The New York herald., 1922-05-22
All Women Not Shut Out.
Some Dioceses Admit Them to Epis-
c0pal Church Councils.

To The New YORK HERALD: Refer
ring to your news article headed "Epis-
copal Ban on Women Continues. "
which told OF the refusal OF the Long
Island. Connecticut and Newark dioceses
to admit women as delegates to the
Episcopal Church diocesan conventions.
may i point out that on the same day
these dioceses thus acted: the Diocese of
Maine. by 46 to "a. approved the admis-
sion OF women TO membership in the
diocesan council, and within the week
the Massachusetts convention, which
elected the Rev. DIR. Slattery Bishop CO.
adJutor OF that diocese by clerical vote
of IS to 3S and a lay vote Of 40 to 22.
ended two years struggle by admitting
women delegates to its councils?
In this matter of the eligibility of
women the constitution OF the Episcopal
Church. having been framed in large
part by the same men who drafted the
Constitution Of the United States. con-
tains those iphibitions against active
participation Of the women in the
church councils which as regards the
participation of women in the councils
OF the nation were removed by consti.u-
sional amendment In 1890.
The constitutions of the various do
ceses, which bear the same relation to
The general church as the States OF the
Union do to the Federal Government.
have similar provisions. Democracy is
the dominant note in the government of
the church; and the dioceses are at all
times free to admit women to active
participation in their affairs II the ma
jority so desires. as is instanced in the
acton of the two dioceses cited above.
1t remains true. however. that IL Massa-
chusetts. following this action, should
send women delegates to the General
Convention Of the church at Portland
next September that body, which cor
responds to the Federal Congress and
is the Judge Of the qualifications Of its
cwn members. would be entitled to take
such action as a majority of its mem-
bers might determine upon.
Probably the most interesting fact in
connection with this question is that op-
position to equalizing the status of
women is not based upon lack OF mas
culine confidence in woman but upon a
more or less we'll defined lack OF conf
dence of the men in their own kind.
There Is a bit of doggerel which runs
somewhat to this effect:
In the worlds broad field OF battle.
In the bivouac OF life.
You will find the average Churchman
Represented by his wife.
In other words, there is a disposition
In church circles to leave It to the
ladies. The great success OF the Wom-
ans Auxiliary and Of tho newly
formed Church Service League shows
what the women can do.
At the Massachusetts convention op-
position to the admission Of women took
form In the statement that II women
received a voice in the convention the
Episcopal Church will turn into the
feminine altogether" 1t Is on record
that the Diocese of California few
years ago admitted women to q voice
in the diocesan conventions. with the
result that after q brief trial Of the
experiment the women themselves voted
the men back into sole control because
most OF the non-clerical work was be-
ing thrown over on the shoulders Of
mother and daughter. There Is no rea-
son, however, why proper balance
should not be struck; and the movement
In favor Of the admission of women to
equal rights I'm the councils of the
church goes steadily forward. w. III.
New York, May 20.