that the women are watching how they
vote"
The speaker asserted that in all
countries where women have the vote
II has been found such an advantage
that it has never been taken away, and
when it has been again voted upon in
these countries, it has been endorsed.
"Anti-suffragists say that women do
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