The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1900-05-09
The Emergency Association
Stepping Stone To The Equal
Rights Association.
WOMEN ARE NOT
PLASTER SAINTS.

| archaDgsls should have been called to
purify the ideals of women, before they
can be expected to purify politics.
II AZ Bishop Dudley saws, "all the good
qualities Of men are due to women"
what part does man play in the scheme
OF evolution Is he the source Of all evil ?
Is he mere non-entity, capable OF re-
ceiviDg good, but not capable OF trans
hitting it 1t is a new and queer theory
of heredity that the Bishop presents,
and no woman who respects her husband
or her father will be likely to assent TO
the proposition that all the good in hui
manity is derived from woman. Follow
ed out to their logical conclusion, Bish-
op Dudlev's statements mean that the
best thing Kentucky fathers can do il to
lie down and die, and leave the rearing Of
their sons entirely to the mothers OF the
State-which would be very undesirable
condition for all concerned. Lst us see
il there is not some middle ground be-
tween the eulogy of the Bishop and the
depreciation of Mr.. Jones.
The attitude OF these gentlemen to-
wards women in politics reminds me of
England's attitude towards her common
soldiers, as set forth in one OF Kipling's
''Barrack Room Ballads"
Oh, it's Tommy this an Tommy that, an
Tommy, go away;
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins"
when the band begins to play.
For it's Tommy this an Tommy that, an
| Tommy, wait outside"
But it's Especial train for Atkins" when
the troopers on the tide.
Then it's Tommy this an Tommy that,
an Tommy, 'ow's yer soul p
But it's "thin red line of 'eroes," when
the drums begin to roll.
RWhile it's Tommy this an Tommy that,
u an "Tommy, fall behind; ;"
But it's please to walk in front, sir"
when there's trouble in the wind.
For it's Tommy this an Tommy that, an
"Ohuck him out, the brute u
But it's Saviour of his country; when
the guns begin to shoot
Ever since Kentucky became State,
women have been ordered to "go away"
to "walt outside" and to " fall behind"
whenever there was any political affair
on hand. But now when "there's trou-
BILE in the wind" and the "drums begin
to roll, and "the guns begin to shoot"
we are suddenly ordered to the front,
and informed that we are the saviours Of
our country And it is dsrkly intimsted
that II we render our fellow men any
assistance in their trouble, it is no more
than we ought to do, since we are mainly
responsible for it all. You perhaps re-
member the protest Of Tommy Atkins"
We aren't no thin red 'eroes' and we
aren't no blackguards, too,
But single men in barricks; most re-
markable like you;
And II sometimes our conduck isn't all
your fancy paints,
| Why single men in barricks don't grow
into plaster saints.
We women are not the "plaster saints"
that Bishop Dudley would make us out
to be, nor are we as bad as the other
side sees us. We are just plain human
beings, "most remarkable like" men.
"And il sometimes our conduck isn't all
your fancy paints" why, please remem>
Der that you cannot expecta disfran-
chised class to grow into heroes and
patriots, any more than you can expect
"single men in barricks" to become
"plaster saints"
The Rev. Garter Helm Jones finds that
the "ideals" OF women are at the bottom
OF all this political trouble, and II wo-
men will only "raise their ideals" the
millennium will begin right here in
Kentucky politics. Undoubtedly wo-
men are wrong in great many ways,
their ideals included. Let women raise
their ideals, by all means. But what
shall be aid Of the ideals Of men in
State where the disfranchised class is
composed OF "minors, idiots, lunatics,
criminals, and women"P
The most reasonable utterances at the
mass meeting were from the men who
questioned our civilization. "Are we