Woman’s World Column – April 2, 1885 | Archives of Women's Political Communication

In 1885, Catt (Carrie Lane) resigned from her position as superintendent of schools in Mason City, Iowa, and married Leo Chapman, editor of the Mason City Republican, a weekly newspaper. She became co-editor of the newspaper and started the column “Woman's World,” which she wrote would be “devoted to the discussion of such questions as purport to the welfare, the social, political and intellectual position of women.”

(letter to the newspaper):

WOMAN'S WORLD: I noticed a statement in the introduction of the Woman’s World that letters will be welcome. I could not refrain from a desire to express my satisfaction that such a column is to have a permanent place in THE REPUBLICAN. It cannot help but do good. There are plenty of suffragists in this county, but the absence of any organization deprives them of influence. The only way in which women can ever secure the ballot is by constantly keeping the ball of reform rolling. No other power is so competent to do this as the Press. I, for one, sincerely trust the Woman’s World will do much toward this end and that through it, the public may know more of what Cerro Gordo women think upon this great questions.

Mrs. S.E.

Much has been said concerning the probable effects of woman’s suffrage. Heretofore theories only could be advanced. But, no, if the experience of Washington and Wyoming Territories is any criterion, facts can put an end to discussion. All unbiased observers agree in their testimony that woman’s suffrage in those territories has been significantly successful. It is said a woman’s vote there is decided by the character of the candidate, rather than by party. No caucus or convention dares to place in nomination men who are not morally clean. This fact alone is sufficient evidence that good order and good government must result. But the effect is even deeper than this. If a spotless character is to be one of the qualifications of officers, a strong stimulus is given men to lead upright lives. At present go-easy good-fellowism, which governs modern political campaigns is attended by any amount of evil. The question too many times asked, is whether a man will buy votes with a glass of beer, or a cigar, rather than if he possesses the proper qualifications for office. Even in Iowa, one of the foremost states in the Union, there are men filling her highest offices whose private records are black enough to make any woman shudder. With such men lifted into the highest seats of honor, what criterion of character can be held before boys to inspire an ambition to live honorable lives? The facts are, that the men who take a social glass, smokes a cigar and generously “treats”, who has a fund of low-lived stories at his command and possesses enough ability to fulfill some of the requirements of business, are the men who secure our best offices. Yet mothers are unable to raise a voice against such a standard of manhood and are obliged to see their sons go to a ruin, which their vote might have prevented. The greatest and best reforms of our Nation must come through the enfranchisement of woman.

It is said that the saloon-keepers, the vicious and criminal classes of Dakota are rejoicing over the Governor’s veto to the woman’s suffrage bill.

It is a matter of surprise when women are adopting so many professions hitherto monopolized by men, that they have not taken hold of architecture, which seems specially suited to their tastes and capacity. Indeed, it would seem as if a man had no business to plan a house and that a woman’s experience would qualify her peculiarly for this service. We have been constantly impressed with the many defects to be found in ordinary domestic arrangements and have wondered that architects have not consulted the interest of their clients’ wives in order to rectify these mistakes. A leading New York architect once mentioned with pride his success in planning a church rectory, owing to his having consulted with his mother when designing the building.

A few years since a lady graduated from the architectural school at Cornell University and has since had a successful practice. Her example should lead others to adopt the same profession, which is not arduous, and is well suited to feminine tastes, habits and strength. We have recently seen several striking examples of masculine blundering in house planning which a woman would have quickly pointed out. * Therefore, we should say to the young women readers of this paper who are looking for an occupation which will be respectable, profitable and gratifying to their taste and ambition, study architecture.—Countryside.

The Connecticut Senate rejected the bill extending school suffrage to women passed by the House.

The Senate of the Wisconsin legislature has passed a bill giving to woman the right of suffrage on school matters by a vote of 56 to 29.

A female medical practitioner in Philadelphia was arrested for using a sign with “M.D.” following her name when she had no certificate. She defended her action, saying that the “M.D.” meant “money down,” and she was not responsible for the conclusions of the populace.

The following on “The Kind of Girls we Want,” from the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal, is sensible and quite to the point. “The growing-up young girls of fifteen or sixteen, who will neither sew nor do housework, has no business to be decked out in finery and rambling about in search of fund and frolic, unless her parents are rich, and in that event she needs the watchful direction of a good mother none the less. There is no objection to fun, but it should be well-chosen and well-times. No woman or girl who will not work has a right to share the wages of a poor man’s toil. If she does work; if she makes the clothes she wears and assists in the household duties, the chances are she will have enough self-respect to behave herself when play-time comes but if she should still be a little ‘wild’ the honest toil she has sone will confer upon her some degree of right to have her own way, ill-chosen though it may be. The wild girl usually aspires to prominence in some social circle or other, and her manners and conduct are in a greater or less degree designed to attract the following of men. She should remember that followers are not always admirers and that the most sincere admiration a man ever feels for a woman in a drawing-room is when he looks upon her and says in his own consciousness, ‘She is a perfect lady.’”

Chapman, Carrie Lane. 1885. “Woman’s World.” Mason City Republican, April 2.

PDF version, courtesy of Mason City Public Library