MAINE.[68]
There were meetings and some organized work for woman suffrage in
Maine from the early '70's but little activity until toward the close
of the century. In August, 1900, a convention of the State association
with a "suffrage day" was held at Ocean Park, Old Orchard Beach,
attended by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, president of the National
American Woman Suffrage Association. This year under the presidency of
Mrs. Lucy Hobart Day, organized work was systematically begun, with
meetings in eight or ten towns. State conventions were held annually
for the next twenty years, in October with but four exceptions.
In 1901 special attention was given to enrollment and new sections of
the State were reached in this way. The literature and press
departments also extended their work. The summer assembly at Ocean
Park made "suffrage day" a part of its regular program. At the
convention held at Saco in 1902 plans were made to ask the next
session of the Legislature to grant Municipal suffrage to taxpaying
women. The State Grange passed a resolution in favor of this measure,
placed woman suffrage on its convention program and from that time
gave active support to the movement.
The State convention took place at Auburn in 1903 and the association
became an incorporated body that year. The organization of county
leagues was begun in 1904 and a successful convention was held in
Portland. In 1905 after eight years of efficient service, Mrs. Day
retired from the presidency. She had organized several departments in
the association and was in charge of the campaign to secure Municipal
suffrage for taxpaying women. Mrs. Fannie J. Fernald was elected as
her successor at the convention held at Old Orchard Beach. She
travelled extensively over the State, speaking before Granges and
other organizations and securing their interest and endorsement. She
also had charge of the legislative work.
In 1906 woman suffrage was endorsed by the Maine Federation of Labor,
an important accession. The annual convention again was welcomed in
Saco. At the convention of 1907 in Farmington it was voted to support
the National American Association in its efforts to secure a Federal
Suffrage Amendment. A department of church work was established. In
1908 at the convention in Portland it was arranged to petition
Congress for the submission of this amendment. In 1909 and 1910 the
usual propaganda work was continued under the presidency of Mrs.
Fernald and the usual State conventions were held at Old Orchard and
Portland. In 1911 Mrs. Fernald left the State and the Rev. Alfreda
Brewster Wallace was elected president at the convention in Portland.
The association increased in size and interest and at the convention
of 1912 in Portland Miss Helen N. Bates of that city was elected
president with a very capable board. At this time the association
began to do more aggressive work in personally urging the members of
Congress to support the Federal Amendment. Miss Bates acted as
chairman of the Congressional Committee until the submission of the
amendment, when the favorable vote of every member of the Maine
delegation had been secured.
In 1913 the College Equal Suffrage League was formed to help the
association in its legislative work, with Mrs. Leslie R. Rounds as
president. The annual convention took place at Portland this year and
the next, and in 1915 at Kennebunk. Many newspapers in the State had
become favorable to suffrage and propaganda was carried on through
fairs, moving pictures, street speaking, etc. In 1914 the Men's Equal
Suffrage League was formed with Robert Treat Whitehouse of Portland
president and Ralph O. Brewster secretary. Many leading men of the
State joined this League, which helped in the legislative and campaign
work. The Methodist Episcopal Church endorsed woman suffrage at its
state conference.
In February, 1916, a Congressional conference was held in Portland in
the interest of the Federal Amendment, with Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt
in attendance and speaking at public meetings with Mrs. Maud Wood Park
and Mrs. Glendower Evans. It was attended by women from all parts of
the State and as a result of the great interest aroused many new
leagues were organized. Miss Bates resigned on account of ill health
in March and her term of office was finished by Mrs. Augusta M. Hunt
of Portland, who had always been deeply interested in the suffrage
cause. The National Association sent Mrs. Augusta Hughston, one of its
field directors, to put into operation a state-wide plan of
organization. At the State convention in Portland in October Mrs.
Katharine Reed Balentine, daughter of the Hon. Thomas B. Reed, was
elected president. The outlook seemed favorable for securing the
submission of a suffrage amendment to the voters. This year Mrs.
