The Saint Paul globe., 1897-11-15
THE NEW CITIZEN.
A Plea for Women's Rights by Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait.


Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait, of New
York, chairman of the national COM
mittee of the National American Wom-
pulpit of Wesley M. e. church, speak
ing on "The New Citizen"
Mrs. Catt's address was a plea for the
objects Of the association. Her ar
gument was well presented, and proved
interesting to a large and attractive
audience.
The opening remarks were devoted
to the specific objects of the associa-
ton, which she said was the lofty
sentiment of securing the enfranchise-
ment Of American women. 1t aims it's
attacks against old sentiments, and
7 means the upbuilding of the whole
human race"
Election day." she said, "is a mark
of the advancement Of civilization,
when, at the ballot box, different ideas
as in regard to conditions and opinions
are made known. Let u.s. therefore,
imagine we are building civilization.
What is the greatest inf1uenc
upbuilding of better future time. With
out any hesitation, the answer comes,
the public school. 1t was established
as a public institution to make opin-
ions that should be cast at the ballot
box and save the country from igno-
rance.
To-day we are brought face to face
: with certain problems. There are those
who think that the republic is coming
to speedy end. People are advocat-
ing that there should be radical
changes made in our immigration laws,
They claim that it is not now as it
was in the days after the war, when
Europe sent it's best people here. Now,
they contend the people are not COM
f1,1
itentiaries. They further believe that
under the influence of present cor
ruption they will become tools in the
hands of political bosses. The optimiSt
says: Not so. In our public schools
their children will learn to love the
stars and stripes and become good
citizens.
Another class calls attention to the
large number of inmates in the lunatic
asylums and to intemperance. An
other class says that the greatest evil
is the corruption in politics, and that
the country is nearing its end The
optimist again says, Not so, in our
public schools the evil will be solved
mot in the public schools are placed
these great problems. In that institu-
tion we will unburden our cares. 1t is
no longer the standing army of brass
buttons, but the army of teachers of
you will find that four-fifths of this
army are women. At one time it was
not believed that there would ever be
woman school teacher, but men grad
ually drifted away into other lines of
business, and the women had to step
in.
What institution is to be counted
next? The Christian church. l place
it second because it is not an estab
lished institution. Every church is en-
deavoring to uplift every man. In it
we also find a great number of women.
In fact, a great many denominations
have opened the door a little crack,
and allowed her to- assume the minis
try There are eighteen denominations
that allow women to be ordained.
have never known a woman minister
that did not want TO vote. Then came
the great body of the church to the
ballot box, it is found that two-thirds
are women. There are a great number
of churches where there are not more
than enough men to pass the contribu-
tion box. Therefore when that great
institution comes to place it's prayers
in the ballot box it finds itself dis
franchised Every woman prays for
better conditions to surround her chill
dren, but that prayer must not be
counted. 1t is not heard at the ballot
box, and today the greatest force ever
known is disfranchised
THE next greatest force is the phi
lanthropist. Today there are new
forces at work. do not know If the
emancipation of women brought al
truism, or altruism brought the eman-
cipation. of women. But [ know they
came together. Take the work of the
Red Cross society. It's work during
the many famines Of later years; at
the Johnstown flood, in Russia, and
the assistance rendered the suffering
Armenians which would not have been
necessary, if Christian men had done
their duty. The Women's Christian
Temperance Union, no mater how our
ideas may differ in regard to the tenn
perance question, has been the means
of breaking down the barriers between
the different denominations. The time
will come when there will be but one
church and but one religion. The
Kings Daughters, which was organ
lied for the purpose of helping the
orphans of soldiers has in later years
turned it's attention to the relief of
the poor Such institutions have grown,
and there are now about twenty, and
they are all the organizations of wom-
en-. There is not an organization con-
sisting exclusively of women whose
sole purpose is the uplifting of civil
ization. When the work was first
started, there was not woman that
knew how to preside over a meeting,
or even make a motion. But these
philanthropic and uplifting forces are
in the hands of women, and, although
we may not agree with them in every
thing, we must admit that their OBJ
ject is to uplift. These forces are 81
lent at the ballot box.
'It must be conceded that the most dan
gerous influence among us is the saloon. 1t
does not matter what our opinions of tenn
perance work are, but it must be admitted
that they corrupt American politics. 1t is
an enfranchised institution, and its voice
is heard at the ballot box. Then there is
the gambler, horse thief, or what you want.
You will find women among them, but the
great majority are men, and their voices are
heard at the ballot box. In New York city it
is estimated that there are $4,000 fallen
women. Until investigation was made, the
number was believed to be much larger. But
the chief Of police informed me that for
every fallen woman there were fallen men
fallen men that make fallen women possible.
rs it any wonder that when all the great
uplifting forces are silent and the others
heard, that so little progress is made. Would
it not be wise to put the prayers and signs
and all other voices into the ballot box.
There would then be enough to conquer ig-
norance. We would rise to higher citizen
ship and to better manhood, and let people
grow to better men and women. The church
must be heard in this ballot box. There was
a time when woman was not even allowed
to be heard in prayer meeting. But that
is Of the past. and the battle won. 1t has
been shown that she has brains to under
stand ANYTHING a man does, but she cannot
be heard at the ballot box.
when we shall have taken this step and
conquered this sickly sentiment what will be
womens rights or mems rights but a new
movement, when men and women shall walk
hand in hand in the establishment OF new