The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-03
SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 1904.
I'VE REGRET TO ANNOUNCED


A pleasant time is just beginning for
the board Of women managers of the
st. Louis exposition. Ever since the
announcement was made that the board
would reserve space for an exhibit Of
the photographs of the socially promi-
nent, the office of the board has been
inundated with a flood of photographs.
Most of these are mot available" and
now upon the. secretary devolves the
duty Of returning them with thanks
to their owners. The woman who
would send her photograph would not
hesitate, of course, to write a sar-
castle letter to the secretary who re-
turned it. We fancy that from now on
the mail Of that secretary will repre-
sent spicy reading. But if these let
ters were the boards only punishment
for a rash resolve, the members would
doubtless see little reason for repent
ance. We fear that greater punish
ment is still to follow.
In the first place, there will be the
visits which the board will be forced
to receive from irate women who will
visit the exposition for the sole pur-
pose Of demanding in person an ex-
PLANTATION of the board. We do not
know what steps, if any, the board has
taken to guard against personal as
sauIt and battery, but we remember
what the poet said about the fury Of the
woman scorned, and we hope for the
boards sake that some steps have been
taken and that they are more prac-
tical than the steps it has taken to
insure the success of the women's por-
ton of the exposition. In the second
place, there will be the delicate matter
Of the arrangement of the photographs
that will be selected. Naturally, ev-
cry woman will want the most con-
spicuous place and the best light for
her photograph. Should Mrs. Blank.
of Podunk, visit the fair and discover
her picture tucked away in an obscure
corner she will feel that she has a right
to demand an explanation, and such ex-
PLANTATION the board will be called upon
to furnish. Then there is the chance
of bitter enemies finding their photo
graphs hung side by side, and again
it will be up to the board to explain.
And to the criticism of those whose
pictures were not accepted, and of those
who were accepted but not satisfac-
torily hung" will be added the crit
icism of those who hold themselves
entirely aloof from the scheme and
who will feel entitled to call the board
to task for bringing ridicule upon the
sex.
Considered from every point Of view,
this photograph exhibit must be view
ed in the light of a misfortune for the
board Of managers Of the Louisiana
Purchase exposition. Somebody has
made the suggestion that the pictures
Of male social lights also be demanded,
but it is not probable that the board
viii act upon it. Indeed, it is very
likely that it has already seen the
error of its way and that it would
abandon the present scheme could it
see its way clear to doing SO grace
fully. It has been forced to abandon
the plan Of day nursery for lack of
funds. Perhaps before the fair opens
1t Will abandon the photograph exhibit
for lack Of courage. Or it may decide
to charge big price for every pho
tograph exhibited and in this way raise
a fund for the day nursery. A model
nursery would seem more important
exhibit for the Womans building of