The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-14
IUJnco complimentary Estimate
of American Womanhooc


Of American Womanhood
"rhe yellow Peril" has been written
up from time to time, but has scarco> sS
" stirred the American Imagination
except as bogy, q danger too uns 81
real at this stage OF the game. to be
taken into serious consideration.
According to Alexander Harvey, con. n
tributing to the current issue OF tho
Sewanee Review, the real trouble bes
setting the American nation is one
OF an entirely different character, ons
named by Mr.. Harvey as "The Amer-
lean Woman Peril. The author takes
himself and his subject very serious S.
ly. It Is a. question whether his wos
men readers, who seldom have the
opportunities to Mr.. Harvey
--of hearing the plain, unvarnished
truth about themselves. will be more
amused or more offended at the ma
tional and domestic status signed
them by critic who must have had
bitter experiences with the sex.
MI. Hnrvcy's Classification. sg
He CLASHES Woman as the most
native American sham, and the source
fof far-reaching teminization which
lsto-day menaces American institutions Il
4 from the sovereignty OF Woman in the n
/ home, and her being the pet OF the
i law. He declares that wherever Voc
man dominates she disintegrates,a and
In the Christian church even, the only n
law. He declares that wherever o.
are those entirely under the control OF 81
men Were Woman. says he per
j naitted to sway business as she sWays5
the church and home. the penalty
would be so serious that the American
/ man simply dare not carry the mas
/ tional superstition regarding Woman
/ into the counting room. @
\ The Home Dcchristinnixed.
He further states that the home u
dechrtstianized because Woman rs Sow
| ereign there, that Woman Is morally
inferi 70 to man and intellectually his
| inferior, possessing no creative OF
| scientific ability. He considers that
the stern and imp eratiye work OF the I
| world is above w oman, and believes ~
| is necessary to keep man ehctents by. Z
| limiting the disintegrating9 poten-
TALLY OF Woman as respects the fghta
OF property, OF guardianship over /
children, and the rights Of suffrag,.
4 He attributes the fallacy that women
1 can be companions to men as based
/ UPON g. feminine misleading OF life,
for Woman at her best is the minister
i ing angel OF man. according to- Art
Harvey's estimate. X
i Marie Antoincttc RcincarnatiOn.g
4 He goes on in his arraignment by
4 saying: "As the spoiled child Of the 4
higher educational system Of the state.
4 the spoiled child OF the church. and I
Il the spoiled child OF the law, the Amer
lean Woman OF this twentieth century
is, IN reality, "a reincarnation of Marie
I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Antoinette in her
4 charm and Y moral responsibility;
4 + Marie Antoinette, in her refusal to
4 abide by the divine law OF the suo1ec-
ton OF the wife to her lord Marie
lsAntoinette. in the cipitancy WITH
which she Is bringing thousand
shames upon her home and her nus
band and her native country. Ihe
4 American husband of this twentieth
4 century, where his wife is concerned.
4 Ists Louis XVII in his surrender OF do
nestle sovereignty, in his elding at
a. wife,s dictation, to what sound jud s.
Etsment and moral sense condemn.
lVersainea Over Again.
A s..The American home of this tWen--ssS
tIeth@ century is Versailles ally over 's'ss
4 again-thnt Versailles In hich. pc
Tween the years 1918 and II 90, was ell-3
acted a domestic tragedy known tos
4 History as the French Revolution bu q
4 which IN reality was soSimpressiy e N
object lesson to the world upon the
whole theme Of Woman.
"In place, OF that one Marie Antot-s
4 nette. whose extravaganza and " nose
4 yescapades destroyed the House Of Of.
4 Bourbon, the United States now boasts
It's Marie Antoinettess In 10. O00a d tstn-:s
A tegrating households. They reign as
5l4aueens Of the home Whether Is be-
4 1.-THE Fifth Avenue pile of tho newly
sIrich plebeian or the comn1uter's nome
q lin some fresh suburb of q q tY IN the
n West, Marie Antoinette sits supreme
q therein. All that made Versailles what;
A IL was when Louis XVII as cended tha8
4 throne Of Bourbon France Is present
q In the atmosphere OF the American;
lfhome to-day. MarieFAnt is ever
8 to the fore, the cynosure Of all eyes,
\ She has the eatisfaction Of her jew
els. her fdTations with men and
women. to VI om her Louis XVI obs
l!jects in vain)els s,si
Woman' 's!.: Las stare: .s
come to- hen asst stage-the divorces reg,
court. She fihnts the scaffold OF this
q Ilaw to the guillotine of divorce. OHF
4 the day In Paris which wi messed the
A taking OF har life the executioner d eld
II aloft for all to see-herl head. his
4 episode has, It's equiyalen In the far
!. ing headlines above and below the Spor.SS
trait Of the divorced wife, whose ;N
1Itures stare unblushingly fort III up on
i 1.-The million readers OF sensa ttonalE
J lfprints.' &
What Is Mr.. IIarvey's Motive
" The strongest feeling awakened by
!, the reading Of Mr.. HarYey's attack
I upon American womanhood In full is
: that of wonder IS to why It should
: have been written at al l.Sss For an at-Ss
3 tack to be etfectual It must; be both
& logical and unprejudl ced. Mr.. aHarvayS
1, makes no claim in either direction. So
This Woman Peril'' IS mainly notice,
I. able as displaying q d ext ordinary ll'!
. attitude toward the a feminine sex ON
!. the part OF ID masculine writer. who
q Is evidently mos 81 DESTROYS OF cover
i Ling women with the ashes OF humili -s
i ation,1 and ting them back. where,
) in his estimate, they really belong.
6 - Orst take anot her and more nn.s