The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-07-01

of her magnificent hospitality; of the
doubts of her husbands fitness which
her winning accents dispel'ed, and Of
the repugnance to the dull, heavy, sto-
lid Williams ON the Supreme Bench,
which was forgotten in the thought of
his stately wife holding her social Su-
preme Court as
"THE FIRST LADY OF THE LAND"
Now it may be there is point up to
which an ambitious and forceful wo-
man may exercise influence in shaping
public affairs and not leave the
cover which our national gallantry
builds between her and the weapons
of controversy. But it is pretty hard
to determine where that point is. 1t
may be fair to assume, however, that
it does not exist away from the pre-
cincts Of her own hearth. And it may
be perhaps not unreasonable to say
fur her that when a woman utterly
sinks the social into the political, when
she makes her parlor a rendezvous for
plotters aud schemers in whose plots
and schemes, designed to affect the
public veal, she is deel est and most
active, she has challenged controver-
sial invasion of her home. Whatever
may be the differences Of opinion GU
this aspect Of the case, there can be
none when woman goes outside Of
her home, to the capital, to the depart
ments, to the White House, to the res
licences Of Senators, to urge the claims
Of favorite, to present the points
of partisan policy involved in his nom-
ination or confirmation; in short, when
she enters with utter absence of re-
serve, and in utter defiance of the So
cial and traditional laws of sex, into
the avocation of a lobbyist. The
case
is SOON SUMMED Up.
The woman is doing a mans mis-
chief in a mans fashion and with vast
~ more than his effectiveness7 Shall
the white flag Of her sex cause a
dearth of opposing shot and shell on
that part Of the field where it floats,
while she pushes on the combat with
redoubled furyf What would have
been said of federal commander who,
encountering Sue Muddy, should
have ordered his soldiers to load with
blank cartridges because the enemy's
commander was woman7
1t occurs to US that this comparison
is none too strong to be just. 1t has
been shown by cumulative experience
at the national capital that the intlu-
ence of ambitious women in politics
has been in one direction or another,
invariably pernicious. Shall its exer-
else then be encouraged by ignoring it
in the name of masculine gallantry and
feminine sanctity7 These questions
derive their pertinence from the fact
that recently certain journalists, cog.
infant of the facts and familiar with
the situation, ventured to rebuke
harshly perhaps, certain women who
unwarrantably interposed in public
affairs; concerning the record of histo.
~ in one case and concerning the
making of it in another. This action
brought down a storm of no light vic.
lence about the ears of tue ventursome
Journalists, from great many quar-.
tiers of much responsibility, importance
and power in the land. 1t might be
we'll for this subject to receive some
little thought and attention. We pre-
sumo there are great many people
who, while at first thought and on gen.
eral principles they would condemn
the act of criticizlng or satirizing wo'
man under any provocation, on second
thought and a careful survey of the
circumstances and their logic, woult
shift their condemnation from the crit
les to the criticized. B.
II