The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-07-11
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WOMEN IN MEMS CLUBS.
Barriers That Excluded the Fair Sex Are
Fast breaking Down.

WOMEN IN MEMS CLUBS.
Barriers That Excluded the Fair Sex Are
Fast Breaking Down.
Although it is only in the down town
clubs that one may dine and absorb the
beautiful views above the city, the treat
is not reserved for men exclusively. The
merchants clubs, which have topside
dining rooms, all admit women who are
introduced by the members The Law
yers' club, not yet ON the roof of its
building, the Equitable Life, was the
first to extend its benefits to the wives
and lady friends of its members, but the
others have followed suit, and the men
must now withdraw to single smok-
ing room in each club in order to hold
stag parties and to be free of the gentler
SEX But though the dining clubs are SO
liberal the regular up town social clubs
are still for masculines only, with very
few exceptions. How very backward
New York is in this respect one easily
discovers by travelling around the coun-
try. Very little travelling will yield the
discovery.
In Brooklyn, for instance, almost ev-
cry one Of the great clubhouses is now
the nightly resort of women; who have
attractive quarters as well as frequent
days for enjoying the entire buildings.
In Cleveland the solid old Union club
has fine quarters for ladies. In Detroit
the Detroit club has been at great pains
and expense to make the women feel at
home under its roof And while Chica-
go is little more backward, yet even in
the conservative and old Union League
club you may find a side entrance for
women, and you may see maid in cap
and apron ever ready to receive them
and to show them to the section of the
great clubhouse that is reserved for their
use. AS far away as San Francisco also
found that the women were welcomed
| to one of the big clubhouses at least,
SO that from ocean to ocean and lake to
gulf have everywhere found women
admitted to mems clubs. / refer to the
Picl1wick club in New Orleans in speak
ing Of the extension of the custom to
the gulf.
1t may be that the multiplicity of
clubs in most of the cities has led to this
breaking down of the old barriers that
excluded women from these stag meet
ing places as religiously as all of them,
except perhaps Mrs Lease, have been
kept out of the Masonic lodges l Ishould
not wonder if it has been done as much
to make the clubs more attractive as to
follow our national adherence to great
gallantry toward the lovelier sex. But
whatever the reason it must have helped
the clubs in capturing and subduine
their strongest opponents 1t has robbed
woman of her sting, and domesticity
has been shorn Of the armor with which
it fought those men who dared to finC
pleasure away from their fireside. Per
haps the present innovation foreshadowl
the glad time which an old clubman il
New York insists is coming to destro,
the old club life altogether
He is very gallant to them when HI
encounters any ladies in the clubs o
which he is member, but in his secre
heart of hearts he "views them will
alarm He sees the devil in them a
truly as did the monks of the middl
ages, who taught that women were tn
evil ones. He says that the exactions o
society which demand after dinner call
and calls in response to calls and call
of many sorts are already SO numerou
and monopolizing Of time that men hav
given up making them, and even tn
women complain that for one who is il
society no time is left for anything bu
society ON account of the merely forma
calls that are exacted Of society's vota
ries. So he says he foresees that tn
clubs will be utilized by the women
He says that to great degree each clu
represents a set or social circle, an
that presently the women will hold thei
receptions in the clubs on certain days
either all agreeing ON the same day
or at least a large number coming +
such an agreement. Then, he says, tn
men and women will be able to pay Of
a dozen debts of politeness at one strok
by going to the clubs and meeting
!, dozen, maybe 90, women at once. A
. that time, my friend says, he devoutl
hopes that we will be under the sod, fo
the best use Of a mans club will hav
4 departed from it. Julian Ralphin Prov
idence Journal