Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-12-15
Cardinal Flags The Suffs.


sage to the first National Anti-Suffrag,
} Convention, held in Washington. D. c.. OF
Thursday of last week. to protest to Con
eress against the submission Of an equa
suffrage amendment to the Federal Con.
stitution, deplored the movement to give
woman the ballot and arraigned the woman
suffragists as "the worst enemies of the
female SEX" He predicted that woman,
If she got the ballot and entered politics.
would fail in public life in competition
with the male sex, and he feared that the
experiment and failure would cause her
ITO fall from the lofty pedestal where
nature and Christianity have placed her. "
The Cardinals message was read to 500
women from all parts of the United States,
who we're gathered in the National Theatre.
by Mgr. VIM. T. Russell. rector of St. Pat
rick's Catholic Church, Washington, 1t was
received with applause.
Mrs. Robert Garrett. of Baltimore. de-
livered brief address to the convention,
telling why she was an anti-suffragist.
Mrs. Garrett brought forth storm of APP
plause when she declared that the woman
suffragists were interested more in get
ting the ballot than in helping the working
women"
Mrs. Arthur M. Dodge. of New York.
president of the National Association OPP
posed to Woman Suffrage. presided over
the convention. In addition to Cardinal
Gibbons message letter was read from
former United States Senator Ehhu Root.
Of New York, in which he declared the
Federal amendment was blow aimed at
the very foundation rock upon which the
Union was formed and now rests.
Cardinal Gibbons message was as fol-
lows:
THE paramount influence which woman
exerts as queen Of the domestic kingdom,
where she reigns not by force but by per-
suasion, not by statute law but by the law
of love engraved in her heart. forces me to
believe that her condition would not be
improved if she entered into the arena of
politics.
Equal rights do not imply that both
sexes should engage promiscuously in the
same pursuits, but that each should dis
charge those duties which are adapted to
its physical constitution. The insistence on
a right of participation in active political
life is calculated to rob woman Of all that
is amiable and gentle. tender and attrac-
tive: to rob her of her grace Of character
and give her nothing in return but mascu-
line holiness and effrontery. Its advocates
are habitually preaching about woman's
rights and prerogatives. and have not
word to say about her duties and respon-
sibilities. They withdraw her from those
obligations which properly belong to her
sex and fill her with ambition to usurp
positions for which neither God nor nature
ever intended her
when deprecate female suffrage am
pleading for the dignity Of woman, am
contending for her honor. am striving to
perpetuate those peerless prerogatives in
herent in her sex. those charms and graces
ornament and coveted companion Of man.
Woman is queen indeed. but her empire is
the domestic kingdom. The greatest politi
cal triumphs she would achieve in public life
fade into insigniicance compared with the
serene glory which radiates from the do
nestle shrine and which she illumines and
warns by her conjugal and motherly
virtues. II she is ambitious of the dual
empire of public and private life, then, like
the tabled dog beholdine his image in the
water, she will lose both. she will fall from
the lofty pedestal where nature and Chris
tianity have placed her and will fail to
grasp the sceptre Of political authority
from the strong hand Of her male COM
petitor.
II still hold the same views on woman
suffrage. already so often expressed. that
the ballot would drag woman from her
domestic duties into the arena Of politics,
and rob her of much of her charm. good
ness and true influence.
Il regard 'women's rights women and
the leaders of the new school Of female
progress as the worst enemies Of the female
sex. wish could impress on the Ameri-
can woman the dangers that would attach
to such innovations. wish could show
them the ultimate result of participating
in public life. 1t has but one end-the
abandonment or. at least the neglect of
the home.
THE most precious undeveloped asset of
any nation is its children. An advise
God, through the law Of nature. has COM
mitted this precious treasure in a special
manner to the mother. Any occupation.
however alluring in its special pretense.
which draws woman's attention from her
most exalted duties Of motherhood will
result in detriment to the nation and the
race. Women cannot vote intelligently I'M
less they give time to an intelligent study
of political questions and all such time
taken from the household will be injurious
to the future generation by robbing II Of
its natural right, mothers care. without
giving to the present generation any ap-
probable benefit in the purifying of the
ballot. As far as ! have observed II ap-
pears that woman suffrage. to the extent
that it has been granted in this country.
has not changed the result Of the election.
There has been larger vote. but the
results have been the same as they would
have been il women had not voted Thus
it seems that ourpolitical life has not been
benefited or purified by the entrance Of
women into the political arena. though the
domestic life of those who have engaged
in this political work must have been neg