Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-22
Editors Letter Box
Communication from Barrett Potter

Communication from Barrett Potter
To the Editor of the kennebec
Journal:
My attention has been called to an
editorial of yours of week ago. re-
ferr!ng TO what You call an ''un-
guarded admission" Of mine. You
are perhaps paying more attention
than it deserves to my letter TO the
Portland Press Of November S, 1918,
criticizing the attitude OF the Maine
delegation on the suffrage amend
ested in it, and do not understand
the passage You quote, l Will explain
it to you.
The passage referred to. incluC
a sentence you did not have room
for. is as follows:
Il do not claim tina: the vote Of
Maine in 1917 was binding on ileT
representatives in 1915. ! confess
have no patience with che doctrine
o: instruction that would make
representative a rubber clamp. !
would have a member Of Congress
free to vote his convictions, but II
they incline him TO oppose his state,
his party, and the form Of govern
rnent under which he lives. he
should be pretty sure of his ground.
and be able to state sound reasons.
and his constituents are entitled to
know what they are
It is in the first two sentences Of
the above that you find the 'un-
guarded admission
One OF the convictions I have
held ever since l was boy in Bow
dom College is that there is no room
for the doctrine of instruction n
representative government. \ rep
resentative should by no means ig-
more the wishes Of his constituents.
He should, on the contrary, gi'e
them great consideration. but, having
done that, ne must, when he comes
10 vote. express his own convictions.
In my letter to the Press. had
said all OF the Maine delegation but
Senator Hale voted against their
State in supporting the amendment.
Then. to guard against the inference
that | thought they were bouno as
representatives 10 vote as the state
voted. / added the passage you ana
l have quoted. II my object hao oeen
20 make out q case against the
amendment. regardless Of the Ia" or
the facts. should have SAID they
we're bound by the state vote, pHt
rhe valid arguments against the
amendment seemed to me su1nclehl
without adding any that l kne" 10
be invalid. II is because that IS not
your method that you do not UNDER
stand it.
great Democrat, Lamar Of Mis-
sippi. said to the Legislature OF hls
state that attempted to controi MS
vote in the United states senate:
"Retween that resolution ana my
conscience is gulf that l cannot
cros"" a great Republican. William
pit, Fessenden, said at the trial OF
Andrew johnson. whom the people oi
Maine wanted convlcted: IN re-
snonsa to the suggestion that tne
neop,e demand the conviction or the
president on these charges. reply
that he is not now on trial oelore
the people but before the senate.
Those were fine replies. and SOUND IN
law. and it is interesting to reElem-
Der THAT Mississippi and Maine each
upheld her great senator VINO hau
the courage Of his convictions.
The question of woman suffrage IS
lust now not on trial before the peo-
ME hut before the Legislature. ana
YOU will he amazed that. in that con-
nection, l repeat the ''unguarded ad-
mission" l do not claim that the
vote of Maine in 1917 was binding
on her representatives in Congress
in 1918. or is binding now on her
representatives in the Legislature.
Rut their oath of office is binding on
them, and if they vote their own
convictions. in accordance with that
oath. they will find. whether wonlan's
suffrage goes up or down. that the
people of Maine have not changed
their minds about supporting repre-
sentatives who are real representa-
tives and not rubber stamps.
Are you convinced in your own
mind" / would ask each senator and
representative. that the rule of
more than a hundred years ought to
be changed? Do you honestly be-
lieve that the women in your home
town whom you know best and re-
spect most want to vote? If you
can say yes to those questions, by all
means vote for woman's suffrage.
But ii you cannot say yes, YOU should
vote no.
| have no doubt that if that rule
governs the vote on the pending
1ecS
tic appeals. Mr.. Editor. Will have
been in vain.
BARRETT POTTER.