The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-07
THEY WILL ADMIT MEN
NATIONAL MOTHERS CLUBS
HAVE TAKEN IMPORTANT STEP
Men May Become Associate Members
The First Official Recognition of
the Sterner Sex-They Are Now in II

1t is reported that the National AS
ISOLATION of Mothers Clubs has decid-
ed to admit men to the associate MEM
bership. To the f1ippant or the un-
thinking this may not be regarded as
much of an item, but to the discerning
it is a most significant piece of news.
Indeed it is the first official recognition
of men. Men have struggled onward
and upward for many centuries with
the hope that some day their deeds
might be regarded in the same light as
those of their sisters, and when they
were almost despairing of recognition
this action of the mothers comes as q
reward for their devotion.
1t is hard to recall time in history
when men were not prominent and were
not taking part in the struggle for eX-
istence. They have had their names on
great monuments, their deeds perpetu-
ated in song and story, and for some
time many persons have believed that
they would ultimately arrive at and be
accorded the position they merited.
In glancing back over the written
records of the ages we ask ourselves
why it is that this act of justice, of
repatriation, one might almost say re-
Mobilization, has been SO long delayed.
Why is it, after all that man has done
and all those whom he has done, that
some sort of a certificate with gilt
edges has not been presented to him
before? 1t is hard to say it, but
love of truth forces me TO the conclu-
sion that it was man himself who
stood in his own light. From the very
beginning of things he has evinced
self-esteem which we did not regard
ave~NS
tried in the balance and found wanting.
The first man, Adam, was all man,
but was he a gentleman? He said "the
woman tempted me-" could he expect
recognition or even feminine approval
after that? And from that day on,
down through the ages, the first sin
of man has followed him and been his
curse. He showed his weakness, his
self-absorptiOn, his desire to shift the
blame to weaker-nay, stronger
shoulders on the start and ever since
that day his policy has been the same.
Is it recorded that Eve put the blame
on anyone, even the serpent? Eve was
the first mothers club. Ever since
then the hand that holds the gaVel has
ruled the world
Time and time again man has hoped
and worked for recognition, but he had
to wait. He was being tried. 1t is
said that everything comes to him who
waits, and the truth of the old proverb
has been proved at last Many man
has before this stood shoulder to
shoulder with women for the greatest
good Of the greatest number. He has
worked for and worked many faml-
lies. He has fed the hungry, housed
the orphan, faced powder sometimes
even in his own household, and when
he met stranger he has taken him
in. It must not be supposed for q
moment that women have not watched
him; sometimes with secret, often with
open approval. She saw him growing
in strength and greatness day by day,
and many woman has predicted that
the time would surely come when he
would be elected to things and stand
side by side with his sisters. But wise
women never do anything hastily:
nothing done we'll is done without due
fury his official recognition has been
delayed for his own good.
But now it has come. In the year
of our Lord 1904 and the ST. Louis ex-
position, the hope of all ages of men
has been realized by one of the most
important feminine organizations in
the world. What would the world be
without mothers? What would men
be-where would they be-without
mothers? 1t can fairly be said, with
out fear of my enthusiasm getting the
best of me, that mothers are the most
important things in the world. And
these women in convention assembled
have voted to allow men to become
recognition and the first men have
ever had. There may be something
more important done in the twentieth
century but I doubt it.