Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-02-22

given an equal education with men. So
we see her emerging out of the dark
ages and coming step by step to take
her position by the side of man; and,
gentlemen, the question which we are
| considering is whether we shall take
the last logical step in democratic gov
eminent and give the woman the
browning glory of political status equai
with man. At each one OF those steps
| in her progress, there was heard the
same opposition to taking those steps.
Each time it was said it will spoil
women: it will ruin New England
! homes; t will take away from women
all those features which have given
her charm. 1t makes me think OF Mark
| Twain. whom you remember was going
| on a slow train out in Arkansas, and
| finally the train came to stop ana ne
asked what was the matter. Tne
brakeman told him that there was
COW on the track and they had to stop
and drive her off. They went along two
or three hours longer and again the
train came to stop and Mark Twain
said again to the brakeman, We'll, IS
there another COW on the track" The
brakeman said. NO, it's the same old
COW" G.aughter). Gentlemen, that
il the same argument which has been
urged against every step in woman's
progress, and it is as true as we stand
/ here that if the arguments be correct
the mistake was made when woman
was emancipated from her chattel po-
! sition and given property and educa-
I tional rights equal to man.
! We have enc other thing TO consider
! in finding out whether this is inherent
| ly vicious, because We have other states
and countries exactly like ours Where
this thing has been tried. ! VIII not
! mention the rs states and couiitf}r@ OF
the world which give women full equal
ity. but when yo2 come to consider the
states and countries which give her
some measure OF equality. some rights
Of political privileges. it is; indeed as
totnClnt You can FIND some south of
the Mason and Dixon Line where the
woman has 40 political rights Whatever
but go into the countries OF the old
world and YOU will find England. Ger
many. France Russia, Italy, practically
all the nations that we regard as civil
: lied. recognize the right of women to
some degree to share in the polltlcal
franchise. searched, and | searched a
= long llIlt 90 iiIlN Nlittt states GNU Noe''
: tries must he classcd with Maine in
denying to women all rights of politi-
cal representation. and ! found, gentle
men, that all the states in the north
east United States. all that great terri
: tory west Of the Mississippi. all Of
those countries we regard as civilized,
and many of the countries that we re-
! gard as uncivilizcd-for instance, parts
frin i1rn
were the countries that gave them no
to women some right to vote. Now what
! rights at all, as does Maine? Spain.
Portugal. Bulgaria and Turkey. That.
gentlemen. is the class are in in not
giving to women any rights to vote.
My good friend from Bath Mr.. Lar
rabee has referred to the place where
1 men vote in New York, and he has ques-
! toned the ACCESSIBILITY of placing wo-
men in that position. He has found that
! the men of New York vote in the sa-
loon. Now, gentlemen. il may be be-
! cause the men are more at home there,
, and perhaps if you should give the wo-
! men a voice III the matter, they would
prefer to vote in the churches, because
/ they are more at home there. We
bought little island down here a short
. while ago--;he Danish West Indies-to
civilize and improve them, and now
when We get them we find that under
the King of Denmark. the women had
! already been given the right of suf-
! frage on equal terms with men. Are
We going with the Declaration of indie
pendence. no taxation without represent
/ tation and all the rest about rights. life.
liberty and the pursuit of happiness
a 4,
the Danish BEST Indies that the United
! States does not recognize their right TO
! vote? 1t is a question that must be
/ borne in mind.
Now, gentlemen, if there is no de-
mand, let's get this out of the way and
not be bothered with it for another 10
years, just as they finally got the ques-
. ton OF reSubmiSSiOn ont OF the way two
/ Years ago and we hear no more of that
! now. The Democratic party did not
even ask for local option the last time.
B We are not asking fer resubmisSion; we
are asking for submission of the amend
ment. If this is not inherently vicious.
! II is our duty to send it along The
question as to whether the majority of
women are Indifferent to this matter can
be settled by no one better than bv the
iiSi' III NNCiS lctdiitS VINO Know them.
want to call your attention in clos
ing TO the fact that the majority of
people 1000 years ago We're Indifferent
to the crucifxion of Christ; that 100
years ago the majority of people. and
the majority of educated and intelligent
people, were Indifferent to the matter of
the American Revolution. Read the
pages of Woodrow Wilson or William
! Howard Taft in reading of that period
OF the American Revolution and YOU
VIII IND that it was a small and mill
tant minority that forced the issue with
England and gave MS our freedom One
hundred Harvard College graduates in
the city of Boston, which was at that
time little city of 10000 left the city
because they did not believe in the
tiilnG. Twenty OF the ministers Of the
! leading churches in Boston left as
Tories because they thought it was a
mistake. You will find that same exam
pie throughout history. Some of YOU
remember the days of the Civil War
WREN Abraham Lincoln was minority
President. and when the indifference
ana hostility OF the slaves was the
chief difficulty in securing their eman-
cipation. You will find if guided by the