Deborah Knox Livingston of Bangor was appointed State organizer and
legislative chairman and work begun for this purpose.
From January 8th to 20th, 1917, the National American Association held
a suffrage school in Portland to prepare for the expected campaign.
The instructors were Mrs. Nettie R. Shuler and Mrs. Halsey W. Wilson,
its corresponding and recording secretaries, and Mrs. T. T. Cotnam.
The subjects taught were Suffrage History and Argument, Organization,
Publicity and Press, Money Raising and Parliamentary Law. This school
was attended by suffragists from different sections of the State.
Later Mrs. Edward S. Anthoine and Mrs. Henry W. Cobb of the State
association carried on suffrage schools in other towns and cities. On
February 9, 10, Mrs. Catt went to Portland to attend a board meeting
of the association at the home of the president, Mrs. Balentine, to
confer on the approaching campaign.
CAMPAIGN. In February, 1917, urged by the suffrage leaders, the
Legislature submitted the amendment. This had been done against the
urgent advice of Mrs. Catt, the national president, who knew of the
slight organization there, and she wrote to them Oct. 9, 1916: "If
Maine goes into a campaign for 1918 with the chances largely against
success, we feel that it would be a general damage to the cause and a
waste of money. If it would plan instead to go into a campaign in
1919, taking three years for preparation, we should feel that it was
far more certain of victory. Let us look at the resources you need to
get and which you have not yet secured: (1) a fund to begin with of at
least $5,000 or $6,000; (2) at least five State officers who can give
practically all of their time, with the determination to win as many
other people to the same sacrifice as they are making themselves. I
most earnestly recommend that you ask your Legislature this year for
Municipal and Presidential suffrage, making a good strong campaign for
this, which it can grant without referring it to the voters."
A copy of this letter was sent to the president of the association and
at its annual convention held in October it was read and a long
discussion followed. A delegate thus reported it: "Only a few
delegates agreed with her. Many women never having been in a campaign
declared that victory was sure. The convention almost unanimously
voted for the referendum and when the vote had been taken and the
cheers had subsided, the grand sum of $500 was raised for the
campaign...." Nevertheless the National Association at its next
convention (still believing that the referendum would not be submitted
until 1918), voted to back the Maine campaign, although against the
judgment of Mrs. Catt.[69]
At the request of the Maine association the National Association made
it possible for Mrs. Deborah Knox Livingston to take the position of
campaign manager. Through her extensive work for the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union she was widely acquainted in church, club and
suffrage circles, was experienced in campaigning and an eloquent
speaker. In her report after the election she said: "Maine presented
as difficult a field for the conducting of a suffrage campaign as has
ever been faced by any group of suffragists in any part of the
country. The referendum was submitted the very last of February and as
the election came so early in September only about six months' time
was given us for the campaign. Deducting from this time the months of
April and May, on account of the almost impossible condition of the
roads, and June with its heavy rains, there was left but little more
than three months for active work. Early in the campaign our country
entered the World War, and the whole thought and attention of the
people were given to securing support for the Liberty Bonds, Red
Cross, Navy League and other patriotic and preparedness work. This
greatly handicapped us in the raising of finances and the creating of
organization, the two foundations upon which the structure of a
successful campaign must be built, and the two things which more than
anything else the State of Maine needed, so far as the amendment was
concerned."
A campaign committee was formed from members of organizations in the
State in favor of suffrage, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
Federation of Women's Clubs, Men's Suffrage League, Civic League,
Referendum League, the Grange and the State Suffrage Association, and
headquarters were established in Bangor. There were only fourteen
suffrage societies in the State, not all active. Eleven of the sixteen
counties had an organizer in charge for the last six weeks and 269
local committees were formed in the different towns but many of them
were ineffectual, as they were made up of untrained women and the time
was too short to train them. The argument for suffrage, however, was
put before the voters very thoroughly. One hundred thousand were
circularized with the convincing speeches of U. S. Senator Shafroth of
Colorado and later with a leaflet Have You Heard the News? which
carried the strong appeal of the suffrage gains over the entire world.
