New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-14
EYES CODE OF HONOR.
WHAT WOMEN NEED IS ESPRIT DE CORPS.

WHAT WOMEN Is ESfRlI LIE OO1SISs
II anything were needed to strengthen the
oopular impression as to the existence OF a gu:f
senarating high heels from high souls II might
no found In the extraordinary meeting recently
held in London for the purpose OF framing an
deal code Of honor for 1.-The woman OF to-day
7, was a meeting held under the auspices Of the
pioneer Club, an association organized for the
nurpose Of promoting the emancipation OF
women and the discussion vas opened by the
Hon. Coralie Glynn. sister Of Lord Wolverton.
and Lady Norreys. who also presided over the
meeting That Miss Glynn and her fellow
pioneers should have considered 1t necessary to
call together a meeting for any such purpose
IA equivalent to assertion that woman has
until now been without a code OF honor. an In
ference which. as man. cannot bring myself
10 admit 1t Is impossible to deny the fact.
however that men accustomed to accord
greater degree Of lenency to the fair ones In
questions pertaining to honor than to in
diyiduals Of their own sex They do not expect
or exact the same degree of strictness In such
matters and manifest a good-natured in
dugence which by many women cannot fail to
be regarded as more Of an insult than of
kindness.
FEMININE ETHICS AS TO CARDS.
Take, for instance. cards Any man who is
pected Of so doing. is irremediably doomed to
social perdition and subjected to the most
frightful kind Of ostracism. Yet dishonesty of
this character on the part of a pretty woman.
or even when the offender Is an unattractive old
dowager excites more good-humored amuse.
ment than anger. 1t would be going great
deal too far to allege that We expect unfair
play when we have woman as partner or as
opponent: still If we do detect her In any sharp
pra ctice. are not precisely astonished and
do not think any the worse Of her for It, No
man would show himself so lamentably de-
fcient in gallantry as to look for the payment
Of any bet that lady had done him the honor
to lose to him, and it would be equally bad form
for him to suggest the return of cash advances
that she had condescended to accept at his
hands Her stories and her statements are
usually considered by the sterner as in
finitely more creditable to her powers Of pic
turesque imagination than to her notions Of
exactitude-the latter not being regarded as her
forte-and an impression prevails to the effect
that she is even more artistic and deft in her
embroidery Of facts than in her embroidery Of
textile fabrics. Indeed. the only time when We
are ready to accord her unrestricted confidence
and belief is when. either for the purpose Of
making us look foolish with some more
serious object of her own in view. she tells us
Now, without venturing to go into the question
as to whether or not these sentiments the
part Of men concerning the better half Of the
human race are correct. would, with all due
humility point out that It is the women them
selves who mainly responsible for the exist
ence Of the notion that their standard Of honor
Is inferior to that Of man. The London meeting.
presided by Miss Glynn and attended by
such well-known "emancipated" leaders as Lady
Harberton and Miss March Phillips. and sum-
moned for the avowed purpose of framing code
OF honor for women. is only one Of a number Of
their own assurances to this effect Is not one
of their favorite and stock phrases. when they
wish to inspire us with confidence. You know.
in questions of honor have the same ideas as
a man." ergo. Il am exempt from the short
comings Of my sex in the matter? And do they
not repeatedly express the conviction that this
that piece Of meanness 'can only have been
perpetrated by woman
WOMAN's INTOLERANCE OF WOMAN.
OF course. there are exceptions but as a gener-
al rule 1t is woman herself who Is the most in
tolerant of the alleged shortcomings OF her sis
ters who is the quickest and keenest to lay bare
their moral defects and who is most eager to
call our attention TO peccadioes that We should
otherwise never have discovered, but which.
when noticed merely serve in our eyes to act
as a sort Of Rembrandt shading to their mani
fold charms How few are the women who are
willing to speak nothing but good Of their own
sex and whose praise Of their sisters does not
contain some yelled sarcasm. some hidden sting.
What women need far more than code OF
honor is esprit de corps. and II the emancipation
movement can only succeed In bringing this into
existence 1t will have in a great measure atoned
for the creation Of that dspleasing phenomenon
yclept "the New Woman" who, having cast
aside that feminnity and dainty delcacy which
constitute one Of the most attractive charms OF
her sisterhood and finding herself unable on
physical, social and moral grounds to assume
the same degree of masculnty as man. remains
a species Of hybrid. sexless ENJOYABLE crea-
ture who is neither one thing nor the other
1t is this esprit de corps which forms the
groundwork of honor among men. 1t begins
with what is known as "schoolboy honor" a
term which Is often derided. and yet which Is
SYNONYMOUS with many of the finest and most
characteristic qualities Of the Anglo-Saxon race
Every English, every American school is little
republic or commonwealth of Its own. bound to-
gether by esprit de corps and with It's strictly
defined code OF honor. offences against which,
though perhaps innocent In the eyes OF the
teachers are called to such severe account
among the boys themselves that the punishment
sometimes follows a lad through life. This code
OF honor. which is entirely Independent Of the
masters and teachers. would be impossible as
regards its origin and it's maintenance were 1t
not for the existence Of the esprit de corps
which binds the boys together. The one Is In
separable from the other. and the authorities
Of all the great educational institutions In this
country and in England Will. am sure pear
witness to the invaluable assistance which they
have derived in their task from the existence OF
thesa two features of Anglo-Saxon school life.
"scHooLBoY HONOR" THE FOUNDATION.
= Primed with these eminentiy heaithy pr'"-
ciples Of schoolboy honor. among the ethics OF
which !. IN keen concealed from outsiders the