The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-03-17
WITH WOMAN sUFFRAGIsTs
- CARDINAL GIBB0Ns.

BY CARDINAL GIBBONS.
Every impartial student of history is
obliged to admit that woman is in
debted to the religion of Christ for the
elevated station which she enjoys in
social and family life. In pagan coun-
tries, before the Christian era, the wo-
man had no rights which the husband
was bound to respect.
She was in state of perpetual bond
age and tutelage. She was treated
rather as the slave of man than as his
equal and companion. And even to-
day in countries where Christianity
does not exercise a dominant influence
she is the newer of wood and the
drawer of water" In a recent official
report to our government, on "Irriga-
ton in India" by Robert NJ. Wilson, we
find that the work of draining and
canal building in that country is chiefly
relegated to women, who receive for
their labor 4 cents a day.
] regard woman's rights women and
society leaders in the higher walks of
life as the worst enemies of the female
sex. They rob woman of all that is
amiable and gentle; tender and attrac-
tive; they rob her of her innate grace
Of character, and give her nothing in
return but masculine boldness and
brazen effrontery. They are habitually
preaching about woman's rights and
prerogatives, and have not word to
say about her duties and responsible
ties.
They withdraw her from those sacred
obligations which properly belong to
her sex and fill her with ambition TO
usurp positions for which neither God
nor nature ever intended her. Under
the influence of such teachings we find
woman. especially in higher circles.
neglecting her household duties, CAD
ding about, never at pease unless she
is in perpetual motion, never at ease
unless she is in a state or morbid ex- |
element She never feels at home ex-
cept when she is abroad.
When she is at home the home is irk- |
some to her. She chafes and freSs UNI
der the restraint and responsibility of |
domestic life. Her heart is abroad. 1t
is exulting in imagination, in some So
cial triumph of reveling in some scene |
of gayety and dissipation. Her afflicted |
husband comes home to find it empty |
or occupied by woman whose heart
is void Of affection for him.
She is i'll at ease; thence arise dis
putes, quarrels. determinations, es-
and the last act in the
drama is often divorce. I speak the
sober truth when I affirm that for the
wrecks of families in our country wo-
man has a larger share Of the respon-
sibility The remedy for this is found
IN the teachings of Christ.
Mothers and wives, what an i'm
nense debt Of gratitude you owe to the
Christian religion of today! You are
egarded as the equals and helpmates
# your husbands, and not as their
laves, like Asiatic women.
If you are the mistresses of vollr
household and not tenants at the will /.
f your husbands, like the wives of :
,agan Greece and Rome: if YOU are the !
IGNORED queens of the domestic king :
oms and not confronted by usurping !
fives, like Mormons and NIahometan
women, you are indebted for these i
Blessings to the religion Of Christ. and =
specially to the sovereign pontiffs. who !.
ave upheld your right against the en- !,
roachments Of monarchs and the pas =
ions of men.
If woman has been elevated and en- e
obled by the Gospel, she has not been !.
ngrateful. She deserves eternal graft p
lde for the blessed influence she has I
lerted in the family and in society o
OF to spak of the grand army of con-
.crated virgins who devote their lives b.
the sacred cause of education. of a.
rarity and religion, how many thou II
inds of homes there are from which m
cd withholds His avenging hand on 81
count Of some righteous mother. iust
Christ showed mercy TO the young ~
an led to the tomb on account of the e1
lief and sobbings of his mother. the tn
'idow OF Main! III
How many brothers buried in life al
sin have been raised to life of
ace by the intercession of a MONS ",
ster1 as Lazarus was raised from the of
ave at the entreaties Of Mary and ho
arfhal