House to house distribution of "fliers" was made in many communities.
Altogether 1,500,000 leaflets were distributed, ten to every voter in
the State. In hundreds of towns there was absolute ignorance on the
subject. The clergy were circularized three times--over a thousand of
them--the State Grange twice, committees of the political parties and
members of the Legislature twice.
As soon as a committee was organized petition blanks were sent to it
and in this short space of time the names of over 38,000 women of
voting age asking for the suffrage were obtained, nearly all by
volunteer canvassers. The names from each county were sent to the
voters from that county and 100,000 received these lists. The
petitions did a vast amount of educational work among the women and
answered the men who insisted that the women did not want to vote.
The newspapers on the whole were favorable. Especial mention should be
made of the valuable assistance continued throughout the campaign of
the Lewiston _Journal_, Portland _Argus_, Kennebec _Journal_,
Brunswick _Record_ and Waldo County _Herald_. The Portland Express
gave editorial support. The Bangor Commercial, owned and edited by
John P. Bass, made a bitter fight against the amendment and refused
generally to publish even letters on the other side. It would not
publish President Wilson's letter even as a paid advertisement. From
July 1 to September 10 Mrs. Rose L. Geyer, a member of the staff of
the _Woman Citizen_, official organ of the National Suffrage
Association, conducted the publicity work in connection with Miss
Florence L. Nye, the State press chairman. On August 18 the Lewiston
_Journal_ issued a supplement for the State association, edited by
Miss Helen N. Bates, of which 65,000 copies were distributed through
twenty-two newspapers.
President Wilson sent a letter to Mrs. Livingston on September 4
appealing to Democratic voters as follows: "May I not express through
you my very great interest in the equal suffrage campaign in Maine?
The pledges of my party are very distinct in favor of granting the
suffrage to women by State action and I would like to have the
privilege of urging all Democrats to support a cause in which we all
believe." On September 8 former President Roosevelt sent the following
telegram addressed to the Campaign Committee: "I earnestly hope that
as a matter of plain justice the people of Maine will vote 'yes' on
woman suffrage."
The letter and telegram were put on the moving picture screens, which
were also used in other ways for propaganda. The poster sent by the
National Association and those printed by the Campaign Committee,
fastened on trees, fences, windows and every available space, carried
the message to all passers by. Mrs. Livingston said in her report: "We
can not express too gratefully our appreciation of the value of the
work accomplished by the experienced organizers sent to us by the
National Association and by Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Pennsylvania and Rhode Island; of that of Mrs. Mary G. Canfield of
Vermont, who gave her services for one month; and of the untiring and
successful labors of Mrs. Augusta M. Hunt, who had charge of York and
Cumberland counties."
The entire State was thoroughly covered by public meetings, over 500
being held during the last three months. It would be impossible to
give the names of all who spoke at these meetings but among the more
prominent were Governor Carl E. Milliken, U. S. Senator Bert Fernald,
former Senator Charles F. Johnson, Representative Ira G. Hersey,
former Representative Frank E. Guernsey; among the members of the
Legislature and other influential men, former Attorney General W. R.
Pattangall, Judge Robert Treat Whitehouse, Ralph O. Brewster, Frank W.
Butler, Daniel A. Poling, the Rev. Arthur L. Weatherly. On July 23,
24, in Augusta, and July 25, 27, in Bangor, Mrs. Catt and Mrs. Shuler
addressed mass meetings in the evenings and held conferences with the
workers through the days. In September Mrs. Catt gave a week to
speaking at public meetings in various cities. Other speakers were
Mrs. Lucia Ames Mead, Miss Elizabeth Upham Yates, Dr. Lee Anna Starr,
Mrs. Sara A. Gilson, Miss Emma L. McAlarney, Miss Anne E. Coughlin and
the Misses Loitman. The members of the Men's League were active and
helpful. The mass meetings were well attended and in all the cities
and many of the towns street meetings were very successful. Mrs.
