Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-05

address of Prof. Woodruff of Bowdoin
week, VIC are giving the full text, as
follows:
The opponents Of the bill to give the
women Of Maine the right to vote for
presidential electors claim that the
question of woman suffrage was de-
cided in the referendum vote Of Sep
TENDER, 1917, and that the decision
then reached holds in full force to-
day. In view Of the fact that only
about one third CT the voters recorded
their verdict at the polls, and only
one fifth voted No. it is opel to ar
gument whether that vote really eX-
pressed at the time the judgment OF
the people of Maine. But, waving
that contention for the moment. it
cannot with any justice be claimed
that one fifth of the citizens Of a
state can by single vote settle an
important question for all time to
come. But the time that has elapsed
is so short, it is said. In that short
interval no radical change is possible.
This is to forget how fast things
have been moving since the var be-
gan, and that the speed has been ac-
celebrating with every added year.
The world We now live in is Il new
one. The world that existed before
the war. the world that existed for
Us before our entrance into the war.
is gone forever. Two great closely
allied movements have been spread
ing like wildfire over the whole world.
the movement towards democracy in
government, and the movement
towards equal rights for women. The
latter has resulted in the immediate
crystallizing Of it's dominant purpose
in new legislation. Since the war
began the women Of Denmark. Cana
da, and Great Britain have been CIV
en- the franchise; in this very month
Sweden has followed their example:
and a bill Of the like import is now
pending in the Dutch Parliament,
which. as it has the unexpected sup
port Of the government, is thought to
be sure Of passage. In all. Is foreign
countries have already enfranchised
their women. And the new govern
ments now forming in central Eu-
rope. in Germany. Austria Hungary.
and adjacent territory. are all start
ing with equal suffrage for men and
women, while in Belgium, France. and
Italy the same movement is we'll un-
der way.
Country Feels World Change
This country too has felt the slim
illus of great world change. In the
last presidential election the women
of twelve states helped to choose ri
presidential electors. In two years
the number of states with presiden-
tial suffrage has increased from IL to
FL. In these 81 states there are more
than 100000 women of voting age,
and they will help to choose :13 pres
idential electors, an increase in only
two years of 1896. The clearest evil
dence of rapidly changing sentiment
is found in the action Of New York.
the most populous of our states; for
in 1915 the suffrage amendment was
overwhelmingly defeated. but at the
next trial. only two years later, it was
carried by majority of over 100, 900
an almost incredible reversal. Many
of the other states give women mu-
nicipal suffrage. or school suffrage, or
tax or bond suffrage. or some COM
bination of these, and there are now
only twelve states left. just one
fourth Of our whole number, in which
women cannot vote on anything at
all. Maine, it is humiliating to con-
fess. is one Of these twelve. The