Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-01-23
A LADY'S IDEA OF A NEWSPA-
PER

lanta, Ga, were asked by the editor of
me Constitution of that city to give
Ih-ir ideas as to how they would run
the E9eninq Constitution were they to
eeit it, Among the replies was the
following from Mrs. Mary Brent Read /,
formerly of this city. and sister of
Mr. ). c. Brent:
Editor Constitution-Amid the chaos
aud excitement of balls, card parties
and the endless iddle-iaddle of conven.
tional life your request for my estimate
OF an ideal afternoon newspaper, from
woman's standpoint" made me re-
alzs that my upper story is not in Or
der, and as the habit of thinking is sup
posed TO be new form of energy with
womankind, perhaps it might be wiser
for me to reserve my opinion.
Talleyrand accepted certain propo-
siticn because, first, be was bishop of
Antun, and second, because he knew
nothing at all about it. l accede TO
your request, first, because l am 8
woman, and second, because l have no
idea as to what ian afternoon paper for
women" ought to be.
When you boiled the subject down,
however, to features" of the aforesaid
paper can pin my mind to one feature
at a time. and the one that | would
make most prominent is education, in
an all rourd sense, for women. would
appeal not only to the general public,
but TO women particularly, for the ma
jority of us are so djstrusiful of our
ideas and opinions about the underly
ing principles of life that right or wrong
we conform our minds to the society in
which we live; in consequence our
reason is the logic of mammon and
namely parnbyism. Our thinking is no
thinking-a mental inertia.
As iudividualism is the key to hu-
man progress, women must be devel
oped as individuals who are RESPONSE
bic for thought and act, not posses
sions, not snnexes. They must be
taught that there is no time to be lost
in posing or in mimicry; that there are
inches somewhere in the world where
they may exalt the emblem of their
lives and embalm the fruit of their in-
dustry, whether it be ir public or private
life. And l would, above all things,
rid their minds (And their brothers of
the like persuasion) of the bug-a-hoo
that the development and advance
ment of woman units her for that high
est expression Of life-moth erhood-
For naught that God hath counted good
Is nohler made than motherhood"
Nature has established distinctions
between men and women that Can
never be overpassed. Let your
columns avoid exaggeration on this
most important phase of the woman
question.
Look to it that your contributor is
informed, not only as to the history T
woman in the different ages, but thsf t'
is also acquainted with natural law to
the extent that he recognizes that the
law of evolution is differation and indi-
vidualization and woman as most
complex part of the universal scheme
can in no way escape its influence.
l sometimes think that only women
can write for women, but when l recall
the splendid, just and sympath etic
championship of John Stuart Mill and
read the mastery presentment of our
progress and capacity in Lecky's Dem
ocracy and Liberty feel in my soul the
sure answer stir, that our needs and
our demands will be justified and he
vexed problem of woman's place in the
world be melted into the universal
standard-of equal weight and value,
the value intrinsic.
feel sure that your new venture
will be vtalized by broad and active
sl mpathy with all questions that con-
Germ the we'll being of humanity.