The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-19
LETTER ON SUFFRAGE.
Why Catholic Women Are Not Con-
 spicuous in the MovemInent.

Mrs. Hannah F. Bailey of Hartford ! writes to the Courant in answer to 1 the question why the large body o1 Catholic women do not more of them join the suffrage movement? It if | but fair that such a plain, reasonable query should be answered and, as a Catholic woman who has been quite interested in the pro and con agita- ton of the question, venture a reply to the above question and give a few
 of the reasons why Catholic women
 have not been conspicuous in trying to gain the privilege of voting.
 Chiefest among her reasons is the fact that the Catholic woman feels that her greatest power for good in hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world," is no less true in this progressive age than
 in the past.
 A Catholic mother, who lives up to the precepts of her religion, will de- vote her best energies to the interests
 and comforts of her husband and
 to the moulding of character and de- velopment of a noble manhood and
 womanhood in her children, a task
 which begins at the cradle and con
 tinues unceasing1y even after they have left the parental dreside.
 A good Catholic woman feels all
 this to be her sacred duty, and, if faithfully performed, she contributes
 power for the up1iftment of society
 and the enactment of wise and just
 laws of vastly greater importance to
 the world than would be possible for
 her to do through any other dispo- sitfon of her time or energy. Her
 home is her political world and here
 should be inde1ib1y impressed the fun right in all things. With such a resp possibility, she finds little time for the analysis of the vexing political problems of the day. These, she feels belong to her husband and her sons and to them she trusts the establish
 ment of such laws as will bring to her and the community the greatest pos sibIe blessings, for (she reasons it out)
 What man would consciously legis-
 late against the interests or happiness of his wife or his mother?"
 The unmarried Catholic woman, likewise feels that her interests are
 safe in the hands of her father and brother. Very few homes lack sub jects for discussion, even where the political questions are left out, and
 just here is another reason for her si- 1ence. She can see opportunities for
 discord in the home where each voted
 in strict obedience to the dictates of conscience. If both were of the
 same opinion; or if the wife yielded to her husbands judgment, all would De well. Aga1n, II Sne uau IIAe pOWeE to sway her husbands vote, peace might also reign; but, in this 1at:-7
 case, why does she not do it now without the ballot? Wherein would suffrage benefit such a case?
 But, on the contrary, if each was strong and unyielding in his opinions and the house was divided against itself" alas, for the hope for har- mony thereinI Husbands and wives may and do often hold different opin- ions, but the world need not know it. and no bitterness needs to follow. But, if they differed in politics, it would be a public matter, and few families could long withstand such a variance without unhappy consequen- ces. The mention of political situa- tions even among men, often brings on heated argum ents, and these in the home never contribute to harmony CT happiness.
 When the business man of over