The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-31

The difference in the moral standards
| applied to women and to men Is shown very
strikingly in the case of Miss VICTORY BATE
| MAN and the Professional Women's League.
| She is an actress Of very good profess
sional standing. but she has been induced.
! IL not practically forced. to resign from
| the League, simply because Mrs. AUBREY
BoUCIcAuLT has begun a suit for divorce.
charging improper intimacy between her
husband and Miss BATEMAN. The suit
has not yet been brought to trial, and she
protests her innocence Of the wrongdoing
charged. but not proved: yet 1t is manifest
that her feminine associates in the manage
ment OF the League deem the mere allega-
ton. the mere suspicion. sufficient reason
for parting company with her.
Mr.. AUBREY BoUCICAULT Is an actor. and
very likely he is a member Of professional
associations Of actors, but no one OF them
would think OF requesting his resignation
because the same charge Of immortality Is
made against him. He might be member
of the most carefully guarded club OF men,
but his standing In it would not be affected
In the least by such an allegation. even II 1t
were proved to be true. No club member Is
ever put out simply on the ground that he
is guilty OF adultery. II he were in any
professional society. unless. perhaps. nm
association Of ministers. his resignation
would not be compelled because OF such
charge; nor would it disturb his general So
cial aud business relations.
When, however. the faintest suspicion
o: such misconduct ON the part OF a woman
arises. at once she Is put under ban by
her sisters. The dramatic profession Is far
moro liberal in its treatment OF her than any
other. her artistic standing not suffering
from such 9 cause: but. as this cose of Miss
BATEMh% shows. n league of professional
women exclusively is anxious to cut loose
from her. The justice OF an opportunity to
clear herself Of the charge Is not allowed
her. The mere accusation Is enough to
induce her feminine associates to turn
coldly from her The man suffers no social
harm. The woman is socially spurned.
This radical difference In the trent
neut Of men and OF women would
cause II serious complication If 1t
should continue after women have been
admitted to the management Of pub
lie affairs ON political equality with
men. AS 1t Is now. the moral standard ap-
piled to women in public office is far more
severe bIdu LuuI " NulCll Illcu arc lolu up.
A mere breath OF suspicion OF woman
teachers moral purity may cause her ruin.
She Is under the sharpest criticism and tho
closest observation as to her moral conduct.
Meantime. men teachers are not interfered
with in that particular. Wherever women
are in public Office the difference is the
same. and in private employment it is not
less marked. Many Of the men most prom
Inent and most distinguished in public life
have been OF licentious habits but their |
immortality has not interfered with the sue
cess OF their public careers or lessened the
regard which they commanded from the
public by reason OF their abilities and their
services. Some OF the greatest OF the Ia
tional heroes have been OF that sort
Would the introduction Of women into
public life by the granting Of woman suf-
frage. have tendency to lower the moral
standard for them, so rs to bring it down to
that Of men? Probably not. We may even
say undoubtedly not. for women themselves |
tolerate and excuse and overlook moral |
lapses In men which they would not forgive |
In women. Tho difference In the standards |
is made by them rather tEan by men. or ut |
least they could prevent it II they were so |
minded They let the adulterer go. and they |
punish tho aduteress. The moral purity |
they exact from women, they do not require
from men.
II, then. under woman suffrage. we had
women candidates for Office. they would be
subjected to moral tests from which men
would be as much exempt as they are now.
Otherwise. woman suffrage would bring
about radical social ard moral revolution:
a revolution in human nature itself. With
woman suffrage q new element would be
brought into political DISCUSSIONS tending
to embitter them and to make them scan
dalous. for tho moral character OF women
would be a necessary issue.
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