The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-27
CLUBS FOR WOMEN
PROVE BENEFICIAL
Man of Prominence Has Come
Out Against Clubs = Says
Women Should Stay Home

A man of prominence, whose words
have weight with some persons, has
recently come out strongly against
clubs for women, and said a few
things he might we'll have left unsaid.
A busy man in this age ought to be
too busy to harangue women about
what they should do, for if he would
look about him he might find enough
fault with his brethren to give him
text. 1t is my humble opinion that
clubs for women are much more nee
essary than clubs for men-although
the word necessary can hardly be APP
piled in either case. man is down
town all day with men and when night
comes, instead of spending the evening
at his club one would suppose he
would prefer to spend it at home. OF
course a lunch club is very well, and
is about all the use that a domestic
man has for a club. If bachelors want
to live there, that is one thing, but I
should argue that married man does
not need club at all save for the mid
day meal if he chooses to take it
there.
But the case for women is very diff
ferent. A woman with home cares and
family to look after is shut up in the
house most every day, has but little
time W Tedu ana ncT are SO
many that she almost loses touch with
her kind. She falls behind in CONVEX
sation because she is in a sort of do
nestle rut; even her husband must
find her lacking in knowledge of what
is going on; perhaps he likes that, to
judge by what some men say, one
would think he did However, most
husbands like their wives to show an
intelligent interest in what interests
them. Now if the wife and mother
goes to a club meeting, let us say, once
in two weeks, and spends the after
noon in hearing papers or talk about
what is going on in the world, she
goes home with her mind refreshed
and with something to say.
1t is only clubs carried to a ridicu-
iouS extreme which are pernicious.
The man who finds his wife knows
somewhat of the questions of the day,
and can talk about something beyond
the kitchen range and whether the
baby's tooth is coming all right, is
very captious to complain. Surely one
afternoon in two weeks spent at club
is not much. 1 should say she needed
it very much more than the man who
lives in the world every day and yet
so often spends his evenings at a club.
Clubs have done a great deal for
women. They have broadened their
horizon, given them something to talk
Ing. The very man who spoke bitterly
lately of Women's clubs would I'M
doubtedly fly from the woman who
knew nothing but how much butter is
pound or what some baby food is
worth. 1t is all fol de rol that men
disprove of clubs for women. They
do it in theory, but when it comes to
the society of the entirely domestic
woman or the one who has kept in
touch with outside things, the domes-
tic woman goes to the wall every time.
1t is a fallacy to suppose that a
club woman cannot be a good wife and
mother. Clubs in moderation make
her a better wife and more intelligent
mother. Then there are many single
women and childless women who want
an outlet for their energies and they
put 1t into the work done by clubs,
which, if the man who condemned
clubs would go into the matter would
find was charitable and humane. So
well is this known that if men want TO
push some measure which would be
beneficial to a city or a people they
enlist the sympathy of clubwomen for
it. However, with a certain stripe of
men, condemnation of womens clubs
is extremely popular, and remarks on
that line make excellent headlines.
Women are doing pretty well, thank
you. Let them alone and turn your
attention, Mr.. Prominent Man, to
some of the crying evils of the day
which cannot be laid to the door of
club women or women at all.