Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-02

in tho famous declaration o3 ssntinsnss :
Man has usurpsd the powers Of Jshoys him
self. assuming to prescribe for woman . esxtain
sphere Of action, when that belongs TO her con.
science and her God;' and women down
through the centuries have ssitsrated hsr pro.
test.
Roosevelt said: High sounding phrases do
not make . democracy and all the splendid
oratory Of Prssident Wilson upon human liberty
and human rights il hollow mocksry while he
limits human liberty and human rights to men
and ignores the rights and the liberty Of the
women.
Woman suffrage q inst because woman are
taxed to hslp run the govsrumsut and almost .
century and . half ago our man Of Amsrics
declared that 'TsxAtion without representation
Is tyranny Is taxation without representation
any less tyranny In 1917 than II was In 1776 Z
One billion and . half dollars must be raised
IN America this nsxt year 70 radify the sppTo.
pfiations OF Congress; : proportidnsts Fart 81
that money must be paid by women.
Six hundred and ninety-tivs million
dollars will be spent on war appro-
priations: sixty-three cents Of every
~o'~>N - "S"AASh foyS Ava eS-AoO oOOO AoA
war in time Of peace. and in only 10 states does
she have any representation Of her point Of
view in regard to this appropriation. One.third
Of the income tax is paid by woman. Only fou'
million women have anything to say IS TO where
that money shall be spent. In MaineS from an
uncompleted investigation in regard 10 the tax.
paying women. believe these facts: Eight
women in Rockland pay $1,000 in taxes; one.
fifth Of the taxes in Ellsworth are paid. by
women; two hundred and sixty women in Cam.
den pay SILICA on a valuation of $5SS, 254
one hundred and forty six women In
Rumford pay s4274 and % per cent of the
taxes in Belfast are paid b. women.
In Portland a member Of the Referendum
league is working at the assessors Office upon
this matter. When I came away she had
reached the 45th page out Of 600, and had gone
partly through the BIS. She had discovered
up to that point, 1927 who paid taxes, and theil
taxes amounted to $24,674.13. Upon these
figures, would 1t not be safe to say that one
quarter Of the taxes in Maine are paid BY
wolnenf Yet not one of these women has the
right to say for what this money shall be used
In l776 the colonists did not quarrel with tn.
amount OF their taxes. but with the fact thai
they were taxed without their consent
and the only way they could give theil
consent was by representation in the
English Parliament. Thousands Of won.
en- today are crying out against the gov
eminent that presumes to demand theil
tax money. and denies them the right Of
representation.
did you ever stop to think what It would
mean if all the women Of the state who are
taxed should refuse to pay their taxesf Dc
you, remember the panic in New York city
when Mrs. Norman Whitehouse called . strike
OF all the women in New York; She did thi,
to show the righteousness Of tho argument
that 'woman's place is in the homs:' and ever
paper in the state--I might almost say coun
try-seethed with indignation that such
thing should be contemplated. The machinery
of the country could not run for . day IL oil
the women stayed, where the oppo
sition would put them. in the home
So If all the taxes which womer
Maine should be withdrawn from tn.
treasury the governors budget would have I,
be very materially curtailed, and some Of tn,
appropriations would disappear alto
gether.
Woman suffrage Is Just because woman hal
proved her right to every opportunity for de
velopment man enjoys. She has trod the path
| OF education with man and made good. Sh,
has entered business and professional life and
proving her efficiency and power. yet has no
lost her womsnliness or her charm.
| She has given her contribution to all kind
of public service freely and with no thought O
| reward. Her disfranchisement is the last bar
rier which limits her freedom. The ballo
| will be symbol Of her independence ant
equality. For these reasons, we are ask
| ing you to give us an unanimous vot,
upon our resolution. We have no quarre
with you. We are simply grown up,
and we want you to realize It,
~ have no quarrel with you but stand
| For the clear right to hold my life my own :,
Tho clear, clean right. To mould 1t as will
Not as you WILL with or apart from you;
To make Of 1t thing Of brain and blood,
OF tangible substance and Of turbulent thought
No thin gray shadow Of the life Of man.
Your love, perchance may set . crown upon II
But may crown myself in other ways
AS you have done who are one flesh with me-
have no quarrel with you-but henceforth,
This you must know; the world Is mine, a
! yours.
, The pulsing strength and passion and heart o
| it;
The work I set my hand to, woman's work,
Because I set my hand to it,
Mrs. Livingston in introducing tn,
next speaker said women had Away.
been on equality with men and tina
woman suffrage has always stood will
men. She then introduced Charles S
Stetson, former master of the Stat,
Grange, who received a great ovation
from the Yellow Ribboners when h,
arose to speak.
Charles S. Stetson
Mr.. Stetson prefaced his remarks b,
saying friend met him coming in anc
asked him if he were going to argue
! that old chestnut again and he saiC