Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-05
SUFFRAGE MEETING
Continued from Page one)

irresistibly and finally toward womans
political emancipation.
Are the women of Maine less de-
serving and less competent than the
peasant women of Steppes? Shall
America be as free as Russia! Does
Maine fear the new woman" and
what have we found her to be? FIRST
Of ALL we have discovered that she
is; not new. that she is the woman OF
old, the woman of yesterday, TO-DAY
ard forever. The creatures of Broad
way, the pitiable spectacles painted OF
face. and CARRIED, or rather ungarbed.
! ir the latest creations of Dame FASH
ion,-who, by the way. is man, for
I the dictators of women's dress today
are males.-they are not the suffra-
gists of the nation, these distressing
new women" are the prophecy of
what the future VIII be unless we listen
to the voice of the prophecies in the
/ land. These female parasites of society
who are invariably opposed to the
erfranchisement Of their sex. are the
! first fruits of evil times. against which
we mist move 10 save the race.
The women of Maine who ask for
are. They have not changed. Their
world has changed. And with intelli
gent heroism they are fighting against
fearful odds. ID adjust the machinery
of society to meet modern needs.
! One has declared that already three
foUrthe of women's former sphere has
slipped away from her. Back at tie
beginnings of the race she was in all
things partner of the man. She not
only bore children and reared them.
She was arn1or- bearer as well, tent
maker. house builder and planter
tender and reaper of the harvests.
But gradually changes came Men
no longer spent all of the time in fight
ing or preparing to fight They began
tc relieve women in the fields, and to
assume more and more the heavier
portion Of all building operations
Women found more time for the nurs-
cry and kitchen, loom and spinning
wheel.
AS civilization progressed still few
er men went away to battle, and war
became less frequent. Minds with
leisure became inventive, and machin-
cry simplified the household labors Of
women. The nursery was invaded, for
the cry was no longer. Give me sons,
many sons" but Give US fit sons" and
the honor Of mere numbers in child
bearing gave way to the distinction
of quality as we'll
Then. too the home itself reached out
beyond the pioneer clearing which for
rlerly held all it's activities, until it's in
terests became identified with all the
problems Of a society no longer bounded
BY family, village. tribal or even racial
lines.
1t is as unreasonable to insist that
women in their social and political rela-
tons today remain as they were before
the advent of the public bakery the tailor
shop. the candy kitchen, the public school
and the legalzed saloon. as it would be
to insist that they go back to the spin
ming wheel to assume again as a normal
occupation the hod-bearing of the builder
Civilization faces female ultimatum
today. All, more than that it is a racial
ultimatum, for effete women produce
their kind and final racial standards are
fixed in the womb.
This Is the ultimatum: Parasite or
partner?
Woman must be admitted on equal
terms to participation in all activities Of
modern society, or she must occupy an
ever narrowing sphere that will crowd
her at last to the soft couch of voluptu-
Gus idleness. where Grecian greatness
died and Roman splendor waned
Do YOU say that womans sphere Is IN
the home? Then what will you do with
the 100000 Of industry who have no
homes. and who must toll under man
made discriminating laws. and for men
fixed discriminating wages? And l insist
that masculine opposition to entrance of
the female into public affairs~,is not the
protest of chivalry,-men are not suggest
ing that the scrub-woman be eliminated,
it is the woman doctor the woman law
yer, the possible woman office -holder who
arouse the protests. 1t is the reward and
not the work, the honors and not the
hours, that ultra conservative men,
whether they may confess it or even,
realize 1T, or not, are jealous Of
But womans sphere is the home and
she is supremely responsible for the fam
lily And because l so believe, / am in
tensely concerned that she shall find no
barred doors anywhere that open to
knowledge and power which will make
her more competent In her paramount
task of motherhood. For the sake of the
future we must not consent to send wo-
man short Of fully armed into the social
arena. She must have every last weapon
OF home defense
few years ago the mothers Of Massa-
! chusetts represented by the leaders of the
/ Woman's Federation of clubs, marched
up Beacon Hill to request OF the legisla-
ture adequate milk inspection laws.
They pied for their children. for their
homes. Their plea was forgotten. It was
not granted. Matters of grave moment,
new wings for the State House, etc, had
1 to he considered first. In the meantime
babies died poisoned by impure milk.
Presently the leader of that delegation
from the mothers of the commonwealth,
Mrs Frank Young, president of the wo-
mans Federation Of Clubs. and one of
the brightest and most useful women of
the State. was stricken with milk poison.
I ing. She remains today an invalid.
What would have been the reception &C
corded those petitioning mothers who
asked for protection for the children OF
No. r4l~,. ~ a