The Washington herald., 1907-03-10
English Writer Asserts They
Are of Mediocre Mind.
HOLDS YANKEE VIEWS WRONG
Critic Declares Them Inferior Men
tally to Liege Lords-SuecessfuI,
Rich Business Leaders Termed
Managers of show which Their
wives and Daughters Make.


rent number Of the Nation.
! In nothing, declares the writer, is there
exhibited more general failure to realize
the underlying facts Of a situation than
/ in the general estimate placed on the in
/ fuence Of the American woman in her
own country. Neither the American
woman nor the American man has any
| mystery for the writer who says
/ European visitors 10 America use
| language which suggests that the women
are a distinct and superior human species
TO the msn, superior not only In grace and
physical attractiveness, but in character.
Intelligence, and individuality, and the
/ complacency with which the American
man will accept and indorse this testi-
mony 10 his inferiOrity is accepted as
/ conclusive confirmation"
/ This is a fallacy which the writer Of the
/ article proceeds 10 explode The apparent
/ domination Of the American society by
! American women is explained, he says,
by looking 10 the foundation Of Ameri-
/ can society In pioneer life in the New
World. woman necessarily attained a large
measure of independence together with
/ special consideration due her society.
When this primitive condition had given
1 place TO life in the modern industrial
1 city, with the swift emergence Of the
new rich class, the woman had no time
20 lose all the transmitted energy and
personal efficiency Of the earlier woman
hood
Men Anxious 40 Make Display.
The first need OF the industrial male
conqueror is 20 display financial power
through the ostentatious waste Of con-
spicu0us leisure, but natural inclination
and habit prevent him from performing
these rights in his own position. so his
wife and daughters become apt instru-
ments Of the vicarious expenditure Of the
time and money that attest his economic
I prowess and carry into this career the
energy. confidence, and resourcefulness
Of the bacl1woodman's granddaughter.
Male ascendancy,' continues the
writer. is az real. and at least as strong,
in America as in any European country
short of Turkey. The social sway OF
woman is due 20 different valuation OF
society by the American man from that
{
James and other critics affirm. that the
American man is a business man, poll
tician. and q clubman. but leaves society
largely To his wife and daughters. is quite
true. but what apparently they fail TO
( recognize is the characteristic mental at
ttUde OF the male American toward this
social life
Women Are Extravagant.
His extravag9nt wife and daughters.
with their receptions. diamonds trips to
Europe, and sprightIy talk on books and
art, are 10 him primarily a big entertain
ment; an expensive. elaborate show which
he can afford 10 keep up and likes to pay
for. His control Of the social order is not
/ less deeply rooted on that account The
American n0uveau richie has no remnants
/ or revivaIs Of the feudal state with which
TO make display Of ostentatious waste.
Everything I'm recent circumstances Of
Americas life tends to make woman, her
social activities and ways OF going on.
the single relief element for the strenuous
life Of the pioneer turned hustler
The writer admits that Il Is not really
as simple as this sounds. for there are
other factors affecting directly the serious
relation. He proceeds 10 examine one In
a passage of full possibilities for contro-
versies.
Emotion Has Been Reduced.
He says: Some cause. possibly climatic.
has certainly reduced the intensity OF sex
emotion. This. Of course, is a suggestion
I incapable of proof. but few who have
studied closely the conventional bearing
of American men and women toward one
another viii doubt that it is the very
freedom Of association between young
men and women which attests it. possibly
induces or assists it, tt would. perhaps.
be too much to say that sex emotion has
faded into sentimental interest. but the
change is something of this nature. The
conventional simple admiration In the
man and the firm tone of confident self
possession IN the woman attest it. SO
far as fiction holds the mirror 30 Amer
lean nature, it exhibits quite a significant
paucity Of sex emotion IN its more spon-
taneous. mastering flow. Possibly the
conquering American woman owes much
of her triumph IN circles where seIf-pos-
session counts for so much to this touch Of
inner CHILL tlldL Silt UhtS any llllliE 10 III
tellectual superiority over male of her kind
cannot be conceded, for no such super
ioTity exists.
Reads and Talks More.
she reads more and talks more. be-
cause that belongs to her decorative func-
ton. The thought OF America owes lit
tie to her, though she has long enjoyed
more ample opportunities for education
than the other sex. Her contribution
toward serious literature, art, and science
Is small almost negligible. Almost all
the best brain work in America. even in
fields where women are most occupied, is
done by men. Nor are women the best
takers. Though the business mans
wife CLEANS from her books and women's
clubs a large assortment of Ideas. which