Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-11

paign committee and elected the 1ol-
lowing officers, chairman, Mrs. Olive
Haskell; vice-chairman, Mrs Flora
Kelley; secretary, Mrs. Carrie Bald
win; treasurer, Mrs. Flossie Dagger
strom.
Starting with charter membership
Of Of eleven in August the Biddeford
suffrage league has grown to a mem
bership of over eighty, and they report
steady growth Of interest and activity
for the cause. Three ward meetings
with speakers, have recently been
held. The Biddeford league has asked
all the Ministers to preach on Mothers
Day on the subject of the justice of
giving ballots to mothers.
! An enthusiastic campaign committee
is at work in Wilton, the officers be-
ing. chairman, Mrs. George H. Bass;
vice-chairmsn, Mrs. Angie Fernald AL
len; secretary, Miss Elizabeth Bass;
treasurer, Mrs. George E. Clark; pub
licity, Mrs. Herbert Sewall.
East Dixfield has an interested
group of women busy for the suffrag e
cause-Miss Clara Butterfield Mrs. V.
o. White. Mrs. Guy Robbins, and Mrs.
Julia Kidder.
Hon. D. J. McGillicuddy of Lewiston
and Mrs. Deborah Knox Livingston of
Bangor. chairman of the suffrage
campaign committee for Maine. have
been invited to speak at Turner
Grange, the middle Of June.
| To all the clergymen in Maine. Mrs.
Deborah Knox Livingston, chairman
Of the State suffrage campaign COM
mittee, is mailing the following letter:
| We find ourselves in the world s
cataclysm Of war. The nations Of the
earth are in a mighty struggle for
| democracy. In our own state the
women are making the effort to secure
political freedom. and on September 10
the men Of Maine will be privileged to
grant them that freedom.
| We earnestly ask for your sympa-
thetic cooperation and believe we
have right to expect 1T from the
leaders Of the church, whose constitu-
ency is so largely made up of women.
| TWenty-seven countries of the world
have granted some form Of suffrage to
women, and in our own land eleven
states have full suffrage and eight
have presidential suffrage. Canada has
| enfranchised the women of three
fourths Of it's provinces, two Of the
three parties Of Russia have prom
ised the vote to women in the new
government, and Great Britain is
about to confer full Parliamentary
suffrage upon its women.
| Would it not seem that the men
should grant the ballot to women on
September 10?
Relative to the question Of women
in the home here are some interesting
facts worth reading:
The place of the woman is in the
home. But merely to stay in the home
is not enough. She must care for the
health and welfare. moral as we'll as
physical Of her family. She is re-
sponsible for the cleanliness Of the
house She is responsible for the
wholesomeness of the food. She is re-
sponsible for the children's health
She is responsible above all for their
morals.
How far can the mother control
these things.
! She can clean her own rooms and
care for her own plumbing and refuse,
but if the building is unsanitary, the
streets filthy, and the garbage allowed
| to accumulate, she cannot protect her
children from the sickness that will
result. She can cook her food well
| but dealers are permitted to sell adul-
terated food, unclean milk or short
weight, or measure, she cannot pro-
vide either wholesome or sufficient
feeding for her family. She can open
the windows to give her children air,
BUT II the air is laden with infection.
| she cannot protect her children from
| disease. She cannot send her children
| out for exercise il the conditions on
the street are immoral and degrading.
She canot shield them from this dan
ger.
1t is the government Of the city or
town that controls these things and
the officials are controlled by the men
who elect them. Women do not elect
these officials yet we hold the women
responsible for unclean houses. defect
i've sewerages. unwholesomc foods.
fire risks. danger Of Infection. immoral
influence on the street II women ore
responsible for these results. let them
nave something to say as 10 what the
conditions shall be. -herc /. one
simple way to do this. GIVE THEM
THE VOTE
women are by nature and trimming
housekeepers. Let them help IN tho
city house cleaning. They will intro.
duce an occasional spring cleaning.
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