The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1908-06-17
NEWSPAPER WOMAN
Her Peculiar Sphere Can Do Some
Kinds of Work Better Than Man
In Journalism to Stay.
Parts of the address of Mrs. Annie
yio Gates of the Auburn, Nebraska,

L GaIDS VI Uil0 duuIeSS VI ulES' AuIllS
Vic Gates of the Auburn, Nebraska
Granger.
The subject to which shall briefly
address myself seems to me to have
originated in the multiplicity ofman'
ners OF our people and has been as
great an evolution as the newspaper
itself. In the days of the simple life
1t was thought that woman was toe
Ignorant to express an idea in public
print, but with the deyelopement OF
the newspaper and the journal occa-
stoned by a wider developement of the
people themselves, new and attractive
fields of newspaperdom were opened,
which seemed not only to favor but to
demand the newspaper woman. The
ancient superstition of woman's ig-
norance has become a matter of his
tory, and no sane person of today con-
tends that woman is not the mental
equal OF man. Nor does any reason
able person attempt to deny that the
work OF man and woman lies in diff
ferent planes. There is distinctive
field to which the labors OF each be-
long, and we are worse than foolish
when we speak of the "superlority" OF
one sex to the other, as II compari-
son were possible. Each has that
which the other has not. Each is the
complement of the other. One de-
pends on the other. Man by nature
Is fitted to be the proVider and pro-
tector OF woman. This Fundamental
principle has been recognized since
civilization printed her first ANIMALS
upon the pages of history. He is
therefore the one who must encount-
er all peril of the world, the one to
engage in battles, civil or military; to
do, create, invent. Woman's intel
lect is developed in another channel.
1t her privilege to be the homema-
ker, to do those things dealing with
the higher ideals of life e-love, home,
children and all the lofty and refining
inhunces of mankind. 1t must then
be self evident that the work of a
newspaper man and the newspaper
woman is OF q more or less widely
different nature.
am certain that you will agree
with me when / say that any one can
write local matter or intiict upon a
helpless public column labeled
"Thirty Years Ago" 1t does not
require reporter Of much experience
to inform his readers that "Mr. Smith
was seen on our streets visiting be-
tween trains from Johnson" The
real test Of an editor lies in his abil-
ty to handle editorial matter.
Is the newspaper woman here to
tay? must emphatically say yes.
She is becoming more numerous each
year, and the reasons for this are
many. She finds 1t pleasant, profit
able, and she can do the work we'll.
She becomes a favored parsonage
much in demand by the people OF her
locality because Of her natural happy
faculty of elaboration and her vivid
imaginative powers, by means Of
which Is she enabled TO please the
vanity OF her community. These
powers the average woman possesses
to greater degree than the average
man. There is also an educational
phase to the work Of a newspaper
woman which keeps her mind active
and allows her little time for gossip.
Give a good, live, ambitious woman
something substantial about which
to think and her neighbors' business
will occupy considerably less of her
attention than 1t usually does. The
people with whom she mingles are
general very conslderate and co lrteous
to her, which makes her companions
congenial, and, after ali, the funda-
mental longing Of the human soul
Is for companlonship.
When we pause to consider the diff
ference between the natural work of
man and of woman, the question OF
man being crowded out of the news
paper field seems almost superficial.
AS a rule,I believe that each should
retain those lines OF writing which
will preserve the individuality OF the
sex, and while there can be no rigid
line Of demarcation, 1t Is not "a ,ditll-
cult matter to place most subjects In
the proper class. 1t is true that
broad subjects, such as temperance,
religion and education, will some
times overlap and be proper subjects
fol- discussion by both men and
women. In my opinion feasible
division would be to permit man to
write upon the practicalities and
sentimentalities of life. Man should
deal with those subjects. with which
nature has fitted him TO deal. Poll
tics, sport, tragedies and business
may be mentioned as examples
Woman has always been especially
loualified by nature to discuss certain
Iother topics, such as domestic affairs
in all phases, church work, society
functions, ladies' fashions, the fine
arts and any subject Of peculiar In
terest to women. l would advocate
the specializing Of each sex along
these respective lines. 1t would be
as great an absurdity for a woman
to write the description of pugi'
listic encounter as for man to at
tempt to describe ladies' costumes al