Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-25

miaion parliament before the next cleo
ton.
I'm great Britain all the most inplacable
enemies Of the cause have surrendered. A
woman suffrage bill has passed the House
Of Commons by vote Of seven to one
and It will soon gosto the House Of Lords,
but II the usual summer recess is taken
about the first Of August. 1t may not get
through the House Of Lords before De-
cenbeY. All the press Of Great Britain
speak OF the question as absolutely set
tied. France has promised the vote to
women after the war Is over but the
women Of Russia have voted not only
once but several times since the -revolu-
ton. The question has been adopted
within the past few weeks by the leading
political parties Of Roumania. Hungary
and Italy. and it has even been proposed
IN the Prussian parliament that the won-
en- Of Germany have the right to vote as
a reward for the services which they have
rendered. Even the Chickopee war In
dams have caught the infection and have
enfranchised their women.
Seven states by act Of their legislatures
last winter gave the women Of their states
the right to vote for president and five of
these states took action after the resolve
proposing a constitutional amendment
had been passed by the Maine Legisla-
ture.
1.-THE question now is. will Maine men
give Maine women fair play the same
fairplay as the Canadians have given
AL vNAr fha hn
question resolves itself into this: Will
the United States, the greatest Denoc-
racy in the world~enterug into a world S
war, to fight for Democracy announce
by an adverse vote on woman suffrage
that 1t is not sincere in its own faith in
Democracy. AS a matter Of fact we
have always kept the gates Of our Re-
public open to men and women Of all the
world and have invited the oppressed to
find liberty here. No men enter through
those gates who don't find at least the
political freedom they enjoy at home
and perhaps something more, but now
every enisrant woman from England,
Scotland. Ireland. Wales. Norway, Swe-
den. Denmark. Iceland. Finland, Russia,
Australia and New Zealand loses the po-
litical status she possessed at home, and
II she were to come to Maine would be
reduced from a position of political equal
ity with her husband at home to an abso-
lutte political nonentity.
There are some who say that this is
no time to push for woman suffrage, but
the question has been submitted and must
be voted upon Sept. 10. campaign or no
campaign. 1t is true that we are busy
and overweight with the cares and prep
arat,ons OF war. but other countries like
Canada. Great Britain and Russia have
found time to extend the vote to women
since the beginning of the war. That
should be a sufficient answer to any
critic.
There are those also who profess to be
turned against woman suffrage by their
aversion to the acts of certain women in
Washington as pickets. They are not
members of the National American Wo-
man Suffrage Association and we don't
approve OF their tactics. Yet if it is A
good argument that because women are
picketing in Washington that all women
are not good. it is also a good argument
that the men in East St. Louis who stir
d
and the Industrial Workers of the World
who have been trying to burn the north
western forests in order to prevent the
chtting Of timber for ships and have over
run several western states for the pur-
pose Of destroying crops in order that
there will be no food to send to Europe,
furnish clear evidence that all men are
not At to vote.
THE great defense against this on
ward movement in Maine as elsewhere Is
that women do not want to vote. The
vote is permissible and not obligatory.
It is liberty extended to those who wish
to use 1t. 1t imposes no burden on the
woman who does not wish to exercise the
right. Had men waited until all wanted
to vote every land under the sun would
be governed by a Kaiser. Millions Of
Ipen in our country have never exercised
the right to vote and yet no one thinks
1t just to hold all men disfranchised be-
cause some are SO lacking in public spirit.
patriotism and genuine responsibility that
they will not take the trouble to think
out the solution Of political questions"
... Mrs. Livingston
we oFo very udPpy anu our CrSdnlzd.
ton has gone like wildfre throughout the
State said Mrs. Deborah Knox Livings-
ton Of Bangor. the campaign manager for
the suffrage cause in Maine. -
Large audiences have been present
at both our indoor and outdoor meetings"
she continued. I'm the early part of the
campaign with the entrance Of the war.
naturally the attention of the people was
turned to the Liberty Loan. the Red
Cross and the National Defense move
ments. but now that these are out of the
way the attention of the voters is being
turned towards Monday. Sept 10. when
the question Of suffrage for women will
be passed upon. The interest is rapidly
increasing and we believe that the voters
will give their approval Of the amend
meat to the constitution by voting yes. "
At the close Of the meeting col
lection was taken to help defray the
expenses Of the suffrage campaign.
Those Present