The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-19
in W0KAH'S REALM.
THE CLUB WOMAN.

Women In journalism Is the subject of an
interview In the Humanitarian with Mrs.
Alice Meynel!, president of the British Society
OF Women Journalists. That which strikes the
reader as curious in the article is the
glimpse of the English idea of women journal
lists. In America an aspiring girl turns to
journalism as an ideal calling, though in nine
cases out of ten her idea of what tie word
means is woefully nebulous Yet. If after
hard work she attains any measure of success.
she does not think her profession a matter
for -concealment, nor do her friends, but
rather glories in her choice Through what
Inherently. colored glasses the English looki
For example the interviewer, says: -A
In spite of the fact that women as dis
tlnguished as Harriet Martineau and Frances
POWER Cobbe for many years welded the
dirty pen" in the writing of articles and
leaders for the newspapers, and that George
Eliot wrote for periodical literature for some
hfteen years before she penned line of fic-
tion, women show some conventional distaste
at being called journalists They do not
take the same pride in their profession as
men seem to do. An almost unknown writer
OF fiction will inform you with gesture of
depreciation that she sis not journalist" and
one who has dabbled in verse-making VIII
scout the soft impeachment"
When asked for her opinion as to the
SuCCoSS dHu uCueSS Oh women for the profess
sion. Mrs. Meynell said:
81 think that any work is ft for woman
which they are able to perform satisfac .orily
and in open competititn with men. 1t seems
to me so absolutely important that as MANY
channels as possible should be open to women,
since all women cannot marry and the state
does not propose to keep the single ones. 1
am great believer in experiment and iudg
ing by the results which have followed the
opening of journalism to women, I should
say that the success of the experiment has
been fully proved"
Il really do not think that fitness is so
much a question of men and women, as of
individuals. Many women are, 1 am afraid.
woefully lacking in observation, and decidedly
oull In perception. While, the other
hand, many men fail miserably in reasoning
power, and many women excel in it. l should
like to express my admiration" continued
Mrs. Meynell, "for the admirable manner
In Which women argue the suffrage cues ion.
They are SO thoroughly in earnest about it.
and have gone over the arguments so often.
that they seem to have arrived at the very
core OF the matter. 1 have never h. ard
any question debated with such skiu-no
words wasted, no points missed-as the lead
Ing women suffragists display when dealing
with that question. No hesitating male can
do it. Few speakers among men seem tn
reason out any subject in such ma terly
manner
But in spite of this Mrs. MeyneIl holds hack
from woman's suffrage because, believing in
the doctrine Of the wife's obedience to the
husband she does not see how women can be
enfranchised. without engendering discord In
the home.
These are the closing words of Mrs. Mary
Lowe Dickinson's address before the Mcthers'
Congress and they are freighted with special
meaning to mothers at this time The speak
er pointed out how the mothers are the angels
OF childhood and then said:
All the more are such angels needed in
this day when the womanhcod Of cur Land
has taken upon its heart the starved and
stricken womanhood and childhood of our
neighbor yorder in that island of the South
ern sea. 1t will take angels, indeed to aid
in the development of new motherhood and
new childhood, that shall come by ard by
when Cuba, robed in her new mantle of free
dom, rests under the brooding sky of peace
AngelhGod and motherhood should me + foo
in this sad day of strife, when MANY q
wcman's heart is aching. In an hour like
this the nation we love demands the highest
patriotism, and the highest patriotism de-
mands the noblest type of citizenshie- and
| the noblest citizenship calls for the b.a; EST
manhood, and the bravest manhood ceues
only from the purest boyhood and the prrc,st
boyhood is the highest gift to the nation OF
the noblest motherhood"