Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-04
Woman's Part in Democracy
as Seen by Mrs. Livingston .
Equal Suffrage Movement Leader in M aine
Speaks Sunday Afternoon at Waterville City
Opera House on WOman's Part in the Worlds
Work

Waterville. Me, June 3.-(SpeciaD.-
Before an audience Of over 1000 people
Mrs. Deborah Knox Livingston of Ban
gor, leader of the equal suffrage move
ment in the State, delivered one of the
finest addresses on the subject that has
ever been heard in the city, at the City
Opera house Sunday afternoon. The
meeting was one of the most success
full Of the kind that has ever been held
in the city and the suffrage leaders
were jubilant at its close. The meeting
was presided over by Rev. Frank L.
Phalen, minister Of the First Unitari-
an church, and he introduced President
Arthur j. Roberts of Colby college,
who spoke for a few minutes on the
matter of the Liberty loan. Mr.. Rob-
erts spoke of the fact that every day
he is bidding goodbye to some of the
boys Of the college, who are daily en-
listing for service and that he felt
that it was the duty of everyone at
home to do his or her bit. and that
they could DO it in no better way than
by purchasing one or more Of the bonds
even if they had to borrow the money
to GO so. He said that the government
would have no trouble at all in OBJ
tanning the loan from the big banking
interests but that it was the desire OF
the President that everyone in the
country have a share in this patriotic
movement.
Following a solo by Mrs. Effie Pooler
Malloy, Mr. Phalen introduced. Mrs.
Livingston, who was received with ap-
plause. which was frequently repeated
as she scored point after point, during
her address. Mrs. Livingston spoke Of
the statement that the President had
defined Democracy and had said that
the United States was fighting for the
democracy OF the world. That the peo-
pie had come to believe that there was
no Divine right Of kings and that now
great section of the world had begun
to believe that there was no Divine
right of sex.
Woman's Part
She spoke of woman's part in democra-
cy as being fully as important as that of
men and said that the men Of Maine
should give the women the vote to make
the recent constitutional convention in
Massachusetts, in which the Massachu-
sets supreme court solemnly declared
that women were not people, saying that
she supposed that they meant politically.
That although they were not politically
people, they were about the whole thing
in the church and society and a great
deal In the industrial world. There can
be no real democracy unless the women
have the vote. She discussed the condi-
tons in Russia and the statement that
two of the three great parties there are
in favor Of women having equal rights
with men. She spoke of the statement
made by the ants that it was a freak
thing that came out of the woolly west,
and showed the states that have womens
suffrage. and also told that II parla-
ments of the world had granted woman's
suffrage in some form and had spread
as far east as Rhode Island in January
last; told of how when the United States
bought the Danish West Indies they
found that the women voted there and
that they had to allow them to continue
to have the vote. She spoke Of her pleas
ure that at this meeting there had been
an appeal for the Liberty Loan and said
that women had always been found to be
true patriots and would be first to give
of their money to the government. Told
of the reason for the militant sunragists
in England, that branch being only one
of q suffrage bodies in England. Dis
cussed the conditions that exist in the
Dominion Of Canada and Of how it now
stands second only to France in the
name and fame Of this war.
Cannot Give Up
Declared that the agitation for woman's
suffrage could not be given up. there be-
ing no constitutional provision for recall
ing a referendum and the men must vote
on 1t in September. and 1t was the wo-
mems duty to fight it out no ma tier what
the world was doing. Said that the wo-
men wanted the vote in order that they
might do their bit for the government
better than they can now. Declared there
could be no general democracy so long as
those who govern fail to take into con-
sideration so great a part Of the people.
Women are now as well educated and
take great part in the industries with
the men. A few industries only were
open to them, now practically ever, one
is open.
One of the arguments was that
women should not have the vote as
they could not shoulder gun. Now,
that Is exploded as it is admitted that
the men in the factories are as i'm
portant as the men in the trenches and
there are as many women as men in
the factories. 1t was the women Of
France who kept back the German
hosts and it was the women of Po-
land and of Belgium who assisted in
the noble defence of those countries.
The women are ready to tackle any,
thing when their country needs them
How much longer will men talk about
democracy and not give the women the
vote? The women share in the con-
troll of the home. Are they less fits to
share in the control of the govern
ment?