Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-19
ARE WOMEN MANNERLESs

question that is much debated in the press
just now. 1t is not at all complimentary
to the American people that the subject
should have any vitality. But writers in
the reviews and the daily press have made
it an issue, and it cannot now be thrown
out of the forum of public debate. The
chief charge In the affirmative is based
upon the conduct of some women in
railway trains, on street cars, in theaters
and public places and in hotels and places
of public entertainment. The affirmative
insists that our women crowd, push, pre-
sumo impertinently upon the gallantry of
men, expect and demand concessions at
the sacrifice of vital rights of others, are
discourteous to each other, and so on.
There is much error in this. Our
women are as mannerly as our men. But
that there is some measure of truth in
the allegations is not to be denied, but the
avenue to a corrective for such evil
which We think, however, has been much
exaggerated-is through ascertainment of
the causes of the evil, such as it is. The
true reason has been pointed out by Mr..
Crofut in the North american Reoiew for
October If women are unmannerly, he
says, it is because in this country men have
made them SO, by excess of what we are
pleased to term gallantry, but which is
really the surrender of rights that women
should not ask, and will not ask, when
men cease to force their acceptance upon
them.
There can be no doubt that the assayist
has touched the very quick of the whole
question. Women in America will con-
form to the fashion of the hour that men
SET If men will, for instance, continue to
remove their hats in hotel elevators be-
cause women are present, women will con-
tinue to expect it as politeness due their
sex, and further, the refusal of which will
be deemed insulting. The custom is I'M
known to Europe, and is no more to be
commended here than Is the removal of
ones hat in hotel hall, or when passing
up ho:el stairway, or when in the public
Office CT hotel. No one dreams of such a
thing as taking off the hat while ascend
ing the stairway of hotel with a lady.
1t would be folly and prejudicial to health,
yet the elevator is no more than stairway
substitute. 1t is not parlor or private
apartment, The elevator fashion is purely
American, and wholly due to foolish ex-
cess of gallantry.
The yielding of seats in street cars to
women is another reprehensible custom.
When one has paid for seat in a street
car he is not compelled by politeness to
yield it to a woman any more than he is
expected to give up his seat in railway
car for which he has paid the price. No
one thinks of surrendering his seat on
railway train to woman who enters the
car. On the contrary, the common ex-
preston is, "If there is no seat for the
lady let the railway company furnish an
other carr But in American street rail
way etiquette the car proprietor profits
largely by the false politeness of men. He
sells them seats, knowing that they will
yield them to women whom he crowds
into the car later on. He thus makes a
double profit. He saves the cost of out
fitting his road with sufficient cars to ac-
commodate the travellers upon it with
seats. In Europe, country of polite ma
tions, no man gives up his seat to
woman, and on her account stands up for
the journey. The companies there must
furnish all passengers with seats, or not
take on board more than they can COM
fortably accommodate. When a man pur-
chases a seat in theater he does not think
of surrendering it to a woman who hap
pers in and has no purchased seat. Yet,
with as good reason, he should surrender
his theatrical reserved sitting or his box
as his street railway seat
Difference to women in excess has culti-
waited in her spirit of boldness that is
not complimentary to womanly character.
Men have taught her that all she has TO
do is TO demand front place and the break
ing Of the line, the seat in the car and the
preferred position in the public audience,
and that she will secure it. The conse-
quence Is that young women are growing
up impressed with their right to certain
civilities and attentions that are not in
any sense rights, but are simply the grants
of custom altogether too radical.
We would not for moment be under
stood as deprecating those deierential con-
cessions to the aged woman. the feeble and
the crippled-that every man accords, as
n matter of course. But all such are
charities. rather than manifestations of
politeness. If one in Car yields his seat
TO a woman who is his relative, or his
neighbor or his friend, he should be judged
as doing so for those reasons, and not as
concession to the whole sex. As it is now,
however. men feel called upon to bounce
up and insist upon women, who are perfect
strangers, taking their seats in street-csrs.
They have SO long insisted upon the
women accepting, that the latter have
pretty nearly ceased to acknowledge the
concession and sacrifice by even so much as
a glance of thankfulness, and hence we are
coming to think that women are manner
less exacting and impudent in public. It
is much the same in the line at the ticket
Offices. postal deliveries, trade sales, etc.
There are indications, however, of a
change taking place for the better;