Woman's World Column - Sept. 10, 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.

Those who dare to attend the Woman’s Congress at Des Moines, October 7, 8, and 9, should apply to Mrs. Julia M. Hunting, 705 Eighteenth Street, Des Moines, for boarding places, before September 15.

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Hamilton Willcox, in the Woman’s Journal, furnishes a valuable bit of testimony in regard to women’s influence at the polls. We quote the article in full:

The experience of Mrs. Amanda Deyo at the polls, last fall, is instructive as showing what the effect of women’s presence there will be, how little they have to fear there, and how easily, by the use of their natural tact, they can overcome the opposition they may at first encounter. Mrs. Deyo is a well-known speaker for woman suffrage, temperance and peace. She is noted in her residence, Salt Point, for industry, energy and kind acts. Mrs. Deyo says:

“At a meeting of the W. C. T. U. in our town before the election, the drunkenness and disorder which had commonly attended such occasions was discussed, and I proposed, as a remedy, that the ladies attend the polls and serve a good lunch. Several ladies agreed to go with me. I sought permission of the owner of the hall to set the lunch table. He said the town had hired the room and he had no power to give permission. I was sent from one town officer to another without getting a definite answer. Growing tired of this, I said: ‘The hall is a public place; it is hired with women’s money as well as men’s; I have a right there and shall be present.’ It turned out afterwards that the reluctance was due to a suspicion that our real purpose was to work for the Prohibition ticket.

Election day was dark and rainy. When I reached the hall I was the sole woman there. I got out a table, placed it beside that where the inspector sat and spread a lunch of cold chicken, ham, bread, tea, coffee, milk etc., and announced that all were free to partake. This proceeding astonished those present, most of whom mistook it for an electioneering trick in the interest of the Prohibition ticket, and turned their backs on the table accordingly. Pipes and cigars were lighted as usual, and the air was soon thick with smoke. Even my own near neighbors would not speak to me; and many ill-tempered remarks reached my ears. I kept my temper, and my place behind the table, and as the voters cast their ballots, invited them to partake.

After a time, a burly, red-bearded Irishman cried out at the top of his voice: ‘Well, gentlemen, Mrs. Deyo is a lady and a good neighbor, and ye all know it. She’s got a right to give us a lunch if she likes. Ye ought to be ashamed of yerselves to treat her like this, and for one, I’ll stand by her.’

Several others responded in a friendly tone, and soon a number approached the table and entered into conversation. Presently all the men not occupied joined the group, and when they understood that the object of my presence was to aid in keeping good order, they generally approved it and some returned thanks. As the day went on, those who had in previous years gone on to drink liquor, and become noisy and quarrelsome, now remained in the hall and partook of the lunch, both solid and liquid, which satisfied their inward cravings, without intoxicating. At last one of the ladies who had agreed to accompany me, but whose heart had failed her, and who lived just opposite the hall, became curious to know why there was none of the usual noise and disturbance. So she sent her little boy over to see what the cause was. He came running back almost breathless and exclaimed: ‘O mother, mother! Mrs. Deyo is over there, giving the men lunch; and they’re all as sober and well-behaved as they can be!’

This encouraged the lady and she came over and joined me. As the voters returned to their homes, they spread the news that two women were ‘holding the fort,’ which nerved up the other ladies who had agreed to come. The storm subsiding, we soon had several women presiding over the table; and the voters, as they entered, stopped to partake of the lunch, and chat with their lady acquaintances. They took pains beforehand to brush their clothes and make themselves neat. As they approached the table, they removed their hats and cigars. One by one, every man in the room put away pipe, cigar and cigarette, and by degrees the air grew clear, sweet and wholesome. All this time the voting went on. The inspectors were much pleased with the unexpected absence of disorder; and when they saw the smoking cease, they gladly made a public request that it should not begin again. Toward the close of the afternoon, after much friendly talk, in which nearly all present shared, one man exclaimed:

‘Well in all my life I never saw such a quiet, pleasant election. I hope the ladies will come every time!’

‘That’s so! yes! yes!’ replied many other men and several added:

‘I wish the ladies could vote, too!’ which was not objected to by any.

When the polls closed and the canvass of votes began, one of the inspectors was very tired and had much difficulty in performing his duties. His wife, a very bright, quick woman, looked over his shoulder and helped him. At last, he rose and said:

‘Mary you had better sit down here and take my work. I am too unwell to do it.’

No-one objecting, she sat down in his place at the inspector’s table and was practically chairman of the board. She read the law, explained parts of it that the inspectors and clerks did not understand, showed them how to do parts of the work which puzzled them and helped count the votes and make up the returns; the canvass was finished with less labor and delay than usual and the men were grateful for her aid.”

This is a fine example to follow. If the ladies of New York who desire to vote this year will do as Mrs. Deyo and her friends did, they will have small trouble in getting their votes taken. If they will do more, if they will go a day or two beforehand to the room where the polls are to be held, and decorate it with flags, flowers, evergreens etc. so that the election room may be bright and pleasant places, the labors of two women will be worth more than twenty policemen to keep order; their presence will infuse a better spirit into the proceedings; and their action will smooth away opposition to the taking of their votes.

Notes About Women

—Miss Laura Braden, treasurer of the Washington and Waynesburg Railroad, is said to be the only female railroad officer in the country.

—Miss Caroline w. Hall, daughter of Mr. John R. Hall, the American architect, received the second prize, a bronze medal, in the school of oil painting, at the recent prize distribution of the Academy of Fine Arts in Milan, Italy.

—The Home Journal says of Miss Helen Taylor and her candidacy:

Miss Taylor is the leader of the woman suffrage movement in England and one of the most popular public speakers on social and educational topics. There is no law in England to prevent her election as a member of parliament; she will probably be admitted, if elected. The only requirement for election, as a member of Parliament, is that the candidate shall be twenty-one years of age and take the oath of allegiance and membership.

Chapman, Carrie Lane. 1885. “Woman’s World.” Mason City Republican, September 10.

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