The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-26
DEPARTMENT" JOURNALISM.


A correspondent inquiries why it is that the
journal, with all its varied excellences, its en-
terprise and its avowed interest in the adj
vancement of women, nevertheless has no
part of its space devoted exclusively to those
subjects which are supposed by many to alb
sorb the attention of the sex which sews, or
rather, to be more definite, the sex which does
every thing but vote and become fathers OF
families. In short, our correspondent wishes
to know why the Journal has no 'woman's
department" The same question is so fire.
quently asked by excellent, though misguided,
persons, that little explanation as to the
cause of such omission may not be out of
place. The inquirer above quoted answers
her own query did she but realize it, in the
appreciative estimate which she makes of the
Journals character To begin with first prin-
ciples: it is because this paper is wide awake
and the friend of woman, that it declines to
fence off a corner in which to place such
articles as may be arbitrarily considered
proper for her perusal. 1t requires a hardi-
hood of constitution which, it must be frankly
admitted, none of its editors possess, to as
sumo that all woman wants to know can be
limited to the space of one or two columns.
She wants to know it all; if she fail to find
enough to please her in one paper she gets
another, and reads it through from date line
to the most obscure advertisement. Nothing
escapes her eagle eye, particularly if she have
a reason to believe that any portion of the
contents are not intended for herself. This
popularity being well established, any at
tempt to hedge her about with department"
lines is useless, even if it were desirable.
But" it is urged "there really are topics
the discussion of which is of moment to
women alone and for convenience they might
be collected under single head" Are there
indeed such subjects7 Let us see. A num-
Der of esteemed and no doubt widely circu-
lated, journals which favor this Office with an
exchange have not outgrown the woman de-
partment business, although they, the sheets
aforesaid, have grown to such blanket proper
tions that the mere sight of one issue tends to
faintness of soul on the part of that editor
foredoomed to ego through" them. In these
metropolitan sheets, as well as other
less ambitious organs from the rural
districts, may be found the "Woman's
ol,o hot fha
Fair Sex Want to Know" ETC. An examina-
ton of these various columns from time to time
shows that the matter contained therein may
be comprised under three general topics,
namely, political enfranchisement of women,
rules and regulations for conducting house
hold and governing children-these usually
promulgated by men who never possessed
either-and recipes for cookery. In one val
liable paper just at hand appears under the
woman label, an essay on equal suffrage, di-
rections for transforming seven tin fruit cans
into useful and beautiful cushioned hassock,
and a new way of making ehow-chow.
Now the journal believes, as to the first of
these, that the interests of men are equally
involved with women in female suffrage and
its possible consequences, and that, therefore,
whatever valuable information is published
concerning the problem should be made as
free to one sex as the other. Experience and
observation show that men rather avoid the
wornan's column of their newspapers than
otherwise, and are consequently not likely to
profit by the wisdom it may contain.
1t might be sufficient explanation of this to
say that gentlemanly prOpriety would forbid
trespassing on the domain of others, but it
may also be added that in idle moments they
have wandered unwittingly into the fields in
question. and have found them unattractive.
Sad though it be to say, the question of woman
suffrage is one which does not deeply interest
the average masculine reader, and to soundly
impress him. its arguments must be presented
in a sugar coated form rather than in the bold
and uncompromising shape usually found in
the columns mentioned. There seems, at
all events, no good reason for permitting
women alone to profit by the more or less able
arguments put forth by friends Of the cause.
The matter of dress reform, also, which is
sometimes presented in the womans depart
ment, is one which, at least indirectly, con-
Germs the trousers wearing portion of human
ity. They will read nothing about it in the
'Realm," because of positive, if erroneous,
opinion that editors of such columns are
cranks. If, however, the reform scheme be
craftily disguised by headlines which refer
enticingly to corsets, stockings, and other