New-York tribune., 1889-12-22
WOMAN IN OFFICE.
FROM A MANS POINT OF VIEW.

"Chatterer" in The Boston Courier
1t pains me to learn that woman III ONCE Is some
what of a faure-at least III New York. IL seems
that she carries into her Official hie certain traits
that are characteristic Of her sex, but wlch are not
in harmony with business affairs. In the hrst place.
the woman official is severely offensive 10 women,
from whom Size eXacts more than the legal pound OF
flesh and for whom she shows a contempt and lofty
liberation that outside the limits Oh d"' Inc
case for this attitude of woman against woman has
vet cluded the search of science and cohlOuhded the
theories Of philosophy; ana to cOncluue' cNcli nave
matter closely we shall ind reason, II not cause.
man appears before woman III ONCE already
crushed il has absorbed all his courage 10 face
Official femininity and if he docs not receive all the
snubs and the contempt that he Is prepared Tor he Is
more disappointed than surprised, The woman behind
the desk IS awe-nspirng object 10 , tne 3fdvest
man she is her SEX plus authority, Charlotte COrday
and Minerva combined. She is not the more imposing
because she fills IT, because the Office Is herself sucn
a woman may insist on anything unhindered OF man.
the earth is hat for the time beng. lie appears
before 80 much majesty in a commanding altitude;
he waits her pleasure, patiently, before receiving the
postage stamp for which he appnes, t tdsn III nand
he stiles his haste 10 obtain his letters uhtll she
sees fit to give them 10 him. For these reasons the
official woman does not 90 out OF her way 10 annoy
TO torture man; she accepts pm t, as worm and
application for letters or stamps ana 10 sofgohze mm
with her Tenny sOnan " stony stare
4 woman approaches the official woman guarded
window In different attitude Ill iaGt' III bclli-
gerent attitude and the monarch Oh an siie surveys
receives her In an equally bellgeIcht spirit. Two
hungry dogs approaching the sahle 1ohe VIII give
fair idea of the situation. The passive lnulHerenCe
shown toward that humble creature, man. no longer
exists; the advcrsaries both have their lanoes in
rest and each is looking for the weakest spot In the
Of the other There Is an omlnous silence dur
ing which the fashion Of garments ana tne fashion Of
features criticised there Is an omnous sniff, a
swapping Of eyes, an elaborate exhibition OF chip
the shoulder for opponents to remove violently:
lofty staring at tops OF heads instead OF into eyes an
aggressiveness Of over-pol;eness the fine malice OF
preventing 10 the utmost the coh'uinmaton OF the
object that both have at heart the overzcalous desire
to make fault and TO find IT, % Imagine an insult an
resent II, to compel msOence that bire1s the insult
Naturally, the women who are not oHclals complain
Of the women who officials ana thc woman behind
the window complains Of the Woman III 'front.' Of IT,
This + the serious danger that cOfrohts the
who aspircs 10 public Office the weight that drags her
down when I'm Office. The fault Is hers Individually
but IL Is the falling Of the sex generaly-the mpossi
bllity OF woman treating woman IN any other way
than as rival an ANTAGONIST me woman In
Office cannot escape from herself she refuses To see
or cannot see any difference between free. II tax.
having, public and her family circle she carries
her home characteristics into public affairs Regarding
men as the pos,essafs Of obnoxious latchkeys and
punished for her toothaches and responsible for her
dyspepsia. That she IS compelled to hold lowly office
is the fault Of the world. and the world must suffer
/ for H. She knows that she Is better than other
Women and demonstrates her super0riy.to anticipate
their doubt. the doubt that She has invented for
them. This Is not gallant, but, unfortunately. IL Is
true There can he no question that, with time tho
woman IN Office viii be constant evaporation to
woman out of Office. II IS true that woman out OF
Office is equally exasperating to woman In Office and
| the proverbial mans inhnmanltv To man Is thus
| furnished with q parallel In womans antagonism 10
! woman.