Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-09-09
THE WOMAN'S PAGE IN THE AV.
ERAGE NEWSPAPER.

Most of the large papers have Wo-
mans Page, but possibly not in one in
stance is the woman who edits 1t at lib
erty to exercise her own judgment. One
individual on a,certain New YORK daily
is summoned every few weeks into the
presence of the great managing editor,
who says: You are putting too much
woman suffrage and too many strong
minded women on your page. You
tell me to keep record of everything
that women are doing, she answers,
land it is these who are doing the pro-
gressive work of the world. We'll.
keep woman suffrage out of that page.
is the reply. Another woman, one OF
the best writers In the country. was
given the position of Sunday editor on
a big daily, not long ago, with this
admonition, Now. we know your
tricks. Remember, if one line of wo-
man suffrage goes in, you go out.
The writer of this article was once
requested to prepare series of twelve
articles of the most prominent women
lawyers, doctors, ministers, lecturers,
organizers, ETC., with not flavor or
woman suffrage in the series. AS
matter of course, every one OF those
who were necessarily selected was an
ardent advocate of the enfranchisement
of women, and it was due Tolls long
agitation that they held such positions.
To prepare those sketches without ref
erence to this fact was to stultify the
writer, and offend the subjects and all
who believed with them on this Ques-
ton. Nevertheless, from business
point of view, it was impossible TO re-
fuse.
AT another time, when about to ac-
cept an important editorial position the
managing editor made the significant
remark: please remember that this
paper does not believe in woman suf-
frage" During two years of editorial
writing of course this subject was not
mentioned, and toward the close of this
period a letter was received from a wo-
mans organization, which said: When
YOU became one OF the editors OF the
we were filled with delight, for we
felt that now it's readers would hear
something of our cause, but your aD-
solute silence has been bitter disap-
pointment. Possibly you may mink
to curry the favor of men by this ac-
ton. but you have lost your friends
among women"
At present a masculine editor-in-
chief decides absolutely what women
desire to read. He employs other wo-
men TO put this stuff in shape, be-
cause he thinks they can do 1t better
than men, but he trusts their judgment
only 10 a certain extent in selecting it..
Until women themselves acquire posi-
tons of control on newspapers, or until
men can be persuaded to take diff
ferent view of women's taste In this
matter. we shall continue to have only
the very lightest reading on the Wo-
mans Page There is, however. no de-
partment which has shown so marked
an evolution during the last ten years
A great deal OF excellent matter OF
special interest is gradually finding
permanent place. The time viii doubt
less come when its woman editor Will
not wholly hate it, and herself, be-
cause she is held responsible for it. At
present The Sun is the only metropolis
tan daily paper in the world which has
a regular department devoted TO the
enfranchisement of women. This as
sertion is made In the hope Of calling
out information II there are others -"
Ida Hustled Harper IN New York Sun.