The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-07
Fl Woll1a1'$ Reply
CO a Recent editorial
EritieisIns the Club WcBiaH.


To the Editor of the Eagle.
In last Tuesdays Eagle. in an sdto-;al,
go TO the Ant and the Old Hen" the
editor of the Eagle again mounts MS heb
by, Club women and rides it around a
block or two. The said editor is about
the incest man know, and has very
warm spot in his heart for all humanity,
masculine and feminine-and especially
feminine; but like everybody else he has
his hobbies, and his particular and most
cherished hobby is Club women" and all
that appertains thereto; and he never cts
an opportunity pass TO give them a good
hard dig. It doesn't matter what Curtis
or any other man says about women N
general, and Kansas women in particular,
there are very few women who neglect
their families and home 10 follow the So
called club fad. OF course there are some
VINO do this, just as there are hundreds
of men away from home six evenings out
of the week TO attend lodge and whoop
up material for the next political cam
paign. Before heaping up such noun
tain OF criticism of the club woman, might
it not be just as well to inquire into some
of the causes Of such a state of affairs?
They are losing sight of those things
men worship" Indeed! 1t is a terrible
thing that women should so far forget
themselves that they can for few hours
each week enjoy themselves independent of
his almighty majesty-man! And accord
ing to this editorial. like the hen, should
have only two thoughts, motherhood and
society. No time for reading or thinkin=:
no thoughts nor ideas of her own; but TO
folloW-was it Peters or Paul's advice p
and if she should happen to want to know
anything outside, TASK her husband pri-
vately." I know very well that is the
kind of woman the average man wants.
Nine men out of ten want a woman TO
look at things through their eyes; to look
up to them as the all that is and to be.
Men do not take TO the woman who sees
and thinks for herself. once upon a
time was talking to one of the best law
yers in this town upon this subject. and
asked him why this was, and his answer
was that men were so conscious of their
own shortcomings, they did not care to
associate with women who could see and
know them as they are. do not pretend
to say this is true, but give it as food for
reflection, and to the credit of one man
who had the courage to tell the truth for
once even though he was a lawyer.
There are different causes which lead
women 10 take to club life. Some from
an earnest desire for self-,mprovement;
some from lack of other things to en-
ploy themselves and fl no the time; some
for the social side of the subject; others
to get away from trouble and to divert
their minds. and, I very much fear. others
from an unholy desire TO play even" with
their lord and masters or their neglect of
wife and home. So many men have the
idea that so long as they provide a home,
food and raiment woman must of neccs-
sity be satisfied and happy That, Of
course, is a whole lot. and to us outsiders
who have to rustic early and late for
something to eat and two calico dresses
a year, it looks a mighty awful big thing
but still it isn't all, and his satanic
majesty always finds work for lille hands
and hearts.
And there IS another side to the t1les-
ton. We all profess to hate gossip-even
those who are the worst scandal nrongers
on earth profess it the loudest. and,
whether justly or unjustly, women have
always been considered the news carriers
and manufacturers of scandal Does lot
club work have a tendency TO eradicate
or. al least, mitigate this evt,? Does it
not give them something TO think 95out
beside their neighbors' affairs? Does it
not bring the small minded. gossipy wom-
an in contact with the liberal, sr9ad-
minded woman, and if the small woman
isn't too awfully small is it not bound TO
benefit her-make her ashamed Of her lit
tie mean ways, and her carping, bister;ng
tongue?
And again, this editorial kes us over
the Goals about the recent city election
I don't believe in woman's suffrage a little
bit, or. at least. no further than that those
who own property should have some say
so about some things. and along educa-
tonal lines. But what can you do when
the other fellows" are all out rust,ing all
the votes they can get by hook or crook?
Stand supinely by and see your man beat
all hollow? Well, I should think not
And if we got our man there by only the
skin Of our teeth, we got him. and are sat
isfied. and if We hadn't got him no one
would have raised a louder howl than this
same writer of this same .'hen" editorial
DRCCILIA.