The San Francisco call., 1909-12-04
LET POOR MAN
HAVEACHANCE
|Seathing Denunciation in
Clubwoman's S Paper Is
Far Too Severe
BY MARY AsHE MILLER

sion and the like. in way that re-
1oices the hearts of those OF us who are
az old fashioned as we can be to earn
any-money.at all II seems to prove "a
woman'a woman for a that"
One OF the most striking evidences
that have not reached the asrated. ster-
ilized. unimpassioned heights OF judg-
ment and polae lies IN the way that
they yitnpefafe the mon At intervals.
For an example OF this see the No-
vember number OF The Federation Bull
ietin, published IA Massachusetts. the
official organ Of the National Fedora
tion of women's Clubs. the member
ship OF which comprises about 100000
of the most advanced women of the
country.
Nearly a page of editorial matter is
devoted 20 a series OF scathing obser-
vations on mankind commencing;
speaking of men reminds us of the
sorry spectacle which the American
man has presented during the last
year.
Now. far be it from me to take up
the cudgels in behalf of the men
against my irate sisters. For one thing.
suppose it wouldn't be exactly seemIy,
bit what women at large say of men at
large. They either laugh or ignore it,
Generalities stir up women nightly.
but mere remarks have to be specific
and concrete and rather personal 40
agitate the average flesh and blood
man.
The attempts-feeble, 1 fear, but
heartfeit-which 1 shall make to
soften the blows of my wiser and
greater colleague are not for the sake
of men. write to comfort those
women who are cast down by the reali-
zation of masculine weakness which
has been thus harshly forced upon them.
For after all. they are all we have,
and why not be cheerful about it?s
Even those who are firm enough to
refuse them as husbands must accept
them as fathers, brothers, presidents
and other useful adjuncts. Their re-
form must be conducted individually to
be effective. and the mass of them must
work out their own betterment without
the irritation of feminine comment or
advice
The editorial clubwoman continues
her diatribe as follows: 1T is the fate
of womankind to be charitably re-.
garded as sentimental creatures. but
if they are half as sentimental as the
American man has shown himself dur
deed be pitiful A perusaI of large
portion of the American press would
seem to indicate that the average man
is regarded as an easy mark to be
fooled, cajoled and entertained with a
never ending series of worthless SEN
sations. apparently invented for the
purpose of keeping his mind employed
and oblivious. while his enemies are
running away with every right and
privilege which free people ever en-
joyed-"
If you will read this bit with care
you will see that she quite unwar-
rantably takes a great many things
for granted and also that she leaves
the impression that only men read the
papers.
Now, fe. shame on you. women. how
can you reform the world if you don't
know how present day history marches
itself?
1t is not just clear. either, whether
she thinks men employ all OF their
time reading these exciting sheets of
fiction and fabrication and thus neglect
their opportunities to arrive on the
ground floor for the privileges of the
free or whether they actually go out
during office hours to create or investi-
gate these worthless sensations
And Furthermore. if the average
man. is thus employed. who are his
enemies" who are getting all the
rights?
Then comes a delicious summing up:
''Try to interest them in any serious
subject and see what your experience
will be-
There lies apparently the sourest
drop of all. Who was saucy to the
eOlIOrldllSt anu refused To discuss the
welfare of the country? Does it not
occur to her that the lack may be
partly. at least. in her choice or pre-
sentation of serious subjects? Or.
perhaps, the time was wrong-perhaps
the man wanted to eat his dinner. or
read his paper, or smoke his pipe
dreamiiy, or possibly he wanted to talk
to another woman on an unimproving
but diverting matter
These suggestions are merely
trifies, light as air" but they serve.
s trust. to open vista of possibilities
TO give the men an opportunity to
escape from beneath this mental and
ethical cloud.
She declares that "the men OF the
great states of the central west. to-
gethcr with a select minority in less
favored sections. are proving the yell
low journal and its methods failure
There are A vast number of people
in all parts OF America who denounce
the nsational methods of certain
quite as heartily as the
men from that favored" middle west
and her assumption that such papers |
influence the men who are the bone
a -, f,f ha - 4