Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-24
mrs. D. <. LIVINGSTON
Suffrage Leader Addresses w.
c. T. U. at Durham

We - W Gbt Luz 4AeS4A
Durham, Ne, May 23.-The
crowning feature Of the s1st annual
convention Of the Androscoggin coun-
ty w. C. +. U. at Durham Tuesday
and Wednesday. was the address
Tuesday evening by Mrs. Deborah
Knox Livingston, the suffragist lead
er.
Mrs. Livingston. addressing the
gathering. outlined in rapid succession,
in her own inimitable manner. the his
tory, growth and issues Of the equal
suffrage movement. the importance Of
the campaign, and answered several
Of the often repeated arguments
against its feasibility.
This campaign Is unusual in being
waged when a war has broken out.
A member Of the Legislature has sug-
gested that 1t be called off because Of
II, notwithstanding the fact that a
referendum once submitted to the peo-
pie cannot be recalled were there 81
, wars In progress.
Because it is frequently said that
the great mass Of the women do not
want the franchise. Mrs. Livingston
emphasized the importance Of petition
work. as a means Of proving beyond
any doubt that $4,000 women Of Maine
do want the ballot.
:. For the benefit OF those who enter
tain fears Of introducing some ideas
from the wild and woolly West she
called attention to the first settlers Of
the first state to give the ballot to it's
rfv1ry ISntsJ h -
repeatedly refused statehood. saying
, they would wait a hundred years TOR
the privilege. but they would take their
women with them.
Those first settlers were eastern men
, and women and the flower Of New Eng
4, land has gone to build UP the wild and
4. foolly West" In a tour through the West
. Mrs. Livingstone found that in II progress
, sive cities of states which have enfran-
. chised their women, the mayors. ardent
: sufiragists in every case. were New Eng
land men. II WISH" Mrs. Livingstone
, told them, that you had stayed in New
! England just a little while longer"
. Does John earIeyeorn Pay?
. Though many Of the issues Of this cam
T.. paign are moral issues, she convinced her
T. hearers that they must be solved on
A, commercial basis, even the liquor ques-
; ton. which was probably nearest to the
A.. hearts Of her audience. Does John Bar
! that can be presented to check the drink
b, traffic. 1t is not a question OF impover-
3. ished homes and ruined manhood, but 4
simpler question of booze or bread. which
: will bring the final answer.
=, As TO the rapid onward sweep Of suf-
, frage, more has been accomplished in tina
4. last seven years than in all the 70 years
J., preceding. The present struggle for full
4, democracy in Russia is the leaven Of the
| Finnish people working through the
country, for Finland before becoming a
+. part OF that vast empire had given its
4. women the ballot.
, Denmark has fully enfranchised its
1 women and when the United States
: purchased the Danish West Indies. the
{ women Of those islands kept the priv
ilege, those being the only terms un-
: der which the colony could be sold
. Don't some Of us wish" said Mrs.
4. Livingston. that the United States
F.. would buy us?"
, Tho Immoral Vote
-
, OF the bad peoples vote?" is the fire.
auent question Of doubters Of the ef-
: ficacy Of equal suffrage. Says Mrs.
. Livingston, 1T is not. If the men Of
the State will undertake to clean up
. the immoral vote Of men and the 49,
: 900 purchasable votes Of Maine. will
I be responsible for the cleaning up Of
/, the immoral vote Of the women, and
+, shan't be working overtime either"
But women have had no political
/. training" say opponents Of the cause.
! They overlook statistics which show
that far more girls than boys are
$ graduated every year from those
schools of ours which boast of teach
: ing citizenship to girls as we'll as boys,
and that the same ways are open for
enlightenment to both.
A certain man and he was doubt
less only one of many, objected to
take women from their homes. Where
are they going, trother?" Mrs. Living
ston asked him. For there is no place
where women can go to which they
have not been already.
II votirg has not made a man any
less manly. was Mrs. Livingston's f.
nal armament. It will not make wo-
man en-: less womanly.
So,d Message TO Governor
Daring the meeting it was voted to
se'd the following message Of appre-
cation to Governor Milliken: The
women OF the 31st annual convention
Of Androscoggin county w. c. T. U.
wish to express to you their apprecia-
ton for the stand you have taken re-
Earding law enforcement equal suf-
frege and those other things for which
this organization stands"
II was voted further being strongly
urged by the State president, Mrs. AL
thea Quirlby. to send a telegram to
President Wilson. urging national pro-
hibition as war measure.
Greetings were sent to Mrs. Quinn
by. Mrs. Charles Goss. Mrs. Wood
sum, Mrs. Abbie Peaslee, Mrs. l.. W.
Clark and Mrs. G. H. Cakes.
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