Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-24

ming, presided over by Mrs. H. W.
Cobb, president of the league. the min
utes of the preceding meeting were
read by the secretary, reports of the
membership committee which showed
that IS new members had been taken
in since the previous meeting were
read. and Mrs. Cobb then spoke brief
ly of the work which had been done
at the Portland Suffrage School in the
past two or three weeks. and intro
duced Mrs. Florence Brooks White
house of Portland, who also spoke OF
the suffrage school, saying that she
felt that the work accomplished there
would be of ineStimable value to the
workers in the present campaign. ana
that concentration and co-operatlon
must be the prime factors in the WORK
if results are to be expected. Her CLOS
ing remark was I'VE have got to get
close together, with just one great big
issue in view, the winning OF this cam
paign.
Mrs. Cobb then introduced the
speaker of the evening, Mrs. T. T. Cot
nam of Little Rock, Ark. who proved
to be a very expressive and interesting
exponent of the basic value and moral,
lot for women.
In opening she stated that Maine
should be proud that she contains
women so capable of espousing the
suffrage cause as those whom she had
met at Portland and in Augusta. She
then went on to tell of the hard work
which is ahead if the State is to be
carried this year. There has never vet
been an easy suffrage campaign. IL al
ways means sacrifice, work and con-
centration of effort on the part OF
everyone engaged in it," she said, and
then told a legend which concerned
the formation of the Passamaquoddy
tribe of Indians.
1t seems that at one time a certain
Young brave Of St Johns tribe loved
a maid of the Penobscots, and as they
were about to be married it was found
that in order to become BRIDE the
Indian maid must sink her own per-
sonality in that of her husband, and.
foresWearing her own people, become
a member of his tribe. This she refused
TO do. and of course the young man
could not think of joining her tribe.
So finally. rather than submerge either
personality, the young people went
away and formed an entirely new
tribe the Passamaquoddy Indians.
Mrs. Gotham spoke Of the Doctrine
of Equality as taught by Christ and
said that this same doctrine had its
first expression politically in the Dec
laration of Independence. "Equahty
is the thing that we are contendinS Tor
today" said the speaker. and we are
convinced that it's full realization is
near at hand High sounding phrases
do not make a Democracy she ad-
ded. There is a great big class Of
people in the United States today who
are smarting under the injustice OF
being governed without their consent
She spoke of the acquisition of the
Philippine Islands and said that after
only 10 years of training the savages
in those islands are considered capable
of self government and she commented
upon the fact hiatt the woman of today,
with centuries of culture behind her, is
not counted the equal of those recent
savageS.
She told Of the opposition which is.
always raised whenever women at
tempt a forward step. and stated that
the old arguments are always raised.
never changing in form. Efficiency
demands that every class shall have
representation in the government.
When you have looked at the great
army Of working women, and at the
typical scale of wages paid to them.
you cannot help but feel Alas we are
not a protected class-we are an ex-
plotted class Nothing is further from
us than the desire to wrest the control
from man. but that we may grow
broader. that we may help solve
great many serious problems of the
day. for this we ask the ballot"
Her address was Illuminated from
time to time with effective and appro-
pirate anecdote. and her forceful style
made every attempted point clear to
the audience. "One- half the people
should not make the laws for the other
half" she said, and then. mother with
a ballot is capable of removing much
Of the temptation from the daily life
of her family. If you can intelligently
discuss the things that your husband
is interested in, it will make of you a
much more interesting companion. and
tend to make better homes"
Governor Hiram johnson of Cali
fornia says that the women have been
a tremendous power for good in his
state, that they have taken the govern
ment. which used to be an intangible
something. and made of it something
that can be used to the good Of the
people. In Colorado they have the best
laws for women. children and dumb
animals to be had in any state in the
world" she added.
"One of the things that the people Of
Maine must think Of is the fact that
the balance of power is now in the
West. that the suffrage states of equal
size have twice the vote Of those which
do not yet have the ballot for women"
Mrs. Gotham emphasized the fact
that unless the men of both political
parties in Maine get together and give
the women of the State the ballot 1t Is
extremely probable that it will be TAX
en- out Of their hands by a Federal
Amendment. and she said, Women have
the longest memories Of any people in
the world. do you think that they will
fail to remember both their friends and
their enemies when they finally do get