Livingston travelled more than 20,000 miles in the State, delivered
150 addresses and raised over $4,000.
Not in any other State campaign had the women anti-suffragists taken
so conspicuous a part. There was a society of considerable social
prominence in Portland and the associations in Massachusetts and New
York sent nearly twenty speakers and workers, all women except J. B.
Maling of Colorado and Charles McLean of Iowa, whose utterances had
more than once been repudiated by the men and women of their States.
Mrs. James W. Wadsworth, Jr., president of the National Association,
addressed parlor meetings. Toward the end of the campaign their
numbers became much less, as they learned that the "machines" of both
political parties expected to defeat the amendment.
The election took place Sept. 10, 1917, and the amendment received
38,838 noes, 20,684 ayes--lost by 18,154, the negative majority nearly
two to one. About half as many men voted for it as the number of women
who signed a petition for it. Mrs. Livingston gave as the principal
reasons for the defeat: 1. Inherent conservatism and prejudice. 2.
Resentment at the "picketing" of the White House by the "militant"
suffragists. 3. Briefness of the campaign. 4. Inability because of
lack of organization to reach the rural vote. 5. Reactionaries of both
parties uniting in opposition.[70]
In her summing up Mrs. Livingston said: "Without the aid of the
National American Association the campaign would have been impossible.
The magnificent generosity with which it furnished speakers,
organizers, posters and literature will make the women of Maine
forever its debtors.[71]
At the convention of the State Association in September, 1917, in
Augusta, Miss Mabel Connor was chosen president and at the conventions
of 1918 in Lewiston and 1919 in Portland was re-elected. At the
convention in October, 1918, having recovered somewhat from its
defeat, the association voted to introduce a bill for the Presidential
suffrage in the next Legislature in 1919. The Legislative Committee
consisted of Mrs. Balentine, chairman; Miss Connor, Miss Bates, Mrs.
Pattangall, Mrs. Cobb and Mrs. Guy P. Gannett, with Miss Lola Walker
as executive secretary to the chairman.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION. The State Suffrage Association and the State
Woman's Christian Temperance Union always worked for woman suffrage
measures in the Legislature in cordial cooperation, beginning in 1887.
1901. Suffrage bills did not come out of committee.
1903. A bill was introduced for Municipal suffrage for tax-paying
women by Representative George H. Allan of Portland. The Joint
Standing Committee eliminated "taxpaying" and reported a bill giving
Municipal suffrage to all women. The State Suffrage Association did an
enormous amount of work in behalf of this bill, sending letters to
15,000 women representing 239 cities and towns who were paying taxes
on approximately $25,000,000. Several thousand answers urging the bill
were received, coming from every county and from 237 of the cities and
towns. It was lost in the Senate by a tie and in the House by a vote
of 110 noes, 29 ayes.
1905, 1907, 1909, no suffrage bills were reported out of committee.
1911. Four members of the Judiciary Committee made a minority report
in favor of the suffrage measure and the House voted to substitute the
minority report but the Senate refused to concur.
1913. A new resolve asking for submission of a suffrage amendment was
drafted by George H. Allan and introduced in the Senate by Ira G.
Hersey, which gave a vote of 23 ayes, 6 noes. In the House the vote
was 89 ayes, 53 noes--only six more votes needed for the necessary
two-thirds.
1915. A joint resolution to submit a full suffrage amendment passed
the Senate by 26 ayes, 4 noes; the House vote by 88 ayes, 59 noes--ten
more votes needed for the two-thirds. Introduced by Representative
Lauren M. Sanborn.
