River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-06-06
ONE WOMAN'S WAY.
TAs Cheerful Kicker" Tells How s
Gets Her Rights and Her RevenEes.

RAs "CheerfuI Kicker" Tells How She
Gets Her Rights and Her Revenges.
do you know why woman is always
being abused and oppressed?" asked
the argumentative woman.
''She isn't" said the argumentative-
man, was about TO write; but ''let me
anticipate" as the old-fashioned novel;
lists used to say, he is hardly a man,
though he is going to be-" like Tilda
Squeers with her engagement But the
next words were soothing to adolescent
vanity.
Its her own fault. She hates rows
and scenes, is too tender-hearted Tor
weak-minded) to scold, too busy or in
different to resent injuries, and every
one knows it and takes advantage of
it. Then she grumbles, grumbles,
grumbles about the way you never
get your rights if you are woman
the way public officials neglect their
duty, the way the proud who at pres
ent inherit the earth tread on the toes
of the meek, who have reversal right
in it, till you are tired of hearing her.
OF course that sort of woman never
gets her rights if she won't stand up
for theml How does she expect to
get 'em-have 'em politely presented
to her in a neat package delivered at
her door free of expense without her
lifting her little finger? Now, l can
truly say that / always get my rights
or else revenge for my wrongs-be-
cause / investigate where most wom-
en- overlook, complain where most
women submit-in a word, kick.
Take the street car, for instance.
Do you know why conductors are uni
formly more rude and inconsiderate to
women than to men? Because women
don't complain? Oh, no; but because
they don't complain to any purpose.
The other day was in a car where an
intoxicated man was making himself
as obnoxious as he could and the con-
ductor refused to put him off, evident
ly considering the whole performance
good joke. told him l would report
him if he didn't do so, and he smiled
indulgently and returned to the back
platform, where heard him say in an
swer to the question of a man beside
him: Nav, she won't do no reportin'.
With a woman it all begins and ends
with tongue-lashin'.'
HE was mistaken, though. ! wrote
, to the street car company and received
from them a note thanking me for Il e
information and saying that the man
had been severely reprimanded. On
| another occasion a motorman refused
| to stop for me until called out that l
would report him, whereupon he stop
ped in the middle of the square and re-
| luctantly let me on. Instead of going
to my destination, rode to the end of
the route into the car depot, took my
complaint into the office and the mo-
torman was discharged on the spot"
'Good for you!" said the coming man,
admiringly. IF all women would do
! that"
"All women, indeedl Why, there
| isn't one in ten who has the spunk to
complain where she should. l can
assure you / have quite a collection of
letters from employers, thanking me
| for letting them know of the conduct
| of their subordinates. One of these
relates to the rudeness of a govern
ment employee whom l had always no.
| ticed with particular disfavor for his
bullying and insulting manner to the
women who transacted business at his
desk. He never tried it on me but
once; on that occasion | wrote full
account of it to his superior, who wrote
to tell me that Mr. Blank had been
sternly reproved, that this was the
| first complaint of the kind, that the
second would be followed by his dis
missal. Think of tout of the scores
| of women to whom ! had seen that
man offer impertinence, not one of
| them had ever had the sense or the
spirit to report himr'
"You should arouse women on TIE
subject and form cheerful kicker's
| club" suggested. THAT might move
/ the millennium few steps nearer"
Wouldn't it thought Think of the
| increased public comfort if the insolent
or careless salesperson. the delinquent
collector of ashes or garbage, the po-
| liceman who neglects his duty, all 9TH
| err similar offenders, knew they would
be promptly reported! Why. business
would go on CREASED wheels. All
Americans are too weak for earthly
use, but the American woman-well,
she's Moses himself. I'd prefer her TO
| be an Israelite and murmurl That s
the only way TO be well treated"
you hate to make complaints"
confessed.
81 don't" said the cheerful kicker.
| briefly. Il hate far worse to see peo-
/ pie injuring their own and their en-
/ plover's int est and annoying an I'M
offending public. oh, well, thought
| of his wife and family so many womt n
say, SO / let the matter CO. I'd like
to know if the deserving man they'd
put in his place if discharged hasn't a
wife and family, too? No, 1 walk
peaceably on my way till ! come to a
stumbling block, then / kick, instead
of walking around it and leaving it for
the next woman to trip over. It's
dieadful, but what can / do?' said a
woman to me whose neighbours chill
dren were in the habit of ill-treating
her one delicate little girl. think I'd
know what to dol I'd pay the neigh
/ Dor the compliment of thinking that
she wanted her children to behave, on
the same principle which tell the
| grocer that his canned goods aren't all
the label paints them, or the coal deai-
/ er that gives short tons, or the woman
/ in front of me at the theater that her
/ hat is in the way. I'd rather be a
cheerful kicker than a patient grum-
bier, any day"
Good for you" said the coming man
/ again.-Philadelph Press.
I