Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-06-02
THE NEW MAN PORTRAYED.
An English View Of a Great and
Interesting Froolom.
Women Have Called for Thor Ideal AIar
But Do Not Find Hinl--He Woul5
Be Too Bashful and Per-
haps Too Good.

~-AAAOdSNlS mis- tue DdSNFA Vi
an occasional magazine article .omanat-
ing from the new school, Lut he is not
yet here in the flesh. lie remains an
ideal, an abstraction.
Let us consider him for q moment
quite seriously. There is no doubt that
the relative positions of the sexes in
these times have changed good deal.
That is too big question TO go into
here, but If anyone doubts the fact lie.
Inn consider broadly how far the cast
ern and western civilizations have
drifted apart in their views of marriage.
SO do not deny that new sentimc nts
may from time to time become engraft-
ed upon human nature. The modern
rePu9nance 10 slavery would have leen
unintelligible in ancient Rome and I
doubt whether hooded-out or burned
cut negroes and yellow men ever under
stand the altruistie subscriptions now
and again got up at the Mansion house
for their benefit. On the other hand
the Chinese, with their worship OF an-
cestors. indulge in sentiments which
are caviare TO ourselves. No sect, no
body of enthusiasts, need therefore de-
spair of bringing round society to its
opinions; it is quite entitled to try.
But do the ladies who are clamoring
Tor the new man realize all that their act
implies? can hardly think 50; because
the renewal of the British constitution
would be a feabite to what they pro-
pose, as little reflection will show.
First Of all, however, let us be agreed
upon our terms. The demand is that
there should be but one standard Of
morality for both sexes. OF course, this
is vague. There might be a levelng
lown as we'll as a leveling up OF morality,
or there might be compromise be-
tween the two sexes-a NEE ting half
way. II there was any hesitation in
Judging of this matter It would hardly
be for the advanced ladies TO complain,
seeing that one section of them is IN
viting manufacturers and others to send
in designs for new dual Carme emit
or, vulgarly, trousers for everyday fe-
male wear; while another section claims
the right, as I nnderetand, to retalate
in kind, for infidelity. However, not TO
be upgenerous, let us assume the preva-
lent demand to be that men should con-
form to the existing standard of NOR
atty.
Well, that idea requires following out
little more closely than has yet been
attempted on advanced platforms, be-
cause it leads up to rather strange is
sues. for which can hardly imagine its
promoters to be prepared.
Morality, it is clear, ought to be some
thing more than verbal profession; 1t
ought to spring from inner sentiment
and to be closely allied to modesty.
Given modesty OF thought and modesty
OF demeanor among members of the
male sex, there would follow. as n mat
ter of course, the new morality, which
in turn would yield us race of bashful
and blushing men, coy in love, lacking
in initiative, who would let conceal
ment, like Il worm in the bud, feed on
thier sentiments. Nor would the change
end here. We can hardly doubt but
that the new man, nctuated by his new
feelings, would be at some pains to dis
guise the contour of his figure. If he
adhered to the dual garment" he would
probably puff it and frill it into fantar-
tic shapes and scrupulously avoid the
slightest exposure of ankle. The ath-
lete would blushinply fling aside his
conventional garb as too indelicate.
Side by side with these Developments
there could hardly fail to be n complete
change of the inner man effected. Pro-
posals for marriage would have to come
indifferently from either side Indeed.
many new men would probably never
get over n sort of madenly repulsion to
the opposite sex, and there would be-
sides be little attraction TO them in the
prospect of mating with a creature os
emotional and retiring as themselves.
Virtue itself would become drug in
the market. 1t would cease to be priced.
because temptation would cease to as-
sail it.
Too modest to confess his passion, II
he had one, the new man would be con-
strained to take leaf out of the book
of the burmese maiden, to light his in
vitattonnl lamp in the window and wait
patiently for the suitors of the opposite
sex to come. Would these respond? In
many cases perhaps not, and there
would arise the difficulty which will be
remembered confronted the bashful
Benedict, as to how the world should
be peopled.
| The universal sameness of the sexes
would cause them to lose all interest in
each other and there would be an end OF
chivalry, which on analysis proves to
be rather forward" attempt on the
part of the male to ingratiate himself
with the female on false pretenses.
Do the advanced ladies like this pic
ture? It is one of which they have
themselves supplied the outline. have
merely taken the liberty Of filling in
little detail. For the carrying out of
such complete reversal of the existing
relation of the sexes something like an
entire geological epoch would be re-
CURED. For no more variation of Gus
tom, such as l have referred TO, is COM
parable to it in point of Importance; it
would be fundamental change. the
birth of a new race. Then there are a
great many evolutionary problems to
be faced in connection with it. Suppose
the movement to be confined to Eng
land, to that privileged tract OF the