The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-15
MASCULINE AND FEMININE MORALS,
Difference in Treatment of Moral
Lapses Would Cause Complications.

New York Sun.
The difference in the moral standards
applied 70 women and to men is shown
very strikingly in the case OF Miss victory
Bateman and the Professional Women's
League.
She is an actress of very good profess
sonal standing, but she has been induced,
if 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
protests her innocence of the wrong doing
charged, but not proved; yet 1t is mani
fest that her feminine associates in the
management of the league deem the mere
allegation, the mere suspicion, SUFFICIENT
reason for parting company with her.
Mr.. Aubrey Boucicault is an actor, and
very likely is a member of professional as
sociations 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-gu guarded club OF men,
but his standing in it would not be affected
in the least by such an allegation, even If 1t
ever put out simply on the ground that he
Is guilty OF adultery. If he were in any
professional society, unless, perhaps, an as
ISOLATION or ministers, his resignation
would not be compelled because of such a
charge; would it disturb his general
social and business relations.
When, however, the faintest suspicion of
such misconduct the part of a woman
arises, at once she is put under a ban by
her sisters. The dramatic profession is far
liberal in its treatment of her than
any other her artistic standing not suffer-
ing from such cause; but as this case of
Miss Bateman shows, league of profess
slonal women exclusively is anxious to cut
loose from her. The justice of an oppor-
tunity to clear herself Of the charge is not
allowed her. The mere accusation is
enough to induce her feminine associates 70
turn coldIy from her. The man suffers no
social harm. The woman is socially
spurned.
This radical difference in the treatment
of men and Of women would cause a seri-
Gus complication If 1t should continue after
women have been admitted to the man
agement of public affairs on a political
moral standard applied to women in public
office is far more severe than that to which
picion of woman teachers moral purity
may cause her ruin. She is under the
sharpest criticism and the closest observa-
ton 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 Ii is not less
marked. Many of the men most promi-
nent 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 ma
tional heroes have been of that sort
Would the Introduction of women into
public life by the granting of woman suf-
| frage have q tendency to lower the moral
standard for them so as to bring it down to
that of men? Probably not. We may even
say undoubtedly not, for women them
selves tolerate and excuse, and overlook
moral lapses in men which they would not
forgive in women. The difference in the
standards Is made by them rather than by
men, or at least they could prevent ii if
they were so minded They let the adulter-
er go, and they punish the aduteress. The
moral purity they exact from women
they do not require from men,
If. 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 and moral rev.
| olution a revolution in human nature it
self. With woman suffrage a new element
would be brought into political discus
! sions tending 10 embitter them and TO
| make them scandalous, for the moral char
acter OF women candidates would be a
/ necessary issue.