Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-20

pOlIlCduy "lScI dht4S'
We are aware that some women,
great many women OF voting age, do
not want the ballot. They shrink
from the burden, as our Portland
writer puts it. They dread the respon-
sibility Of choosing between right and
wrong; they have been reared IN an
atmosphere of women's 'impracticabli-
ity," women's Incompetence to
grasp the depth OF political prob
lxms They have grown up under
standing (and they reached such con-
ycticns of maturity that woman's
sphere does not embody actual par
ticipation in making the laws by which
she is governed. They have seen the
broadening of that sphere" into ev-
cry other activity of human affairs
without recognizing, or at least ad-
hitting, that their accepted status of
the franchise has been affected.
We know that many women who are
deeply interested in political affairs
directly and vitality concerning their
children and their home life. behold an
ina ginary dragon in the path of a
visit for two or three minutes to a
polling place one in a year or two
These aversions, the outgroWth of
traditions. and natural modesty, are
capitalized and preyed upon by the
active ants. Women who would give
their right hands to suppress the
liquor evil that menaces the welfare
and very lives of their children, still
cover before the task Of actually TAX
ing part in VOTING the evil out Of
existence. They are willing to argue
and write and plead and implore-but
/ to VOTE, oh, horrors"
We KNOW of these women in ev-
cry community Of the land, and re-
spect their reluctance as the natural
crop of the seed of time. But we have
not the same respect for the "convic-
! tons of the militant anti suffra sists
who are moving heaven and earth in
/ their ceaseless activities to prevent
the women who Do want to vote from
taking up the burden" which they
( lave recognized as duty.
The doctrine of thou shalt not, BE-
! CAUSE 1 DON'T WANT YOU TO-"
breathes only the spirit of bigotry,
/ selfishness and injustice
If militant anti suffragists do rot
wish the burden of voting because
| they recognize their own incompe-
tence, why do they take up the ire
! mendous task Of convicting all their
sisters of equal incompetence
Admittedly, the anti suffrage move
nent is NOT a man-made machine.
Indeed when anti suffragism has been
charged with serving as tool of men
in evil business, the charge has been
Indignantly denied. 1t is, then, wo-
mans game promoted and operated
with the sole purpose of preventing
other women from doing what said
promoters and operators do not wish
to do.
There's the meat in the nut with the
she'll cracked.
The ants seem to feel that if the
women who DO wish to take part in
public affairs are given legal right,
+ then they (said antis) MUST take
part to offset the effect Of the other
women's vote. Otherwise, why all this
fuss and feathers? If a women does
! not wish to act on her own judgment
/ in public affairs, why should she? The
franchise conferred on OTHER women
does not compel her to vote.
/ Some men do not vote, and others
/ vote as they are paid by selfish inter-
ests. Women will probably do the
same; but from our observance Of the
natural moral tendencies Of men and
women we are convinced that a small
er percentage of the vote Of women
will be perverted than of the vote Of
men.
The anti-suffrag ists usually hold
that woman suffrage is a reward,
or favor" GRANTED. The most
earnest and conscientious suffra gists
both men and womens hold that it is
first right and then a DUTY Of in
telligent womanhood to vote We
would not ask it as a boom, as Mrs
Hazard names it, but as the patriotic
acceptance of burden" that should
not he evaded because Of Incidence or
cowardice.
Mrs. Hazard says it is rather ridi-
culous that just because women have
demonstrated ON A LARGE SCALE
(the capitals are ours) their remark
able power of adapting themselves tc
emergency work, they should be com
PEELED when peace is declared to carry
extra political burdens
We need not again refer to the