The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-04
LITERATURE AND WOMEN IN
FRANCE.

| The literary ladies have been defeated
in their energetic efforts to seat one of
| their sex on the committee Of the Coci-
| etc des Gems de Lettres. Feminism, as
| 1t is termed has received a serious
| check at the hands of the authors, and
| the terrible news Is discussed through
out the length and breadth of Paris to-
day. 1t was confidently expected that
| the Danes de Lettres would be success
| full in obtaining representation on the
| committee, but the fates, or the literary
men, decreed otherwise. 1t Is frankly
asserted however, that the ladies are
! themselves to blame for their defeat.
| They saw that the men were nearly all
| in favor of Madame Daniel Lesueur,
and instead of withdrawing other cam
| ddatures they still pushed them for
ward There was division in the camp,
| and consequently the way was only TOO
straight to defeat.
| The meeting of the Literary society
| which was fraught with such important
issues was opened with due solemnity
| in the building of the association, Rue
de Rougemont. M. Marcel Provost, the
novelist, was in the chair, and promi-
nent among those present were the lady
candidates, Madame Daniel Lesueur,
youngest of all, Madame Henry Gre
VILE the oldest, Madame Camille Pert,
and Madame Jane de la Vaudere.
Among the others were "Gyp,' or the
Comtesse de Martel, Madame Adam and
Madame Severine The voting for the
lady candidates resulted in ninety-siX
for Madame Daniel Lesueur, sixty for
Madame Henry Grevile twenty-nine
for Madame Jane de la Vaudere and fif-
teen for Madame Camille Pert. Anotll-
err election is now to take place in the
society for the successor of M. Marcel
Provost as president. The choice will
in all likelihood fall on Mr.. Paul Her
vieu. the dramatist, who is member of
the French Academy. The male friends
of the ladies in the society have in the
meantime advised them to adopt better
tactics than those just displayed at the
next committee election, as by doing so
they may have chance of securing the
triumph Of their cause. They have, in
fact, been reminded that union makes
strength, and that a candidate like
Madame Lesueur, who Is likely to poll
most votes, should be unreservedly
backed
Meanwhile some statements made by
Madame Lesueur have been published,
and throw an interesting light on the
proceedings of the Literary society
She says that the discussions We're tu-
multuous, and prevented her chief back
er-Madame Severine--from making
herself heard. The latter was to de-
clare that if Madame Henry Greville
obtained more votes than Madame Lee
sueur that lady would withdraw her
candidature. 1t was in vain that Mad |
anne Severine tried to get this into the |
ears of the members of the association |
All were talking at the same time and |
the clamor was incessant Madame Lee |
sueur, furthermore, states that her !
check or her defeat arose from two |
causes. The first was a violent anti |
feminist movement organized by new |
members of the sOciety-that is to say, |
by young literary men, impatient of OBJ
scurity, and anxious to make themselves
known at any hazard. These We're like
wise actuated by jealousy toward the
most celebrated men of the society who .
backed Madame Lesueur In the sec
ond place, the check was due to the
number of lady candidates. There We're
only two of these who had a good
Madame Greville and Madame
Lesueur-yet the other insisted on push
ing their own claims. Madame Lesueu
while regretting her defeat, is proud