The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-02
Washers HERE AND ABROAD.
DIFFERENT VIEWS TAKEN or
ANNOYANCES TO WOMEN.

In Europe. q Matter Left TO Private Au.
Justment: q Matter er Public Coucers
Here-wOmans Position In the OId
world and tho New COnuAstsd
The charge brought against Enrico
CAruso draws attention 20 the annoyanoes
10 which women are subjected In the streets
in public places and to the difference IN
the manner In which such a~nnoyanoes As
regarded here and abroad.
As 10 the former matter. well to do
women are followed and annoyed during
shopping hours. Women who work are
subjected to worse prosecutions on their
way home after the days work in the
streets and public conveyances. The police
could find work to do in many Of the busy
thoroughfares during shopping hours and
after. The well dressed loafer Is found there
nnirking, ogiing, trailing, insulting.
There L. this distinction to be drawn, how
ever: The indigenous or naturalized loaier
OF this stripe knows hat public indignation
may at any moment punish him. His
European brother, on the other hand. oon-
siders himself wen within his rights in his
pursuit Of women.
Women who object to insult, he holds,
should not 60 forth unless properly eecortei
or chsperoned. The principal thorough
fares OF the capitals Of Europe are thus TO
a certain extent unsafe for women who visit
them unprotected.
Nothing illustrates the difference between
the status of tho woman OF the New World
and that Of her sister Of the Old 30 wildly
a. this matter OF mashing. In this country
q word Of appeal spoken by q woman will
make the offence the concern OF every man
within hearing, a matter Of immediate
danger to the offender. In Europe woman
does not dream OF appealing to the chivslD
OF one man against the offence Of another.
She breads the certainty Of being mig
understood. OF jumping from the frying
pan into the fire. IL Ia the business Of no.
body but the offender. the victim and her
own men folk, who should be there to de-
fend her, and are not. Annoying women
In one Of the established diversions Of the
street life Of the great cities OF Europe-ss
~eostumbre, to use the expressive Spanish
phrase. Who would interfere with q custom
when il does not concern the comfort and
safety Of his own? Women n minors who
should not DO so venturesome when they
know that they are natural prey.
Europe has no public opinion to be aroused
upon the subject. Hence the attitude Of
the Partisan p~ress-hence its incomprehend-
ing sneer at our primitive customs and
barbarous ideas Of feminine modesty.'
There are punishments for the offence.
Of course. but they are matters Of private
vengeance. The Italian masher has prob
ably reflected upon the chances Of a stiletto
thrust. his smiling French brother very
likely has taken into consideration the
small dangers Of a modern French duel or
the far greater p~ainfulness of a coup dc
sdpdte. The arrogant. brusque German nc
doubt knows that he may have to face an
adversary trained in the handling Of sword
or pistol. or. II he be not considered OF
exactly the proper social status. he may
have to q part In the clumsy sort OF
personal encounter that prevails where
boxing In not practised. but in each case
there Ia no social punishment.
Quite the contrary. b Frenchnan win
keep silent about the coup dc sdpdts. but
after his duel he viii swagger about. the
envy Of his companions and the admiration
Of the boulevards and the salons. The
German viii DO In very much the same
enviabls position; and as for the italian.
why. what could be more at and proper
than q stiletto thrush He took a risk that
was his own concern and received a punish
ment that was undoubtedly the other mans
concern
All three. II they survive. will be rewarded
with q reputation for gallantry. while.
II they die. their reputation viii survivs
them to impress younger men and fro them
to emulation. But whatever the conse-
quences. mona Of them will ever feel that
his dignity has been lowered by the offence.
That ID perfectly honorable.
But TO be manhandled by i've or six
husky men who have no earthly right TO
interfere. because. forsooth. they do NOS
even know the woman who has been i'm
modest enough to appeal to them-entirs
.strsngers-for protection. 10 humiliating.
and profoundly discouraging TO q gGlon-
tuono. not to speak Of It's disoomforts and
dangers. It Ia. indeed, a primitive Gus
TOM Of q nation with "barbarous ideas Of
feminine modesty.' a variant Of lynchins--
nothing more. Il is . violent breaking
with q custom old a. the untutored print
tive instincts of man.
Still worse 10 it 20 be arrested like @ pick
pocket, TO be placed In a cell. 20 be critI-
oised and ca~ricatured in newspapers; above
all. to discover suddenly the existence OF
q public sense Of morality. Withholding
its judgment. but unmistakenly ready TO
pronounce it's pitiless verdict in case OF
proved guilt-still worse 10 this. and most
~bewildering. inconceivable. bsrbarous. when
the offence springs from nothing more
natural than the Unborn masculine desire
to f~ascinate q woman.
A survival from the days Of marriage
by capture. this IL what the masher prob
ably In in the eyes Of the ~sociologist; still
more. a survival from the days Of the drou
du seionsur. Generally speaking. the Euro
pean masher honors with his attentions
who are his interiors socially.
owing. In part. to the safeguards thrown
about European women Of position the
moment they venture forth in public. and
partly, NJ doubt. to an distinctive or
studied recognition OF the line Of least re-
sistance.
The glamor Of social superiority is a po-
tent factor in their predatory enterprises.
Eminence Of any kind, inherited or achieved.
does. indeed. attract women Of all classes