The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-12

Women Breaking Into the Sanctuar!
of the Mans Club.

Oh the
In not few leading American cities
the plan of "the ladies' annex" has
been tried with considerable success
in clubs hitherto sacred to the tread
of male feet In most cases the change
has been voted an improvement which
affords previously unobtainable oppor-
tunity for exchange of social courte-
sizes. When such has been the case
the innovation has come to stay, but
it can hardly be said that the mixed
club" has as yet become a fixed insti-
tuition of social life. Almost invariably
the older members are opposed to the
plan. This is the case in a much more
marked degree in England, a fact cas-
lily accounted for on the score that
women there are not by any means
on the same plane as their American
sisters. Tht latter are accordingly
much the more companionable and
therefore "clubable," and American
men consequently do not feel the need
of a safe retreat from their society.
pungent article from the pen of L. F.
Austin recently appeared in the Lon
don Sketch, called forth by a circular
issued by the reorganiZed Pioneer club,
the leading woman's club of the Brit
ish capital. The circular says: with
in another generation all the great
clubs may be open to women as well
as to men, and. in view of the en-
larged and broad spirit which is unit
ing men and women, it would be un-
wise to make a binding legal agree
ment that the club should never be
permitted to have men, as well as
women, as it's members" In comment
ing on this circular Mr.. Austin says:
will the spirit which is uniting
men and women go SO far as to close
to the clubman all the avenues of
escape from women? Will desperate
men seek the north or south pole be>
cause, in civilization, they cannot take
meal or smoke a cigar except under
feminine supervision? In this aspect
the union of men and women is
fearsome development, which must
make the British clubman set his face
with greater rigor than ever against
the periodical attempt to introduce wo-
men into his sanctuary. Now and then
very young man will suggest the
charm Of a ladies' dining room at the
club, an apartment which would be
halloWed by wives, and saved from too
domestic conventions by cousins. The
proposal is frowned down by the elders,
but who can say what will happen a
generation hence, when these conScript
fathers are sleeping under vera cious
epitaphs and the Pioneer club has
planted emissaries within the citadel?
Between man and woman there can
NC iiO dOSOluIS VI
A man who was always in a drawing
room would be voted a bore by his
Womankind: a woman who took to
haunting the great clubs would be set
down as nuisance. Don't tell me
she would use the privilege in modera-
ton, there Is no moderation in emanci-
pated curiosity. Half the domestic
trouble of this island springs from the
sentiment that "a wife's place is by her
husbands side In the average house
hold this fallacy is often made an in
satiable idol, to which are sacrificed
peace, love and rational intercourse
A man must have a place where he can
discuss with his fellows subjects which
he cannot discuss with women, and
this is one Specification Of that rooted
inequality Of the sexes which can never
be eradicated. 1t is true that there are
already clubs where men and women
meet, but no clubman takes them ser
lously. He will drink tea and occa-
sionally dine at such resorts these are
social duties which have nothing to do
with his club life; they employ his
superficial accomplishments. Once
within the monaStic portals Of his club,
you see the real clubman, not always
an imposing creature, but stripped of
the minor arts which are we'll enough
for the tea table, and prompt to speak
the thought at the back of ones mind
Absolute candor from man to woman
is an unatainable idea but 'twixt man
and man the truth is not infrequently
conspicuous, especially in the smoking
room"