The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-12-11

Mrs. Eurton Harrison Thinks
II Not So Fad IS Painted.
ANSWER TO COLONEL .WATTBRsoN

Regards His Attack en- New York's
Four Hundred as Too scathing.
From n Few Disgraceful Cases,
Printed broadcast, She Says. 1t Is
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-
ty 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 10 detect the habits of ''licentious-
ness" alleged. If they exist. it Isl fair
to suppose that all signs thereof Gould
not be effectually 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 dethronement.
lalso protest against the wholesale
arrangement Of young girls as ''exhal-.
ing their unclean lives and thoughts"
in places of public resort When l
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 physica;
culture unheard Of in the past genera
tons of our country. when 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 q
bad dream.
1t is impossible for girl of healthy
mind to part with her precious privi-
lege 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
preservative of morals. At any rate,
/ speak truth when / say that have
never met any Of those obnoxious crea.z
lures called tough girls" In private
life. E.
They must confine themselves strict
ly to exhibitions in the restaurants al
luded to. Alas for the future of our
civilization If such are to be the wives
and mothers of our reigning set to
come!
Again. as l look at the jewellers In
the great houses Of New York and
Newport. whose names are daily re-
cited upon the rosary of writer's for
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 "voluptuous
principality." $.
Some of them are dull. respectable
people, who indeed seem quite out 'of,
place in the rush Of fashionable habit /.
people who look as If they would like
nothing SO much as to yawn outright
and be done with vain endcavor.
Some Of them are dull, respectable
people, who indeed seem quite achieved
when they have built a great house
and filled it with fine furniture and
fighting servants who crowd the fam
lily to the wall.or send them miserably
wandering into other great houses
where they have no topics of CONVEX
SdIOu out Inolr wrongs at the EanQS or
their dependents.
Others frankly live for the amassing
of luxuries and such display of those
belongings as shall eutitle them to
rank higher than the givers of the en-
tertainment that as a record breaker
went before. Many of them are utter
ly devoid of interest in the surround.
ings they have created at such cost,
wandering to and fro on the face OF
the earth until obliged to reoccupy the
homes from which they hope soon to
escape again.