The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-06-25
Unlike Men, They Would Ignore Party Plat
forms and Consider Mans Life
in Every Aspect.
Thinks Little of the Repeater, But Opines That
Heis Better Than the Man Who Does
Not Vote at All.

Mgr. NJ. j. Lavelle, rector Of st. Pat
rick's Cathedral, New York, has been
interviewed on the subject Of suffrage
by the New York Sun with the follow
ing result:
81 believe that the hope of purity
in politics lies with women" said Mgr.
Lavclle. "Whcn the other sex has
equal rights with men at the polls, not
in one or two states of the Union but
in every state, then and then only will
there be no more use for reform clubs
or rcformers.
"Women-the great ma ajority-would
not vote for a party or a party plat
form, but it would be found that the
man who aspired to office, his person.
ality, his life in every aspect would be
the factors which dictated the decision
Of woncn's ballots.
speaking of the suffrage l believe
that the citizen of the country who has
tho~-ri9ht to vote and fails to avail
himself of that privilege should be
cast out of society. think no pun
ishmcnt could be too heavy. His prop
erty should be eScheatcd and every
right that he enjoys as free man
should be taken from him.
'"The man who fails to vote, who
does not exercise the privilege of cast
ing his vote whenever an opportunity
arises, is the worst enemy society has
today. Yet when bad men slip into
office just through the negligence of
this class Of citizens these are the
| ones who howl the most and howl the
loulcst and who are among the first to
say that the nation is going to the bow
vows.
81 have never failed to vote but once
| in all my life, and the memory of that
occasion comes back to me now with
the deepest regret never let Il chance
to put a ballot ir box get by me-
from the most insignificant primary
to voting for president.
81 believe with Il woman suffragist,
who said recently that the only man
who is worst than Il repeater is the
man who doesn't vote at all. If moth
ing else should be obtained from equal
suffrage am sure that women, IL they
had the right to vote would never let
an election go by without putting Il
ballot in its box. They would at least
express an opinion"
"DO you think that a priest should
take an active interest in politics?"
by no means. Nevertheless, every
priest should vote, for the better the
man, the more need is there for his
vote; but no man in minister's posi-
ton should attempt to influence the
views Of another man. 1t is in doing
so that priests lose the respect of lay
men and, necessarily, the spiritual in
hucncc their positions and themselves
are in duty bound to exert among
their felowmcn.
misunderstanding women" contin-
ucd Mgr. Lavclle, taking up another
topic, "must lose sight Of their sex
when they go out among men to make
their own living. That is the only way
for them to get along.
81 don't mean TO say that they
should cause to be wOmanly, NUT they
must cease to expect the courtesies
ana little considerations which they
are accorded in social life. The bust
ness world and business men have no
time to waste on them.
''If Il woman cannot follow business
along the lines adopted by man, and
on that bases alone then she should
abandon all ideas of professional or
public life and take up some other oc-
cupation peculiar to her own sex
take in sewing, make jams and jellies
or. hats.
"Lct her do anything but stay in the
business world. Better than business
or anything else for woman is to be
the wife of good man and the woman
who lets a chance get by is not de-
serving of pity.
"Some women may be failures at
almost everything, but there are few