The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-11-28
ETCHINGS FROM
CURRENT TOPICS,

| their homes and THE cities in which these
homes are situated, are organizing mu-
| mcipal order leagues and health pro-
| tective associations. OF course they are
| meeting with q certain degree of an
| tagonism from certain classes of menu
| This opposin masculine element is
| contending that "womans sphere is in
the privacy Of their own homes; that
| woman's influence should not EXTEND
| beyond their own firesdes etc. They
are content to have their self-sacrific-
| ing wives cook, nurse, sweep, dust, sew,
| and in some instances wash and iron,
| but their clivalrous souls are affrfghted
| when it is suggeted THAT a woman has
brains enough for anything beyond and
above the mental duties of life.
| Chivalry, that attribute which pertains
to high-toned, knightly men, is a. far
| different qualifica ton from that sickIy
| sentimentalty which merely PIRATES in
mealfinglesa pflarases of 'womanfs
! sphere while the women of the family
are expend1ng their vitality with broom
and brush, or over stoves and tubs. The
| truly chivalrous man, whether he lives
north or south, is one who stands for
all that is best and noblest in woman-
| hood, and who throws his protecting
arm about all those things which tend to
| elevate and make happier and more
| comfortable the mothers, wives, daugh-
| tiers and sisters of the country.
If woman's duties be strictly in the
| home circle as so many do, the chivaa-
rous man does his part towards 1ighten-
| ing those duties and bringing sunshine
and comfort into the home. If the exi-
| gencies of life force women into a broad
er field, the knightly man stands ready
| to open the way to them of possible sue
| cess and ultimate good fortune.
A chivalrous man is willing to meet
| IN honorable competition women of in
| tellect and pluck, acknowledging by his
| broad minded, generous conduct that
| what a woman is capable of accomplish
ing, she should be permitted Ito accom-
| plish. He does not stand behind the rap-
| idly disappearing wall of prejudice and
| throw paper balIs'' at women because
they exercise the God-gEven right to-
think as they please, and when oppor.
| tun1ty comes to express those thoughts
| A chivalrous man Is not mental
| pigmy, who grows spiteful and imperIti-
| nent when women have the courage of
| their convictions; neither does he meas
| ure all humanity by his own small tape
! line, and charge honest men and women
with being bought, because they have
flushed a dangerous "covey" "A chival-
| rous man is gentleman under all Gin
cumstancss, whether he be a man of ge-
MUS or a marrow bigglot, with greater po-
htical, and editorial aspirations, than
nature ever INTENDED should disturb tina
| plae5daty of his provincial existence.
The tiresome old cry Of "woman In POLL
tics has besn used for the last time
| with any effect in any enlightened SEQ
| ton of this broad land. There are no wo-
men in southern politics, ais far as office
seeking and office-holding are concerned,
| and There will probably be none in this
generation. There is not southern
state which has yet granted woman the
| privilege of the ballet, and the most
extreme advocate of womans suffrage
hopes not for such "a realization of her
dnearns for many a day. Every one.
whether MAN or woman, who is in any-
wise familiar with The political sentiment
of THE south, recognizes this absurd warn
| ing as on line with THAT of the small
boy of ancient fame, who disgusted his
neighbors with his cries of 'fWolf, wolf"
| Theme is not nearly as much woman as
wolf in Alabama politics. The women of
THE state have begun to consider the
problems of the day, whether social.
economic or political, and THE cries of the
| cynics and small editorial writers Will
only awaken the people to the fact that
There are MANY things In politics mora
| to be dreaded and CONDEMNED than the
| femindne element.
| Women are not employed In any BUSH
| ness for sentimental reasons; they re-
ceive their salaries because they earn
| them, and perform their duties as well
| as men and that man who attempts to
| stem the advancing tide of public
thought ON this subject is frlttering
away precious hour in useless effort.
| The real trouble, just at present, with
| a few politicians and provincial journal
| lists is not that a woman has the right
| to think upon questions of political mo-
| ment and to express unfiinchingly her
! opinions, but that she is not in aaco-d
| with their platform and claims the prvi-
| lege of diffening with them on matters
| affecting the welfare of the state. 1t is
not that a woman has the courage of her
| convictions, but that Those convictions
| are at variance with theirs.
| line nanDOOu VI ApebUdIlid Cetu w SetlC~
| ly trusted to remain loyal and chivalrous
| to the womanhood of the state, whether
it sews, cooks or writes. One or two
unfortunate exceptions VIII count fo4
little.
Chagrin and political disappointment
is small excuse for fnsobence and bad
manners.
Al woman rarely "stabs in the back"
whether She uses a pencil or a stilettot
but she can generally be depended upon
for Uniting Things on the head" Ac-
cording to csrtafn political ethics this
seems to be one of tine objectionable off
| fences, only euualed by that greater sin
of demanding fair play and honest con-
fronting of public questions.
BALL.