1917. The resolution was adopted in the House February 21 by 112 ayes,
35 noes; unanimously adopted by the Senate February 22. In signing it
the next day Governor Carl E. Milliken said to the suffrage leaders:
"You have appealed to reason and not to prejudice. Your campaign has
been a very fine example of what a campaign should be." The amendment
was defeated at the polls in September.
1919. In March an Act granting women the right to vote for
Presidential Electors, prepared by George H. Allan, was introduced in
the Senate by Guy P. Gannett of Augusta and in the House by Percival
P. Baxter of Portland. The joint committee by 8 to 2 reported "ought
to pass." The hearing before the Judiciary Committee was called one of
the best ever held. Lewis A. Burleigh of Augusta, editor of the
Kennebec _Journal_, and Professor Frank E. Woodruff of Bowdoin College
made the principal speeches. Telegrams were read from U. S. Senator
Fernald and Representatives Ira G. Hersey, John A. Peters and Wallace
H. White, Jr., urging the passage of the bill. The "antis" were
present in force and made a hard fight. They were fully answered by
Mrs. Nancy M. Schoonmaker of Connecticut. An effort was made to attach
a clause to the bill referring it to the voters but it was thwarted,
Senator Leroy R. Folsom of Norridgewock making a strong speech against
it. In the House a still more determined effort was made to secure a
referendum but it did not succeed. Speeches were made by Frederick W.
Hinckley, Percival F. Baxter and Elisha W. Pike, legislators, and Mrs.
Katharine Reed Balentine, chairman of the Legislative Committee, and
Miss Mabel Connor, president of the State Suffrage Association. On
February 26 the bill passed the Senate by a vote of 25 ayes, 6 noes.
On March 19 it passed the House by 85 ayes, 54 noes.
The favorable vote was obtained after six months of quiet, continuous
and intensive political work by the Legislative Committee. Members of
the Legislature worked for the success of the bill; the Governor
supported it and the press was largely in favor.
The anti-suffragists immediately announced their proposal to bring the
Presidential Suffrage Law before the voters under the initiative and
referendum, upon petition of at least 10,000 legal voters filed within
a specified time. The effort to secure these names lagged and without
doubt would have been given up had it not been for Frank E. Mace,
former State Forest Commissioner, who organized committees all over
the State at the eleventh hour and petitions bearing 12,000
signatures were filed July 3, within 90 days after the Legislature
adjourned, as required. As there was doubt about the constitutionality
of this referendum, the State Supreme Court, on July 9, 1919, was
requested by Governor Milliken to decide. On August 6 the Court
rendered its decision that the Act came within the provisions of the
initiative and referendum. As the petition did not ask for a special
election the Governor sent out a proclamation for the referendum to be
submitted at the next general election Sept. 13, 1920. The Federal
Suffrage Amendment was declared to be adopted on August 26 but there
was no way in which the referendum could legally be omitted from the
ballot. Therefore on September 13 the women, already having full
suffrage, went to the polls to vote on getting partial suffrage and
the official count showed 88,080 ayes, 30,462 noes.
RATIFICATION. Governor Milliken called a special session of the
Legislature for November, 1919. In his message he recommended the
ratification of the Federal Amendment in the strongest possible
manner, saying that if only one woman in Maine wanted to vote she
should have the chance. The anti-suffrage forces of the entire country
were concentrated on Maine at this time to prevent ratification and it
was with the greatest difficulty that a movement to postpone action
until the regular session was defeated. The amendment was ratified in
the Senate on November 4 by 24 ayes, 5 noes; in the House on November
5 by 72 ayes, 68 noes. After the vote was taken an attempt to
reconsider was made but was unsuccessful.
The same Legislative Committee of women that had charge of the
Presidential bill had charge of the ratification.
* * * * *
At the annual convention of the State Suffrage Association in Portland
in October, 1919, it was voted to hold a School for Citizenship at
Bates College in August, 1920. Mrs. George M. Chase was made chairman
of the Committee of Arrangements and the work was largely carried out
by Miss Rosamond Connor, 100 women from many parts of the State
attending and deriving much benefit. Mrs. Nancy M. Schoonmaker was the
principal instructor. At a meeting of the association in Augusta on
November 12 it was merged into the League of Women Voters with Miss
Mabel Connor as chairman.
