Woman's World Column - Sept. 3, 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.

A very interesting article in relation to the New York law which was quoted last week, is given in the Woman’s Journal:

Mrs. Henrica A. Iliohan, of Albany, who was one of the first women to cast a school-ballot in that city in 1880, and who tried last year to vote for city officers as well as for members of the school board, has reported to Mr. Hamilton Wilcox her experience at the polls in making that attempt. She says: “Election morning I took the ‘red book’ (Legislative Manual) under my arm, and provided with ballots for all the city officials, made my way alone to the ballot box. I had marked in the ‘red book’ Article 1. Section 1 of the State Constitution, and the first sections of Amendments 14 and 15 of the Federal one, so that if the inspectors had not the book there, I could hand it to them. I wished to see if they could give me any reason why I could not vote. A large crowd was present at the polls, among them, gentlemen who were friends of mine. As my vote the year before had been cast in the same district, the crowd were not much surprised to see me, and kindly made way for me to approach the boxes. I gave my name and presented the ballot for member of the school board, which was at once put in its box. I then offered the ballot for Mayor and other Albany city officials. At this, the gentlemen inspectors opened their eyes very wide, and one told me, ‘These tickets can not be taken.’ I said:

‘Please give me a solitary good reason from the statute book why I cannot vote these tickets.’

The crowd, hearing this, were greatly interested, policemen and all; and pressed together toward the window to hear what the answer would be; but fancy their surprise! Instead of commencing at once to quote the law, these able-bodied and competent-looking inspectors stared at each other and then at me, without a word. At last the inspector who had received and deposited my school-ballot said to the man next to him:

‘Do you know why Mrs. Iliohan cannot vote this ticket?’

‘No.’

‘Don’t you know?’ said the inspector to another man. Getting the same reply, he asked every man in the room, and found that not one could give a reason. Meanwhile I stood quietly at the window, holding my ticket over the ballot box. When the questioning stopped, I said: ‘Can you not give one reason? Is there no clause on any statute-book that forbids it? Then why not take my vote? The Constitutions of the State and the nation allow me to vote. Please read aloud the articles marked in this book, so that all may hear.’

The clerk took my ‘Red Book,’ and read from the State Constitution:

‘Article 1, Section 1. No member of this State shall be disfranchised…unless by the law of the land or the judgment of his peers.’

The inspectors looked startled, and shook their heads: the crowd looked much surprised and impressed. The clerk also read the other marked sections.

The crowd showed much amusement at the inspectors embarrassment and incapability to explain or justify the refusal of my vote. The following colloquy then took place:

Mrs. Iliohan—‘Then let me drop this ticket in the box.’

Inspector—‘We fear we will have trouble on account of it. We are not boss! If we could decide it, we would let you vote.’

Other inspectors—‘Yes! Yes!’

Mrs. Iliohan—‘I will risk the result if you will.’

Inspectors—‘No; we would rather not.’

Many men in the crowd said I was right, and advised me to try again. I then went home and pasted the ballot in my scrap-book, to see how long it will be before a ticket of that kind will be accepted from a woman.

Mr. willox observes on the above—

“This illustrates how little women really have to fear at the polls, if they act with courage and self-possession. It also shows how little many inspectors really know of the law and their duties under it, and how easy it will be for a woman who understands the law, to manage them. Had Mrs. Iliohan understood the law, or had the inspectors done so, her vote would almost surely have been taken. But then, no one understood the law. Its true state has been discovered since. The Federal Constitution has not control of the matter, and the first section of the State one, which was read to the inspectors, though important, is not itself decisive. The true cause of the ignorance shown by the inspectors, watchers, etc. of any law to prevent a woman’s voting, is that no such law exists. When Mrs. Iliohan’s vote was offered, they should have taken it, unless she was challenged. In that case they should have tendered her the voter’s oath, and on her taking it, should have received her vote. This is their duty, laid down by the Court of Appeals. Next fall, if Mrs. Iliohan offers to register and vote for Governor, and demands that the oath be administered to her if she is challenged her vote will probably be received.

In an important sense the inspectors are ‘boss’ and can decide. There is no officer over them, to direct them what to do. Their sole authoritative guide is the lay; and they must take the responsibility if they fail to execute it. They have no authority to reject the vote of any one who takes the oath, nor to refuse to administer that oath to any one who demands it.

Mrs. Iliohan, with all her skill and courage, was at a great disadvantage, like almost every woman, from want of knowledge of the law. Every woman who desires to vote for Governor and Legislature next November should communicate with me; she will then be shown in most cases how to succeed. No printed code or instructions can lawfully exclude her. If she has the voter’s oath, she is entitled to vote.

A very striking fact is that, though under New York law, Mrs. Iliohan is just a liable to punishment for offering to vote as she would be if she had voted, no effort has ever been made to punish her; which shows that women who vote have naught to fear from law or public sentiment.”

Notes About Women

—Mrs. Sophia Grubb, who is a well-known temperance worker, and her sister, Mrs. Rebecca N. Hazard, of Kirkwood, Missouri, first urged Miss Mary Murfee (Charles Egbert Craddock) “not to bury her talent, but to write”. “Do you think I could?” responded Miss Murfee. “Indeed you can, and you must.” And she did, but much to the mystification of her friend. Mrs. Grubb read the wonderful character-pictures of Charles Egbert Craddock, and accused Miss Murfee’s brother of writing them, but never imagined they were the work of Miss Murfee.

—Miss Grace Dodge is the proprietor and president of a new club for working girls in New York. It began last year with eighteen members. It now has three hundred. “You would be surprised,” said Miss Dodge, “to see the number of young women who patronize the club. They come here from all parts of the city, and many of them owe to the club the trades they have mastered and the situations they hold. Then again we have an arrangement by which every member can enjoy a week or two in the country during the summer. The club makes all the arrangements, and of the $4 a week charged for board by our friends in the country the girls only pay $1.25, the club paying the difference.” This department is known as the “vacation society,” and is in charge of Miss Drummond. Girls who do not wish to go to the country for an extended stay make up picnic and sea-side parties, and they have a jolly time together at a minimum of expense.

Chapman, Carrie Lane. 1885. “Woman’s World.” Mason City Republican, September 3.

PDF version, courtesy of Mason City Public Library