Catholics Against Women’s Suffrage

The Pope is titled ‘The Vicar of Christ’ because he is mankind’s go between. Jesus allegedly instructs the Pope. Why didn’t Jesus order the Pope to give women the right to vote just before the Constitution was signed? I thought Jesus foudeded our Democracy.

The Catholic women of Nebraska were quite upset with the Suffrage movement, like the Bishops are over condoms.

“Does the Catholic woman wish to be in the class which has feminists within its body. We, with the Virgin Mary for our standard of ideal womanhood, must have a care that our ideal is not shattered.”

Most mothers in America were not virgins when they became with child – if I might dare assume!

Jon the Nazarite

Lest Catholic Men Be Misled
To see this pamphlet as it originally appeared, click here.

Literature was distributed Sunday at the doors of the Catholic churches in Omaha, quoting a few Catholic priests, who, as citizens, had declared themselves in favor of suffrage.

Because the Catholic church has not declared herself on this point, politics being outside of her sphere, this great effort has been made to influence the Catholic voter. Although I am strenuously opposed to mixing politics and religion, as a Catholic woman I must protest against our Catholic men voting for the enfranchisement of women in Nebraska. I do not believe that any Catholic men or women would favor “Votes for Women” if they realized certain facts.

First, There are a million socialists in this country, and all are unanimous for woman suffrage. Because they hope by the women’s vote to help themselves politically. All socialists are opposed to anything Christian, but they bitterly hate and attack Catholics. Why should Catholics join themselves with such a body?

Second, The great cry of the suffrage body is for individual liberty. They demand the vote because they object to their husbands, fathers and brothers voting for them. I heard Dr. Shaw say the other evening, when she spoke at the Brandeis, “No one these days respects authority on any question.” She said, “Who believes the pulpit knows more than the pew?” She spoke of St. Paul as though he were a school boy friend, but did not mention how a certain suffrage leader scored him for enslaving women by his famous text in regard to marriage. It strikes me that a catholic should hesitate to support a movement whose leader expresses such sentiments against authority, when the fundamental point of our belief is the divine authority which Christ gave to His church.

Third. The feminist doctrine, I grant, has not made itself felt here in Nebraska as it has in the east, but nevertheless its followers are an arm of the suffrage body. Does the Catholic woman wish to be in the class which has feminists within its body. We, with the Virgin Mary for our standard of ideal womanhood, must have a care that our ideal is not shattered.

Fourth. I fear that women in politics, judging from the present campaign, will injure the Catholic virtue of charity.

I call attention to Dr. Shaw’s interview in yesterday’s Bee when she called respectable women, such as Mrs. George, “liars,” and spoke of driving the antis back to their “kennels.” I contrasted the dignified address and clear argument of Mrs. George with Dr. Shaw’s clever political speech when she flippantly dodged the real issue, and confined herself principally to abusing the antis.

I hope that Catholic men in this community will vote “No” to woman suffrage.

There were also religious figures who joined the fight to keep women out of the voting booths. After all, some of them argued, women did not belong in the political arena because their place was the “realm of sentiment and love, [they posses] gentler, kinder and holier attributes, that make the name of wife, mother, and sister next to the name of God himself.”
The Roman Catholic Church was the religious group that most consistently opposed women’s suffrage. In 1906 more than 29 percent of all Nebraskans claimed affiliation with the Catholic Church, by far the largest single denomination in the state. German Catholics were the most conservative and opposed most of the progressive era reforms; especially any attempts to provide women access to the ballot box or prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages.
Yet, there were some Catholic voices in favor of suffrage. In 1914, the national president of the pro-suffrage organization, Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, was in Omaha. Her speeches prompted a few Catholic priests to express their personal support for suffrage. That act prompted the Nebraska chairwoman of the anti-suffragists, Mrs. Mary Nash Crofoot, to distribute a pamphlet called “Lest Catholic Men Be Misled” to churches around the city. The pamphlet was actually authored by her husband but distributed under her name. They argued that feminists were opposed to the standard that the Virgin Mother set for “ideal womanhood.” And she argued that socialists in this country supported suffrage and opposed Catholics. “All socialists are opposed to anything Christian, but they bitterly hate and attack Catholics. Why should Catholics join themselves with such a body?”
You can read the pamphlet here.
Adolf Hult, an early 20th century Lutheran pastor claimed that “Suffragism [is] Gripped by Feminism.” He said that the suffrage movement had been taken over by “lust and immorality.” He feared that the fall of women would lead to the fall of the world. “Must men put on the iron glove?” he asked.
The Reverend John Williams of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church made a distinction between the mainstream suffragists and the radical fringe. Nonetheless, he argued that the more moderate element of the movement failed to limit the excesses of the radicals who were undermining Christian morality, marriage, and home life. The Victorian ideal that a woman’s place was in the home as preordained by God. “God meant for women to reign over home, and most good women reject politics because woman suffrage will destroy society.”
And a minister from Ponca, Nebraska quoted scripture and said that God simply forgot to list one more commandment — women shall not vote.