The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-23
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE

| To the Editor Of the San Francisco Cdlt-SIR:
Miss Ray Frank is evidently familiar Win
! that ancient saw of somebody's-I've forgotten
whose-perhaps she will tell me-to the effect
! that "every woman who writes has one eye on
| her book and the other on a man, with the ex-
| ception of la Comtesse B., who has only one
| eyep
! How strangely history repeats itself. Not in
| Miss Franks case as in that of the honorable
| exception above quoted but as with the SIAN
dered ruck of us; and the gallant focus OF her
| unoccupied optic has chivalrously fastened TO
declare himself, vide "Prattle" in the Exam
| liner of November 1S.
| 1t must be proud moment for Miss Frank
| to have now, in the role, too of platform
athlete" the commentator OF that very old
man-Mr. Ambrose Bierce. All can say, as
| new woman, is that she richly deserves It'll
Mrs. Maggie Van Cot agrees with MISS
Frank in considering home the place 1or
women, and myself agree with both OF them
| certainly think that they would both be pet
ter at home. BY the way, upon what GROUNDS
do they themselves claim exemption from this
large law that they lay down?
The Jewish woman has always been notorl-
ously and admirably fond OF her home, to the
exclusion of all outside interests, and she has
therefore been an almost unknown factor in
all other movements OF large human concern.
Perhaps, judged in this connection, TINS
daughter of light and fire" is to be regarded
with admiration, but tits but tallow dip, my
masters, compared with that brilliant mean
descent, Miss Shaw, through whose efforts,
and those of other women like her, the COM
parative freedom that Miss Frank has attained
has been made possible. THAT "bitter wind
which is not so unkind as manson woman's-
ipgratitude" may blow here a little j And
where has this high-hearted and sweet-souled
young woman been of late? She appears to be
laborlng under the delusion that she has dis
covered this new woman who wants to vote
assures US that 1.-The movement is much more
important than most people imagine" and
''that it should not go UNDECIDED"
'Unheeded." Christopher Columbus! That's
too funnyi Where hare you been, Miss Frank?
Mr.. Bierce assures us that he is your friend,
and yet you complain OF the New Woman re-
naming unheeded.
How much heedfulness are you hankering
after, Miss Frank-a norsewhip or an assisting
toe? But perhaps Miss Frank is oio enough
sophistication But, assuredly, such Ignorance
OF the discussion of the most widely discussed
subject of the day is simply astounding, and
indeed objectionable, on the part of one who
has actually ventured to lecture on that very
subject.
A study of daily HISTORIAN intelligent study
would have made our two-eyed Lectures
familiar with another fact about which she is
also in the dark. She admits-so kind of her
under the circumstances-thatw we women are,
morally and mentally, the equals OF man, but
physically not so. This is what Professor At
tia (the trainer of Sandow), q man who knows
his subject, has TO say about the possibilities OF
women in that connection:
you may be surprised to know it. but the female
organization WILL on account of the construction
of the hips, endure greater strain on the muscles
all over the body than the masculine organization
"Then you think woman is not the weaker sex?"
asked the reporter.
Certainly. the Creator never intended her to be
the weaker" said the professor HAS she not
greater need of defending herself on account OF her
being woman? .
'Do train women by the same system as men?
Yes, far as is concerned, but no two ind-
viduals ever require the same treatment
Another thing. The trained mother is
apparently Miss Franks ideal woman. To be
consistent, therefore, Miss Frank must be sup
posed TO be working toward that ideal. l
should like TO know il she considers the plat
| form the best training school tor mothers, and,
| if not, why she is to be found there May 1
remind Miss Frank that Wyoming, where
woman sllffragists most DO congregate, is the
| only State in the Union where, during the past
| few years, the percentage OF marriages has in
| creased and that of divorces decreased That
| certainly looks like the making OF mothers OF
| some kind, whether trained" or not l do not
know.
| Well, WE'LL One can forgive much to this
mentally unripe young woman for having in
duced Mr.. BierCe into commencing her lecture
| through the report of 1t. which he has evil
| IDENTIFY not read, it containing the statement
| that "women are mentally and morally the
equals of men," You're a sweet thing, Miss
Rayi ANOTHER WOMAN.