Woman's World Column – August 6, 1885

Carrie Chapman Catt (Carrie Lane at the time) retired from teaching after the end of the 1884 school year and married Leo Chapman, publisher and editor of the Mason City Republican newspaper, in February 1885. In the March 5 issue of The Republican, Catt’s name appeared in the masthead as co-editor of the paper with Chapman, and on March 19, the first installment of her new column, “Woman’s World,” was published. The Mason City Public Library has microfilm of every issue of The Republican from 1885 except one, and Catt’s column appears nearly weekly through early November. The Chapmans sold the newspaper in April 1886, and there are no extant copies of the paper from that year.

In the July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, August 13 and August 20 columns, Catt addresses a number of objections to women's suffrage posed by anti-suffragists.

The fourth objection urged is that “women do not know enough, and would increase the number of ignorant votes.”

Upon one occasion, a famous woman’s suffragist, who was a college graduate, an author, and a distinguished public speaker, was present at a polling place, using her influence with voters as they came up to accomplish some purpose in which she was interested. She handed a ballot to one man, whom she saw standing a little aloof from the others. He could not read it and did not know which ticket it was. He told her how he wanted to vote and asked her to scratch the ticket for him. After it was prepared, she asked him if he was not in favor of allowing women to vote. He drew himself up with all the dignity he could muster and pronounced a contemptuous “No.” She begged him to give his reason and received the comforting reply, as he proudly walked away with his doctored ballot, “they don’t know enough.”

This objection is generally presented by this class of people, those who are themselves ignorant and have been associated with ignorant women. For this reason, their opinion is scarcely worthy of consideration. Now and then, however, a man or woman of intelligence will use this argument upon the ground that women have but little knowledge of politics.

It is ridiculous to assert that women are more ignorant than men, for statistics give us the fact that there are no more illiterate women than men. The privilege of suffrage given to women could not consequently give an increase of ignorant votes.

It is quite probable that the majority of women are not so familiar with the details of politics as are the majority of men. This fact is, however no proof of incapacity for such knowledge. There has been no incentive for her to inform herself in this direction. It has been a kind of information she could not use, therefore she made no effort to gain it. It does not require much intelligence to learn the details of caucuses and conventions, or even the art of depositing a ballot. Men, who could not read, write or make out their own accounts, have been able to master the subject thoroughly. If a knowledge of political principles is meant, it is only necessary to say that a large majority of male voters do not have that knowledge. It is indeed remarkable the small number of them who can fairly and intelligently discuss those principles with which they should be most familiar. The average man has not more time to read or discuss politics than the average woman. The records of schools and colleges has proven beyond a doubt that the mental calibre of the average woman is fully equal to that of the average man. Give her a use for political knowledge and she will possess it. It is not supposed all women would have a love for political knowledge even if the incentive were given them to gain it. All men have not. It will be remembered that Gen. Grant had never voted for President but once before the war, simply from lack of interest. It is possible no longer for opponents to suffrage, to cling to this argument of ignorance. Hundreds of women are yearly graduated from our best colleges with the honors of their classes. They are entering every business and profession, and amid protest, are rapidly proving their ability and success. They are energetically elbowing their way through all obstacles to that equality of rights which justice declares should be theirs. No one who observes her persevering progress, can longer say the mind of woman is unfit to grasp this or that, for there is no field in which she has not manifested her ability to work.

When the negroes were granted the privilege of suffrage, few could read, and they knew nothing of the nature of government. After twenty years of citizenship, even under the most adverse circumstances, they are able as a whole to cast a moderately intelligent vote, while from among them there have developed political thinkers whose opinions have won consideration from the wisest men. Will anyone with fair mind, suppose that American women would not achieve as great a success in the field of politics?

It is with much injustice this argument of ignorance is advanced at all. Under present arrangements, the illiterate foreigner, with no comprehension of the broad meaning of our government and with ideas shaped by the environments of his home government, has an influence, through his ballot, in the formation of our political policy, while the American-born woman, patriotic, broad­minded, intelligent, is ruled out. What man is there as he walks to the polls, a tramp on one side, a loafer on the other, a drunkard behind, can fail to see the injustice of saying “women do not know enough to vote.” It is not alone an injustice to intelligent womanhood, but to the government robbed of the influence of her vote.

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The National Woman’s Congress will convene at Des Moines, October 7, 8, and 9. These congresses have met annually since 1873. They are not held in the interest of “woman’s suffrage” but are for the purpose of drawing together women who are interested in the higher education and industrial advancement of their sex. Preparations are being made by the enterprising ladies of Des Moines to receive all who may come. It will prove a rare treat and doubtless Iowa women will show their appreciation of the good work by a large attendance. The most prominent women in the United States will be there and assist in carrying out a program which will present some grand themes of common interest to all women.

The following list of partial subjects and speakers for the Congress has been decided upon: “Justice, not charity, the need of to-day,” by Mrs. J. L. Baggs of Syracuse; “The Advantages of Organization of Work Illustrated by the Work of the Women’s Temperance Association,” by Frances E. Willard; “The Advantages of the Spoken Over the Written Word,” by Miss Frances Fisher, of Cleveland; “The Need of Legislation Prescribing Hours of Labor for Women,” by Mrs. Ella B. Chase of Rhode Island; “Political Economy,” by Rev. Augusta Cooper Bristol, of New Jersey; “The Need of Improvement in Dwellings at Moderate Cost,” by Mrs. Ellen Mitchell, of Chicago; “Women Physicians in Insane and other Asylums,” by Dr. Julia Holmes Smith.

Miss A. Taylor, for eight years president of the Wheeling Female College, has at the close of the school year resigned her position to accept that of Oread College, at Worcester, Massachusetts.

Notes About Women

By an array of facts and figures Mrs. H. R. Shattuck, in the Boston Transcript, disproves the assertion of an anonymous reviewer that “when women do their work as faithfully as men they are as well paid.”

The Woman’s National Press Association was organized at New Orleans May 13, 1885. Mrs. Nicholson, editor and proprietor of the New Orleans Picayune, was elected president; Mrs. Marian McBride, of the Boston Post, secretary. Vice-presidents are Mrs. Florence Adkinson, of the Indianapolis Sentinel; Mrs. L. M. Pavy, of the St. Louis Republican; Miss Mary McMullen, of the London Anglo-American Times.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox, through her attorney, has brought suit against the Church Musical Company for the publication of a song, over Colonel John Joyce’s signature, of a pome she claims to have written. The poem is called “Solitude” and has been widely published. Colonel Joyce lays claim to the production and says it was written, over twenty years ago on a banter of George Prentice of the Louisiana Courier-Journal.

Chapman, Carrie Lane. 1885. “Woman’s World.” Mason City Republican, August 6.

PDF version, courtesy of Mason City Public Library