Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-03-19

idSt SdIIpdISH' DOcS lie SUN
! Come to the end of Wonder corridor
, and survey the Senate in session.
! Twenty Of the thirty-one members Gf
| the upper branch of this legislature
in theory representing the counties.
as senators in the L. S. represent The
| state-are from the larger towns If
| the state. Have we rural congress-
| man or a rural senator. Why, gen.
| tlemen. even as ardent suffrage
supporter as our distinguished and ie-
| spected governor, appreciated the
| force of this tendency and took up a
voting residence in Augusta.
What will be the unacceptable result
| in practice of a doubling Of the cleo
torate and augmenting the power OF
| industrial and commercial centers
where there is every inducement of
interest and convenience to bring out
! the vote-male and female.
Your city can trip along the grano-
lithic sidewalk or call a taxi to take
her from her club or social function
to the polls-the woman of your
smaller community and the strictly
rural vote will be patriots indeed ii
| they show greater activity than
their men folk in voting-and YOU all
know that the real problem today is
to get out the country vote. How
many worries in Maine have been
given to the thought of IL stormy
Monday.
My friends. YOU are solemnly clos
ing the doors of hope to the am
bilious. intellectual, able young man
| politically ambitious but geographic
cally ill-placed.
| have no selfish INTEREST," am citv
born and bred-my every taste AMI
tendency is urban-but l think there
are things bigger anu better and
broader than self. and among such
| the best interest of the bes: state
know. and above. beyond and over cal
l think that representative govern
ment in days like these demands, as
it depends upon representative men.
that no selfish interests. no select sec
tion-no grasping group-but that
every section and all the people. all
the time. be equally voiced!
\ Another practical objection of verE
great weight arises from the funda l.
mental law of our State-from one OF
our constitutional amendments-and
gentlemen will note that ] am not Sc
silly as TO be diverted into discussing
simply the question of choice of presi-
dental electors. When you pass this
law you are committed in the inexor.
able logic OF events to full suffrage
Every sane man knows that and If he j:
candid admits il.
The initiative and referendum pro-
vision of our constitution permits the
initiation of laws by petition of 1e.0T
sgners and compels the reference OF
laws upon petition of 1000. This num-
her is adequate with the present eler-
torate. | submit that doubling that
electorate before a change in the con-
stltution in this regard and We will be
indrection have produced a state of
affairs far different than was anticipat
ed when the amendment was adopte i
Again Il practical objection occurs
the matter of poll taxes. Shall We ad
here to the male test in this regard
taxing every man of 2l-alien or nat
ra'ized-vote or not. and put the bal.
lot into womans hands and not tie
burden?
i would appeal to me as the part OF
wisdom to tax-if the woman is to haN.
that full equality some are so FOND Of
asserting. Shall we tax non-votin=
women Shall We tax the non-earnin .
housewife? Putting a double burden on
the waee-earning husband" You won
put poll tax on women at all. l con-
fidentlE venture-and we behold tn.
strangest anomaly in free government
the non-voting alien and the voting man
cara ying this tax burden-while the vo:-
ing woman simply says what will he
done wi h tho proceeds of the tax.
! Another practical object:on-womcr
should not be given the ballot until oul
naturalization laws are changed. Al
alien man has now to run the gamut OF
closest scrutiny by government agents
and the tourts-has to- declare formal,
in tie courts his intention OF becoming
a citizen--wait the allotted period anG
go into court with two citizens ana he
tested as to his fitness. eligibility an
esirabiiity-before his vote can be
given against yours. But an alien
woman becomes a citizen by marriage
TO citizen that instant and under thi
years can vote. DO you believe in that:
IL you do, vote for it. but do it under
s:andinely.
The chief dangers Of any democracy
are violent extrcmcs-those extremes
wh'r h result from hasty. ill-considere l.
unadvised action. To me this new ei"-
mcnt resulting from a double e'ectora' c
is Potential of this very condition.
And in GAYS like these when the ve-y
air il charged with stri:e-when We be-
ho'd the tumult and the chaos that S
worldwide. when nothing seems certain
but uncertainty-and the trucst truth
is doubt. shall we by cur solemn act
add one more and one more great fac
tor to that seething maels'rom Of u1-
re- It in our own great Sta,c'
When above. beyond and over all the
thing that is most needed is calm. cool
sober counsel and quiet, even. steady
act shall we in that excess of conf
dence in our own wisdom take 1t upon
ourselves to make the most momentoue
denarture since Maine became a State :?
And that brings me gentleman, to the
crux as 1t is the close of the case.
am not going to urge or ask you tn
vote against womans suffrage. ! have
given Won what seemed to me few Of
the grave reasons against its expedi-
cncy. 1t certainly IS an issue which
admits Of honest difference of opinion.
am. however. ding to ask you. going
to confine you going to appeal to You