The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1902-10-10
DEFENDS SMART SET.
Mrs. Burton Harrison Thinks
II Not So Bad as Painted.
ANSWER TO COLONEL wATTERs0N
Regards His Attack ON New York's
From n Few DisgracefuI Cases,
Printed Broadcast. She Says. Il Il
Unfair 10 Judge Society.

/
Printed Broadcast. She Says, IL Il
Unfair to Judge Society.
In answer to Colonel Watterson's
| criticisms of New York's Four Hun
| dred Mrs. Burton Harrison writes in
the New York Journal.
] have no intention OF attempting to
break lance against Colonel Waiter
son. Hundreds have tried it and bit
| the dust of the arena. ! assume that
he delivers his clarion blast In all con-
| science. because he believes in the
truth of his assertions and desires to
fight for the regeneration Of the socie-
~ that. rightly or wrongly. stands for
| an example to our land. But ! have
always thought that John the Baptist,
crying in the wilderness against the
sins of his contemporaries. must have
excited among them some very rebel
liOus sentiments.
Among my personal acquaintance
with large number of the people who
| make up the offending class ! fail ut.
| terly TO detect the habits of 'licentious-
ness" alleged. If they exist. 1t is fair
10 suppose that all signs thereof could
not be effectudlly concealed in daily
| intercourse with decent people.
One is aware of various instances
where men and women notorious in
defying public opinion have seen the
bar fall before them here and have sub
sequently gone abroad and been re-
ceived in elect circles. among the best.
Those who have chosen TO remain In
the society of New York and Newport
| and brave the decree against them
have never surmounted the obstacle OF
social dPthrOnement.
| also protest against the wholesale
arrangement of young girls as "exhal-
ing their unclean lives and thoughts"
in places OF public resort. When |
reckon up the list of fresh. charming,
carefully nurtured and admirably
trained young women that each year
launches upon society. when | recall
how their days are filed with lessons
and classes and exercises of physical
culture unhPard or in the past genera
tions OF our country. when Il girl came
out finished" at eighteen and then
danced and sang her way into early
matrimOny. | feel convinced that our
| brilliant critic has been dreaming a
bad dream.
Ii is impossible for a girl of healthy
mind To part with her precious privi-
iege when she is kept so whOlesOmely
occupied as is customary with our de
butantes.
The athletics that go hand in hand
with her accomplishments must be
a preventative OF morals. At any rate,
! speak truth when ] say that | have
never met any of those obnoxious crea
lures called tough girls" In private
life
They must cOnfine themselves strict
ly to exhibitions in the restaurants al
luded TO. Alas for the future OF our
civilization il such are to be the wives
and mothers of our reigning set TO
come!
Again. as | look at the jewellers in
the great houses of New York and
Newport. whose names are daily re
the press family after family passes
before the minds eye whose number
contains no one such offender against
morals and manners indicated as being
among the leaders OF this ''voIuptuous
principality."
Some OF them are duh. respectable
people. who indeed seem quite ont Of
place in the rush Of fashionable habit
people who look rs If they would like
nothing 50 much us To yawn outright
and be- done with vain endcavor
Some of them are duh. respectable
people. who indeed seem quite achieved
when they have built a great house
and filled il with fine furniture and
fighting Serc'ants who crowd the fam
lily To IL Sr tLCI - send them misrrahly
Wa. = sii.to other great hou>c>
! X, thIve no topics OF CONVEX
fs9 1 1Its, hertr wrongs at the hands OF
I. ~ eTrnts.
UtH Krankly live for &c amassing
Il. trS:sAFs and such iii Itary of those
'ongIngs as shall ent. -, them To
u INK higher than the. give, ayof the on
: ttainment that as TSord breaker
9 rnt before Marc ,?n'h II are utter
7.lev66id of inteds aEi.m Sc surround
y as they nave me of !. II such a cost.
..sT~dcrinc to ,.iv and on the face OF
the ,arth unit 49, TO reoccupy the
homes from : they hope soon 10
escape again. -
4 Dozen Times "A Night