Suffrage work in Maine was carried on for many years in the face of
the greatest obstacles but there was always a small group of devoted
women willing to make any sacrifice for the cause, who carried the
torch until another group could take it, and every step gained was
fought for. The history would be incomplete without mention of the
Portland Equal Franchise League, of which Mrs. Arthur L. Bates was
president, which for many years was the backbone of the State
association. The list of State officers who freely gave their services
is too long to publish. Among other prominent workers not already
mentioned were Dr. Jennie Fuller of Hartland; Mrs. Zenas Thompson and
Miss Susan Clark of Portland; Mrs. Isabel Greenwood of Farmington;
Miss Anna L. Dingley and Miss Alice Frost Lord, connected with the
Lewiston _Journal_.[72]
Among the men not mentioned elsewhere, who advocated woman suffrage in
the face of criticism and with no advantage to be gained, were Judge
William Penn Whitehouse and Obadiah Gardner of Augusta; Leonard A.
Pierce of Portland; L. B. Dessy of Bar Harbor; E. C. Reynolds of South
Portland.
FOOTNOTES:
[68] The History is indebted for this chapter to Miss Caroline Colvin,
Professor of History in the State University, Miss Helen N. Bates,
president of the State Woman Suffrage Association, 1912-1916, and Miss
Mabel Connor, president, 1917-1919.
[69] The above paragraphs have been copied for the sake of historical
accuracy from an official report of the national corresponding
secretary.--Ed.
[70] Mrs. Clarence Hale, State president of the anti-suffrage
organization, issued the following: "The large majority vote cast
against suffrage today must indicate, as did the great vote of
Massachusetts in 1915, that the East is not in favor of the entrance
of women into political life. The result should satisfy the
suffragists for all time and they should now practice the principles
of democracy and fairness, which they are so ready to preach, by
refraining from further disputing the will of the people.... We can
now return to give our services to the State and the nation in woman's
normal way."
On November 7 the "East" spoke again when the voters of New York by a
majority of 102,353 gave full suffrage to women.
[71] Besides paying the expenses of the suffrage school, the National
Association paid the salary of Mrs. Deborah Knox Livingston as
campaign manager; the salary of Miss Lola Walker from February 10 to
September 10; the salaries of eight other organizers who worked for
varying periods and the expenses of four; for 120,000 Shafroth
speeches; circularized 1,200 of the Protestant and Catholic clergy;
prepared especially for Maine 125,000 baby fliers and 100,000 copies
of Have You Heard? and furnished envelopes and stamps for them; 14,000
pieces of literature for advanced suffragists; 1,000 copies of Do You
Know? to circularize the politicians; 400 each of thirteen different
kinds of posters; 500 war measure fliers; 2,000 blue and yellow
posters. The Leslie Commission contributed the services of Mrs. Geyer
for press work from July 1 to September 10. This campaign cost the
National Association $10,282 and the Leslie Commission $4,986, a total
of $15,268.--Ed.
[72] Among the active workers in the Anti-Suffrage Association were
Mesdames John F. A. Merrill, Morrill Hamlin and George S. Hobbs, all
of Portland; Norman L. Bassett, John F. Hill, and Charles S. Hichborn,
all of Augusta; George E. Bird, Yarmouth; Miss Elizabeth McKeen,
Brunswick.
Among the men actively opposed were the Rev. E. E. Newbert, Benedict
F. Maher, Samuel C. Manley, Charles S. Hichborn, all of Augusta;
ex-Governor Oakley C. Curtis, of Portland; Governor-elect Frederick H.
Parkhurst, of Bangor; U. S. Senator Hale, opposed but finally voted
for the Federal Suffrage Amendment.