New-York tribune., 1886-03-24
ooupAKIYG MEN AND " OMEN.
.-.rx ..srcurs nrroRE rnE NINETEENTH CEN

WITTY sxEEcHEs BEFORE THE NINETEENTH CEN-
TURY CLUB.
. rt rbiact of the relative usefulness of men and
orop was the excuse for series of witty discourses
NJ the Nineteenth Century Club last evening The
Art Association rooms at No. East Twenty-thrd-st,
were ct,wded with more than usually brilliant COM
,.,v when Courtlaudt Palmer introduced General
Horace Porter There popular impression that
General Porter was going to uphold the cause of his
tl,,rmen but be went over to the enemy before the
erst Gun WAS fired lie traced the history of woman
frpo her manufacture out of the rib the croOkedest
mart of man-down to the present., Ill somewhat
snecdotal and diseursive manner that kept his audi
enoe on the verge of commissions with laughter Then
taking up woman's life history of the affections he
smoke of the many examples of womanly devotion in
The wars of this codntry and Europe.
Then Dr. Mary Putnam Jacob took up the thread
Of the discussion She said hat any proposition as to
the relative usefulness of men and women was ll-
There could be discussion about the relative
nselness of the masculine and feminine elements. but
these were mingled in every man and IN every woman
This fact was recognized by Fourier in the little topa
that he thought out. The feminine elements mght De
enumerated dscurslveness, snperhciarty. mime mime
diaie Iracticalness or short-range pracuc:uhess
and personality These were the result OF ages
oG borbarons existence in which woman had 10
do her work and take OF her child at the same
time Three things we're always on her mlnd, the
bobv the dinner pot and the man who was coml1g
back Tn growi about both. Hence In her HABITS OF
mind she became discnrsive aud superhclal Hei
short sighted practcaness came from the application
nj immediate aud simple remedies. The baby crled
he n,nst he soohed The pot boiled over 1t must be
tokr. from the fire. The man growled; he must ne
caioled into good nature. She never went 1eyonu ,e
second ink in the cham. Her personal tendency came
from thinking always of the child and ITS comfort
The husband dealt with material things and snOdued
them for her and the child In the adjustment OF
nature the woman and child one and equal to he
man The qualities were not so bad, however. us
cursyeneSs led the association OF ideas ana hat lay
at the root Of knowledge. Out OF the shortslglteu
and personal tendencies arose c0nstancy, Ihe
eublimest OF virtues Dr. JAG IBIS clean-cut ldeas
nearly turned phrases. and gentle delivery were Tn
sources of great delight to her hearers.
Moncure -. Conway chen joined his forces 70 the
oppositon and hammered away at the doctrine OF the
iufeliority OF taught III the larry tale oI
,hc Garden of Eden and the "spur Gus }" tplstie 10
Timothy These were gotten ~ for want OF better
explanation of the nieI rlty vi hch actually exlsted
The real cause the general inferory was physical
inferioIity and phy-lal neriority was because SIZE
was transmitted IN the direct male line, while intel
lectual pccuaritics went cTiss-cross Man Delng tue
passlonae animal, fought for woman and the OlgGesi
man won her. This perpetIated sne Id man anu
beauty in woman. p
Miss Kate Field believed in the iDterdependenee OF
men and v omen The club OF the future would admit
both to It's membership ihen she made an eloquent
plea for the night of to speak III publc on the
STAGE They ought TO he the successful because
thev were the graceful and had greater freedom
of dress and the average audience beard with their
eyes"