National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-15
THE LOTUS CLUB IN DEFENCE OF
., WOMAN.

| To the Editor Of the National Republican.
4 SIR: In your issue Of the 18th inst. appears an
article signed Gauntlet }" which purports to be
literary disquisition on ''ciubs." The writer is
evidently an amateur in the history and nature
Of truly literary clubs He soon disposes Of clubs
| in general to enter into personalities, and thus
discovers how little he knows about tho former
i and how much Of the latter. In this he places
\ himself among the grudgers, GROWERS and NAL
er cy apH sns nSsEus
and contention by their cries for personal agTran
diIement and their efforts against every laudable
| enterprise in the direction OF Improvement.
Such as have described are the incarnation Of
the 'dog in the manger." They cannot. by inefti-
cIency-sOme morally and mentally, Others NOR
and they growl at those who would partake the
| benefit thereof f.s ~ =
1t is to be observed how unchivalric (which 1.
| the same as ungentlemanly) the "Gauntlet" Is
thrown down 10 defiance OF foe and friend, and
more like common bandit. In this is seen the
envy and sslsus En Which in its passion delights
1t is remarksble how narrow-minded and un-
charitable 10 'Gauntlet" in his description Of
of old t'there was no penchant toward the wife or
| the belle. The female was no appendage there
This naturally domestic and sweet creature was
@o and ESassy
IL sPs so Ss a 1oia II sSa
s9a sst sssR
II
ages past 90 that today by reaSon Of the absehce
Of cosmopolitan edpeation with man, she is read
| py our young men, IKE Mr. Streker, rom the
stand:pont OF history alone, and Is thus histori-
cally Judged as unnt, a. sex for the exercise OF
popular suffrage. And this conclusion is hlstori.
VIC aaaantis@ further hardsns his heart and say,
\ Of the clubs Of to-day, "too much woman" and
likens her strengthening influence to "gruel.n
NOW, venture to state that no respectable
woman would notice such Gauntlet, though
1t was thrown in her face, contenting herselfa-s
the source mitigated the offence.
1t 10 said by this rlalcontent that such "do-
m sstic arrangements as women and man intel
Brougham, O Sumner, q Burke. This is what
| sSGauntlet' knows about women. 1 Will ten him
what be does not know: that the influence Of
Madame de Stael was not only felt BY men, but
| by empires. What does Gauntlet know Of Mary
Somerville, and her influence upon menf How
the literau slipped OF her storehouse Of learning,
| as the bee the flower, often and tenderly. But
Josh; Billings says; "a man that don't know
| anything VIII tell it the FIRST time he gets
chance.
| But leaving clubsin general, GAUNTLET rushes
with indecorous speed 70 crush out, with one
blow, the Lotus club Of this city. Here is the
| rut. us mere where al the trouole lies Per.
sonality stalks forth and big Lis versed With God
and man because he Is left out OF the Lotus club.
| The writer has no word OF defence for the Lotus
| club IN any error which lt has committed or may
commit, but 10 made up OF men Of which the PROV
sso ssys c,nn Sas s ire Mhossoyss
vain, pulled up, foolish and indiscreet, who would
willingly forget the ladder py when they have
assembled as lar as they nave, are these not TO be
tound IN cnuren ana state, ana should either OF
head and mont Of the otspdingr Of this highly