The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-25
1t Causes the Postponement of
a Long-Planned Fish
ing Excursion.
DIR. FITCH SEVERELY SCORED.
The Advocates Of Woman's Adj
VanCement Criticize Some
Of His Arguments.


ing the National problem of America, the
question with which Hon. Grover Cleve-
land has wrestled SO long and so earnestly
1t is one more triumph for those seeking
the advancement of the new woman to
think that one of their advocates has been
able to give an answer to the query:
"What would you rather do or go a-fish-
ing2"
Miss Shaw has decided the matter def
nitely. She thinks she would rather de-
liver Fourth of July grafton, especially
when her doing SO is opposed by DR.. Fitch.
She and Susan b. Anthony returned to
San Francisco yesterday, after an extended
trip through Southern California and the
Yosemite. Miss Shaw says that stopping
to celebrate the GLORIOUS Fourth in San
Francisco will cause decided break in her
plans. She had not intended to stay SO
long in California and would not have per-
mitted Mrs. Cooper to bring her name
forward had she known of it in advance.
''You see," she said, II had made an
arrangement with number of friends to
have them meet me at my Cape Cod
cottage on June 30. We were then to put
in week fishing. But since Mrs. Cooper's
request to have me put on the programme
of literary exercises for the Fourth of July
celebration was so bitterly opposed by DR..
Fitch, and on such peculiar grounds,
could not withdraw and disappoint the
friends who had striyen SO earnestly in my
behalf
80, you see, my guests will have to do
without me. My secretary is at the cottage,
and they will have their fishing but l can't
be with them"
cit would seem them was suggested,
"that you had decided the matter of what
would you rather do or go a-fshingT"
"Oh, decided that long ago." was the
quick response. "Td rather go fishing
But felt as if ! owed it to Mrs. Cooper and
my kind friends on the executive COM
mittee of the Fourth of July celebration to
stop over"
Miss Anthony was much interested in
what her friend had to say. She inter
jected:
II understand that DR.. Fitch is going to
have published his views on the new
woman If they are in line with the ar
guments he made before the committee
his paper will excite much levity in the
Eastern States"
why" said Miss Shaw, she would take
from woman the right to earn an honest
living. He overlooks the fact that there
are 80, 600 more women than men in the
Eastern States and that such a social con-
dition renders it imperative for a great
majority of these to toll to support not
only themselves but often brothers, sisters
and mother"
"And then" interiected Miss Anthony,
''he has the hardihood to say that the de-
crease in the number of births in the East
is due to the growth of the woman's rights
movement. He oyerlooks the fact that
the war killed off the flower of the youth
of the Eastern and Middle States and left
an enormous host of women to mourn the
lNc- lfaxrn IL 1, oh, u
too, that because of this very war many
women were forced to enter the world of
business in competition with men, since
they had no providers. 1t would be hard
indeed If these women were adjudged
guilty of a crime for doing what was
forced upon them by the loyalty, patriot
ism and bravery of their loved ones"
Miss Shaw had listened interestediy to
Miss AnthonY's views. She nodded a Wig
orous approval of them and proceeded to
clinch the belief that DR.. Fitch was IL
logical in claiming that advancement of
the position of women had caused de-
crease in the growth of population by
citing bit OF her own experience. She
said:
Aunt Susan is right. The question of
woman's charging her sphere of activity
has nothing to do with the fact that there
are more births in the West than in the
East. The reason is that in the older
communities all the young men of superior
activity have gone West. Only those who
are not bold enough to leave home en-
vironments or who lack the energy to
desire to carve out place in new sphere
have remained in the old homes.
Ills there any wonder then" she asked
"that the birthrate of the West increases
and that OF the East decreases year by
year?
"Why, in my little Cape Cod parish
have officiated at over seventy weddings of
young people. In only one instance did
the newly married pair remain at home
In that case the man was good for nothing
and had been petted and spoiled by his
mother and did what she told him.
"In the other instances the young men
had gone out to seek their fortunes as soon
as they were old enough. Most of them
had left sweethearts at home and came
back alter them as soon as their means
would permit it. Now, does that look as
if woman's suffrage or the new woman
had anything to do with the fact that
births in my parish were tenfold less fire.
auent than burials2'
Here Miss Anthony looked up with a
quiet smile and remarked:
81 think it would be good idea to have
DIR. Fitch canned. He is one of the last of
a once numerous class of men, and / am
sure would be viewed as q curiosity by a
large number of people. | am sure Bar
mum would not have allowed him to be at
large for any great length of time, if that
veteran Snowman were living now"
Miss Shaw said that she had not yet
decided upon the material to use for her
address. The past she felt was not fit
subject for hyperbolical oratory, since to
her it was but record of justice and petty
tyranny.
1.-THE future is about all that is left for
me-" she said thoughtfuily. "And the
righting of woman's wrongs. But as that
SUBJECTS taboo | must, of course, omit
reference to it. "rhe result is that find
myself occupied with a most difficult task.
Had been requested to make speech on
the conditions proposed, | should have
emphatically refused. Under the circum-
stances, however, feel that must do the
best | can.
81 could not allow myself to deliver
those time-worn spread-eagle platitudes
that have done service in SO many Fourth
of July orations. l would be ashamed of
myself if | did not have some thought