Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-24
Ballots for Both
in The
Pine Tree State.

Fairfield has organized a suffrage
campaign committee with the follow
ing officers: Chairman Mrs. w. o.
Jersey; vice chairman, Mrs. c. H. 3.
Seliger; secretary, Miss Clara Gibson;
treasurer, Mrs Edward Kelley; chair
man Of petitions, Mrs. Ralph Q. Files;
chairman publicity, Mrs William II.
kreger. This committee resulted from
the large meeting which Mrs. Rather
inc H. Willard of Massachusetts adj
dressed in the Methodist church,
Sunday evening
Under the direction Of Miss l.. Lola
Walker the following campaign COM
mittee has been formed at East Po-
land, chairman. Miss Hannah e. Bar
ton; vice chairman, Mrs. Letitia Rand:
secretary, Mrs. II. Mae Everett;
treasurer, Mrs. A. Z. Waterhouse.
Miss L. Lola Walker Of Pittsburg,
Pa. who is doing such excellent suf-
frage work in Androscoggin county,
has secured Mrs. Nettie Harris of
Minot TO assist in the work in that
section of the county.
The Lewiston and Auburn Equal
Suffrage League has opened head
quarters in the so-called Wiggin store.
Auburn, and after month there will
move to Lewiston. where headquar-
tiers will be established for the re-
mainder Of the campaign.
The Won,an's Journal Of May III
has an interesting article relative to
the suffrage campaign in Maine.
This is the crisis Of democracy"
said Arthur G. Staples, managing ed
itor OF the Lewiston Journal. in re
cent talk which he gave in Auburn,
on the subject of Suffrage" From
a world seettirg in war. from trench
es where men stand knee-deep in
blood and mire. and from reeking
hospitals where women watch and
wait by day and night. comes the
mightiest call Of the ages, for a new
expression Of democracy. which has
| no regard for SEX but which is based
| upor equality of service, equality of
sacrifice, equality Of danger and
equality of destiny
at seems. therefore. very strange
to most men that in this hour partic-
ularly. with thiA nation of ours but a
of the world. any true woman should
hesitate to enter heart and soul into
this campaign in Maine for a repre-
sentation at the ballot box equal to
that at least which we have in the
war
THE nation gives YOU women the
right to work. to sew, to knit, to plant
and to till the soil 1t gives you the
y q fn r,y~ no
right to rear and educate sons whom
you are privileged to send to the war
with a farewell kiss. your prayer. and
your blessing. 1t gives you the right to
submit, equally with men to this enor
nous lew burden of taxation. 1t gives
YOU the right to give up your lives in
| hospitals and in the fever camps. In
short it gives YOU every right and
privilege except the right to declare
by your vote whether or not this ma
ton will enter Upon this war of which
you are so vitality and essentially a
factor
i! Not that l assume that even by
your stronger sentiment for peace YOU
would be less patriotic than men, but
in this hour, when we are battling for
final victory of a government of the
pcople, by the people. Ior tne people,
as against a government of the Kais-
er. by the Kaiser, and for the Kaiser,
it does seem to me that no such step
should he taken without the consent
and approval of 10, 900 persons or vot-
ing age. who are qualified by intelli-
gence and by sentiment and by deep
community interest to cast a vote in
the interest of humanity and good gov
eminent. Such a condition seems to
me to be NOR strous. inhuman, IRA
tional and inconceivably unjust"