The morning call., 1893-12-18
UTTERLY UNJUST.
Kate Field Sneers at
Press Reform.
PROMINENT LADIES SPEAK.
They Regret but Do Not Censure
Her Action.
SHE RETAINS AN OLD GRUDGE.
Mrs. DR.. Brown, Miss Mary b. West
and Miss Sarah d. HamIin
Express Their Views.

latest num Der OF Kate tleIdS wv as hing
ton" contains respecting the petition of the
women of California for greater purity of
the press.
The movement is one which has met
with favorable comment ard has been
treated with respectful consideration not
only in California but throughout the
length and breadth of the United States.
Readers, therefore, of Kate Fields "Wash-
ington" have perused with surprise the fol-
lowing remarks upon the fact that 1900
California women had signed a petition
for press reform:
IL women want a pure press let them go to
work al home, first purifying themselves by re-
training from scandal m0ngerlnG ana back
biting. Having reformed themselves, let them
rear their children 10 be noble In thought ana
deed and to shrink from yulgarity have said
many time and oft that there IS no more dis
couTaging element in society than aggressive
men and women who think they think. In this
category would L place the 1000 women OF
California who have attempted 10 take the
mote out OF the eye Of the press before remOv-
Ing the beam IN their own.
That this unjust stab should have come
from one OF their own sex might well
cause the press reformers to eXclaim, "Et
tn, Brute" But the fact is that the posi-
ton Kate Field would take on the subject
might almost have been anticipated Dv
any one acquainted with the true inward
ness OF the case She bears no love for
California women. and she has seized upon
the opportunity which the moment offers
TO blazen her feeling broad.
When Kate Field undertook to adver-
tise California wines as money-making
speculation the Woman's Christian Tenn
peIanee Union Of this State put in an
oar" metaphorically speaking. and Miss
Fields enterprise resulted in financial
failure. as many of her other cherished
schemes have done. She has not forgotten
the fact, evidently. but Kate Field might
have waited for better pretext TO show
her resentment than TO attack movement
that has everywhere been treated with re-
spect and consideration.
Several well-knowa San Francisco
ladies' were seen by a CALL reporter
on the subject. Not one expressed
the least bitterness or resentment,
In fact, they only seemed 10 regret that
bright woman such as Kate Field nndoubt-
edly is should have taken such an extra
ordinary stand on the matter of press
purity.
Dr. Charlotte Blake Brown observed
with a quiet smile: Miss Field speaks
of rearing children. How can she expect
mothers To keep their children clean If
they permit them to play in a mud-puddle?
1t is the mothers business to clear away
what Is Objectionable from their children's
pathway.
IL was delighted beyond measure" con-
tinued DIR. Brown. ''by remark which
prominent woman made to me this morn
ing. No. l will not mention her. but you
would recognize her name Immediately if
/ did. She said: If the press purity
movement had done nothing but help The
CALL TO clear out Fakirs' Row it would
have accomplished a great deal for the
city,
Now. l really think the knowledge that
our women are with the movement for
sweeping away such crying disgrace as
that row was helps to strengthen paper
IN abolishlng the evil. Miss Field has not
recognized the spirit of the position for
press reform. We did not wish 10 fight.
Indeed, the movement was anything but
an aggressive one on the part of the women
OF California"
Miss Mary Il. West and Miss Sarah D.
Hamln consented 10 express their opin-
Ions Jointly, Just as they have lab0red
hand n hand in the cause of press reform.
ut seems so UNJUST" observed one of
these ladies gently, after reading the ex-
} tract from Kate Fields Washington, which
the reporter had banded to her, "rhe ar
ticle is altogether so different from the
| spirit of the petition. Kate Field should
read tie article in the Nation and the New
York Evening Post"
In response to question respecting the
Washington journalists didactic remarks
upon the bringing up of children, the
ladies. both Of whom are extensively aud
actively engaged in educational work, re-
piled: People who have nothing to do
with the bringing up of children gener-
ally Know more about it than any one
else, and one of the ladies added: II
rather think the women who read this
diatribe cf Miss Fields will be amused
more than annoyed at anything she NAV
say. Miss Field is very bright woman.
Har nh II olx
estlng. entertaining and Instructive. There
are some points in 1t, however, which are
open 10 criticism, though l am glad to say
that 1t contains no scandal-mongerng,
backbiting or sensationalism. 1t fully de-
served the commentator it received at
Chicago.
Il am afraid, however, that the true in
wardness of her amin sity toward the
1900 California wOmen-by the way il
was 20.0OO-is to be discovered in the fact
that there are not 1900 readers Of her
paper here. l wish there were.
i am glad she has expressed herself as
she feels. for Ii Is well TO know exactly the
position taken on such question by SO
prominent a woman as Miss Field, al
though her sentiments will not have the
tendency Of discOuragiDg any of us. We
have received from the East the opinions,
both published and written, of too many
prominent men and women to be at all
intimidated by any hard names or ignoble
classficatonS.
when anything like this assertion by
Miss Field comes up, | always think of a
passage In Burns about mans inhumanitv
TO man.. In this day the most effective
inhumanity is that which can be shown by
woman toward woman"
The following are few extracts from
two OF the papers alluded 10 by Miss West
and Miss Haml;n. Under the heading of
prophetic Straws," the Nation says:
The women of San Francisco should have
the sympathy OF all their sex. The positive evil
OF sensational daily press is one that is felt
all over the country. Educated public senti.
menI Is the power that will overcome il.
The Nation reports speech made by
William Walter Phelps at the Chant Der of
Commerce. Commenting on the evils Of
sensational press he observed:
The only hopeful feature OF the situation ia
the evidence afforded by such a movement as
that oil the San Francisco women against SEN
satlonal journalism. This movement has now
reached quite remarkable proportions So gen
eral IS the interest and so profound the feeling
that the morality OF the community is Involved
tnat sermons on the subject have been preached
IN score of pulpits.
She Offers to Compromise.
Na.r Vol W.