The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-01
INTERESTING DEBATE
Held Last Night at the Rooms of the
Y. w. O. A Tho Subject
Discussed.

Probably one of the most interesting
entertainments ever given by the
Young Women's Christian association
was the debate OF last night, when four
OF the brightest young women in the
city made the arguments for and
against women In business. The pro-
fessions were excluded from the uues-
ton, only the positions filled by steno-
graphers, book-keepers, clerks and fac
tory operatives being considered. AL
fred Wooler sang a charming solo and
Miss Richmond gave q plano solo.
The subject as presented was: RE
solved, That the Entrance of Young
Women Into Business Should Be Dis
couraged." Miss Josephine Lees and
Miss Helena Clark argued on the af-
firmative side. Miss Barnes and Miss
Swingle speaking for the negative.
The Judges were: Professor Grant, of
the Scranton High school; Professor II.
d. Buck, OF the Scranton Business col
lege, and Mrs. c. b. Penman. Mrs. L.
NJ Gates acted as moderator
The debate was exceptionally inter-
esting and was conducted with great
intelligence and originality. Miss Lees
and Miss Barnes are teachers. Miss
Clark and MiCs Swingle are both stem
ographers, so the talent, professionally
as we'll as intellectually, was nicely ad-
justed. Miss Clark opened the debate.
She was brish. and witty in her re.
marks, and despite the fact that her
sympathy must have been on the
other side, spoke most convincingly
against the entrance Of women into
business. The air OF conviction which
accompanied her repeated statements:
ITS bad thing for young women,
physically. mentally, morally and re-
| ligiously: It's a bad thing for men and
| it's bad thing for business" was very
| effective. She brought forward statis-
| tics showing that women are being
dismissed by the wholesale from office
positions in connection with great busi-
ness houses and asserted that business
| life SO wears on woman physl-
cally and mentally that she can
not reach her highest development
thus employed. Most of all she i'm
pressed the fact that her presence in
business lowered the tone Of mau's
courtesy and respect.
Miss Barnes followed in a most care
fully prepared argument, in which she
emphasized the thought that wJmen
work because they must, She Insisted
that business life makes her more cap
able In the care OF money, more use-
full to society and gives her more
| breadth Of view and more opportuni-
ties for culture. She believed that the
young business woman makes a neater
wife, a more economical and more dig
nified one, and that her business life
has trained her to control her temper
and to keep secret
Miss Lees gave beautiful and clev-
er address In her argument for the af.
firmative. She portrayed in pastel
like delicacy Of touch the ideal home
and Its presiding genius, the wife and
mother, and in contrast drew some
what exaggerated, yet too frequently
recognized portrait, Of certain typ(
OF business woman, following with 6
deftly humorous description OF catas
trophe In Idaho for which suffrage wa!
responsible, Her remarks made stronl
sentiment In her favor.
Miss Swingle made n most thoughfu
and scholarly argument in the opposi
tlon and scored the point that womer
are not crowding men from the car
penter shops, the railroads and tn
foundries, where most agitation Is re
: corded between labor and capital, ant
/ that she Is not responsible for the de
preston OF salaries In these mechani
. cal pursuits. As to the matrimonial
: question, she declared that ninety-nin
! out Of one hundred women, whether II
business or at home, accept the offer
! of marriage they receive from mel
4 whom they consider they can love, hon
Y or and obey.
. The summing up occupied five min
= utes on each side and was done b.
Miss Clark and Miss Barnes, both o
p whom made strong points. Indeed, 8
r close was the marking that the Judge
e were only able TO determine by yer
e narrow margin the winning contest
: ants. The debate was decided in favo
( OF not discouraging the young woma
: to enter a business life, 1t is a grea
concession to the young woman, bu
: she will probably do Just as she please
: about It, Notwithstanding advice.