Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-04

right of birth. and she should never
be compelled to lose tina, right.
THE National League of Women
Voters believing in the right Of
American women to American citi-
zenship. is pushing legislation to
bring about a change in the natural
ization law. They are anxious for
the interest and cooperation of ev-
cry American woman and man in
urging and carrying out legislative
reform in this respect.
1T is really a question of whether
or not a woman shall stand as an
individual, possessing the rights of
an adult individual IN the eyes of
the law, or whether she shall be re-
garded as a chattel, dependent on
her husband for citizenship.
1T is an international question as
well. for any American woman who
marries a foreigner. shall take the
nationality of her husband and the
foreign-born woman immediately
acquires American citizenship by
marriage to an American. | am
very sure that the woman American
born who has lost her citizenship
by marriage is more 100 per cent.
American than the woman who
gained her citizenship by marrying
an American. The latter woman
will not generally have any great
love for the country of her hus-
bands birth. The memory of her
own country will always be dear to
her.
This question which is of such
vital interest to all us American
born women formed the first bill
designed by the National Council of
Women and was introduced in Con-
gress by Miss jeanette Rankins, the
first woman ever elected to the
United States Congress. The bill
made very little progress, the plea
being that If carried through it
would make women more free to
make international marriages and
would result in confusion in in
ternational laws. A QUESTIONABLE
was sent to naturalization judges
throughout the United States for
their opinion on the subject. Out
of the $50 judges who replied. the
ratio was two to one in favor of the
law"
On the matter of woman voting,
Mrs. Graffte stated that she thought
the privilege has been of greater
value TO the widow and single woman
who own property in their right than
tho n1o inI
husband to transact business mat
tiers for her. She stated Il that the
chief difficulty in representative gov
eminent is not mainly in educating
the women how to vote, but in pre-
pairing them for voting on the real
issues of life. And she declared that
Just at present we have abundant
evidence that many of our profess
ional politicians do not intend that
certain great questions shall come to
the voter at all. The forcing of these
real issues to the front and to the
voters is the peculiar' privilege of
the family woman, who wanting no
office, hence has no personal inter-
est at stake, and may use her in
Ut
advantage to her country.
Women are now entering nearly
al professions and are making good
IN them. Fhc speaker expressed the
regret that there are not more Wom-
en- who see fit to train for public
school teachers as our country is in
sad need for them. There have been
thousands of schools closed through
cut the United States the past few
years for lack OF teachers. and on
these public schools the nation dc
ponds for the training of its future
citizens.
Mrs. Graffte mentioned the names
OF many women OF national promi
nenCe III the professions, IN politics
and in education, and she spoke Of
the community OF Jackson, Wyom-
ing, where they have an all-voalan
city government and it has proved
so successful that a woman has been
reelected mayor. for the ensuing
yeaH. She stated that in closing her
address she would credit Maine with
"a few names, and she mentioned the
following: Miss Mabel Conner of
Augusta, chairman of the Maine
League OF Women Voters; Mrs. John
Huddieston OF Orono, president of the
Maine Federation of Women's clubs;
Mrs. Herbert J. Brown of Portland.
director of w. s. S. work; Mrs. w. r..
Pattansall Of Augusta, Maine dele
gate to the Democratic National
committee meeting at st. Louis be-
| ing held this week; Mrs. Guy p. Can
nett of Augusta. chairman of the
/ Women's division Of the Republican
! state committee; and Miss Marian r.
brown executive secretary of the
division.
Resolutions Adopted
The following resolution of con-
dolence on the death of Colonel j.
c. 1liiliken of Portland. was pre-
scented by G. ". Q. Perham of
Woodstock and was adopted by the
Convention:
Whereas, the Great Power which
controls the destinies of men and
nations has taken from our midst
our friend and co-worker. Colonel
l.. {. Milillen of Portland. and
whereas Colonel Mtltiken was an
earnest, untiring and efficient work
err giving literally of his time and
OF his great ability for the success
OF these conventions, and whereas
the Assessors of Maine individually
ana collectively wish to express
their appreciation of his sterling
character and fearless condemna-
ton of wrong and his ardent sup
port of right, therefore,