The Van Buren press., 1895-05-04
ONE. woMAN.s WAY.
Tho "Cheerful Kicker" Tells How sho
Gets Her Rights ana Her Revcnges.

being abused and oppressed?' asked
the argumentative woman.
''She isn't" said the representative
man, Twas about to write; but let me
anticipate" as the old-fashioned novel;
lists used to say, he is hardly man,
though he is ''going to be-" like Tilda
Squeers with her engagement. But the
next words were soothing to adolescent
vanity. tse'.t. sz
''1t's 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 them! 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, can
truly say that I always get my rights
-or else revenge for my wrongs-be-
cause I investigate where most wom-
en- overlook, complain where most
women submit-in 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 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
a good joke. l told him would report
him if he didn't do SO, and he smiled
indulgently and returned to the back
platform, where heard him say in ant
swer to the question Of 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. l wrote
to the street car company and received
from them note thanking me for the
information and saying that the man
had been severely reprimanded. On
another occasion 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 e=Y
"All women, indeed! Why, there
isn't one in ten who has the spunk to
complain where she should. l can
assure you l 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 govern
ment emp1oye whom 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 l 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 l had seen that
man offer impertinence, not one Of
them had ever had the sense or the
spirit to report himr' N.'isN'i 20
| ;"You should arouse women on the
subject and form cheerful kicker's
club" Isuggested. ''Thatmight move
the millennium a 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
er 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 murmur! That
the only way to be well treated"
"You hate to make complaints" I
| confessed }.-stT bai bsis Aiae
81 DON'T" said the cheerful kicker.
briefly. Il hate far worse to see peo-
pie injuring their own and their en-
ployer's interest and annoying an un-
offending public. oh, well, ! thought
of his wife and family, so many women
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, walk
peaceably on my way till l come to a
stumbling-block, then kick, instead
of walking around it and leaving it for
the next woman to trip over. It's
dreadful, but what can I do?' said a
woman to me whose neighbor's chill
dren were in the habit of ill-treating
her one delicate little girl. think I'd
know what to do! I'd pay the neigh
Dor the compliment of thinking that
she wanted her children to behave, on
the same principle which I tcn the
grocer that his canned goods aren't all
the label paints them, or the coal deal
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
gain.-Philadelphia Press.
Ambitious. He.
| ssWell. nv boy, what would you like