Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-23
GIVE THEM A CHANCE

LET us arise together" observed the
| square-jawed man with the hard steeiy
eye. and apply the sock-inclosed hunk OF
lead pipe to the suggestion recently made
in the form of lot of feminine letters to
the newspapers. that the move-on policy
already begun on Tth street now be directed
against male persons who occasionally halt
on the north side Of street, between 18th
and 18th streets. Let US be gentle in the
wieldingso the implement But 1t is not
for US to falter when confronted by the
proposition that we are not henceforth to
be permitted to lean on one leg. and then
| on the other, on the north side of F street.
| between 18th and 14th streets. or ON any
| other thoroughfare within the precincts,
/ boundaries and confines of the District Of
Columbia, when it comes to that.
| In PREDATORY manner, let me heave out
| the remark that, while l don't know much
| about 7th street. l do know lot about F
| street.
I've been navigating up and down the
north side OF street, between 18th and
18th streets, for a period sufficiently long to
! cover a seven-inch expansion of my waist
| band. And l have yet to see large, swirl
| ing throngs Of 'tobacco-spitting loafers.
| insulting every woman that passes by en-
| gagged In getting in their deadly work In
| that particular section, as the feminine
| writer's OF these pieces for the papers state
The only male persons that ever l saw
| splitting tobacco Juice on F street were
| few United States senators from the far
| west and these are with us during COM
paratively brief period of the year. More
| over. 1 have observed even these walk over
| to the curb and direct their expectoratlon
| toward the gutter.
Furthermore, I have never seen any
| punches Of male beings of any age or kind
| whatever standing in the block referred to-
| engaged in ogling beauteous young things
or employing wicked, sinister devices for
| the winning of elderly ladies.
hpaD the rooted opinion for q
greater stretch of years than 1t Is convent
ent for me to remember, that any old thor
| oughfare Of the city OF WashnStonn IS as
| safe for the passage OF ladies as the aisies
OF church, and l sure hate to have the
| thoughtless tack applied puncturewise to
any of my rooted opinions.
In like manner I have chung with I'M
deyiating fortitude to the notion that no
woman, in Washington or In any other
American city for the mater or that. stanos
one chance in one thousand Oh pem9 IN
suited on a public thoroughfare. providing
always that she goes right ahead about her
business.
Let us devote about one-eighth of solar
moment to the reflection that there Is a
whole lot of business in many forms carried
on in that square on street that lies
between 18th and 14th streets. and that
many male persons. Of quite lndisputapie
respectability not to say virtue, pay large
annual rentals for the convenience and &C
feasibility offered by that particular neigh
borhood for the transaction OF business.
And II these male persons In passing IN
and out of their work rooms. occasionally
halt In the doorways and exchange the
salutations Of the day with accidentally
met friends and acQuaintances, snall the
move-on command. hoarsely uttered oy the
brass buttoned conserver OF the public
peace and afterward the bruising club or
the same uniformed individual. be applied
to them therefor?
''As to thepuddles and pools OF noisome
tobacco juice through which, according to
these aforementioned femin ne letters Which
have appeared in the public prints. women
strolling on street between 18th and 14th
streets are compelled to wade and swim.
ford slide. l affirm. aver and asseverate
that they are pools and puddles or mag
nation only. and that they do not exist.
nor have they ever existed In actual liquid
form. Only one Washingtonian in about one
thousand masticates the soothing, If I'M
lovely, navy plug or fine cut. and he does
not patrol street. He Is too busy carry
ing his hod or driving his truck. or curry
ing his mules. So that the runnels and riv-
ulets of tobacco juice on the pavement OF
the particular block to which they and l
advert are mirages Of the Durest ray Sc
rene.
And say. II the strangers within our
gates amazed and entranced at the per-
petual. perennial procession Of beautiful
Washington women that evermore glldes
gracefully up and down F street OCCASION
ally stand paralyzed and dumfounded on
the square between 18th and 14th streets,
and pay open-mouthed but speeches. trib-
ute to the phenomenal loneliness OF our
daughters. sisters. wives. yea. mothers
say. shall we withhold from them that ell
evatng privilege?
Shall we order them to move on. and
club them with locust sticks If they decline
the invita- tionf
Shall the pilgrim who crosses thousands
of miles of tempestuous sea and rolling
plain and desert in order to verify with his
own eyes the worldwide fame for surpass-
ing beauty of the women of the capital Of
our nation, be rudely thrust on his way
at the point Of a policeman's baton dug
into the small Of his lack, If. nvoluntarly
brought under a spell. he halts on F street
between 18th and 14th streets and regards
with a soul boiling with gratitude that
never-ending parade of loneliness?
Perish the dreams! Give EN- chance.
Give us all chance! It's hard enough for
the pantalooned person to get by now with
cut making more laws and restricting
more territory for him.