Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-11-20

these columns TO the public and Invites
signed communications OF not more
tnan one hundred words treating OF
topics OF the hour.
Answers Criticism Of surrass.
To the Editor Of the Evening Star.
Sir-The Rev. Thomas A. Conroy,
who denounced the suffrage movement
so fleroely at st. Cecelia's Catholic
Church, In Kearny, last Sunday, as
reported in your issue OF November
Is, has every right to his own opinion
on this subject, but he does not and
cannot speak for the Catholic church.
Cardinal Moran. of Australia, In
his official organ, the Catholic Press,
of Sydney, says:
what does voting mean to a
woman? Does she sacrifice any dig
nifty by going to the poll? The
woman who votes only avails herself
of a rightful privilege that democracy
has gained for her. As a mother, she
has a special interest in the legisla-
ton of her country, for upon 1t de-
ponds the welfare of her children.
She knows what is good for them just
as much as the father, and the un-
selishness of maternity should make
her interest even keener. She should
deem 1t one of the grandest privileges
of her sex that she can now help to
| choose the men who will make the
laws under which her children must
live.
How can she sacrifice any dignity
by putting on her bonnet and walking
down to the polling booth? Women
think nothing of transacting ordinary
commercial business, of working
alongside men, of playing their part
in the practical business of life. They
do not mind going to the box office of
a theatre to purchase tickets for the
play. There Is very little difference
between doing that and putting their
vote in a ballot box. The men about
the booths show them every courtesy,
the officials are anxious to make
| things easy for them. and the whole
business, of voting does not occupy
more than five minutes. The woman
who thinks she is making herself I'M
womanly by voting Is a silly crea-
ture."
Other prominent Catholic clergy
men who have spoken for equal suf-
frage are the Rev. Thomas Scully, of
| Cambridgeport, Mass, who appeared
in its behalf at a suffrage hearing be-
fore the Massachusetts Legislature;
Bishop Bernard j. McQuaid, the Rev.
Edward insolvency, of Mt. st. Mary's,
Maryland, and Bishop John Lancaster
| Spalding. Father Scully is authority
for the statement that the first
woman in America who demanded the
right to vote was a Catholic. Mar
|1garet Brent, of Maryland, on January
q, 1747.
In the successful suffrage campaign
in Washington in 1910, in which |
took some part, the Catholic North
west, of Seattle, the diocesan paper
of that State, was most friendly to
our amendment, and published many
favorable articles.
AS for the reverend fathers con-
tention that suffragists will not get
husbands-''it Is to laugh" So many
of us have them already.
MINNIE j. REYNOLDS.
Newark, November Is.
L1HcOln otCh hEOuAh ~
To the Editor of the Evening Star
Sir-Mrs. Helen d. Longstreet
widow of the famous Confederate gen
eral, expresses her unqualified APP
proval of the now popular practise
of placing Lincoln's address at Get
tysburg in the schools. Today is
the ~forty-ninth anniversary of its de
livery and with many who served
under the great war PRESIDENT
would like to see the following from
her letter published in the Evening
Star:
I'm all-encompassing patriotism
in the great love of humanity, thai
wrung it from the tortured heart of
him who leads the list among the
worlds patriots, I consider Abraham
Lincoln's Gettysburg address the
greatest single piece in ALI literature,
1t must ever give the hearts of men
to value more profoundly the travail
through which this union struggled
to stronger life, and strengthen their
souls to guard our country's free in
stitutions, hal their blessings I'M
diminished, may be preserved for
those who shall come after us.
"Lincoln's Gettysburg address
should be memorlzed by every school
child of this land, North, South, East
and West"
ALFRED KING.
Arlington, November 10, 1912.