Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1910-09-27
THE EAGLE AND THE WOMEN
OF BRYAN.

II ID uCCultSS " NdlA ltlNHtiOAA " "-A
open letter to the editor published on
the first page of this paper. Every
body will read 1t. The emotions that
it will excite will probably be in vary
ing degrees like those of the party to
whom it is primarily addressed, who
read it with sincere pleasure made
more piquant by liberal seasoning
of pain. The classic style, the spark
ling wit, the thrusts of satire, keen
as a Damascus blade, compel the ad-
miration of the victim while smarting
with the pain of the heart-piercing
thrusts.
The sharpest pang is a sense of in
justice. With all due respect to the
accuser and avenger of an imaginary
incivility, the accused pleads not
guilty of the charge of, making an at
tack on the women of Bryan. That
little bit of blunt pleasantly in last
| Fridays Eagle was too insignificant
/ to be thought of as IAN attack" 1t
was simply harmless play of rail
lery the object being to secure atten-
ton after all other means had failed.
In this it brought results far in ex-
itno Vi Nlldl was dlllOilQlCu.
Nor is it within the record to ac-
cuse The Eagle of holding the women
alone responsible for the unsightly
and unsanitary condition of our little
city. 1t is a well known fact that no
law can be enforced that is not sus-
tanned by public opinion, and the city
officers constantly plead this as one
excuse for failing to enforce the sani-
tary ordinances. The women of Bryan
have, or could have, a very powerful
influence in moulding public opinion
and in bringing pressure to bear upon
the city administration to secure the
reforms that are so much needed. If
they fail, as they have heretofore
failed, to use this means of doing
good, who can say that they are no,
guilty of contributory negligence
This is the head and front of our
offending"
The inference is plan, though the
charge is not formulated, that the ed
Tor is member of the mems club
which it is alleged so grievously Of
tends against not only morals but
common decency. The editor has
never attended club meeting of any
kind in Bryan and has no more
knowledge of what is done there than
the man in the moon. Nor Is it fair to !
say that all women's clubs were con.
demned without discrimination. Some |
Of them have often been given credit !
in these columns for noble objects and |
good work. But all of this counts for |
nothing against one little word in a
harmless batch of badnage. There I
are clubs and clubs. and not all of
hem are gossipy.
If, as is alleged, the women of
Bryan have Rugged the fond delusion
hat the editor of The Eagle was #,
gentleman Of the old school, as full
If gallantry and chivalry as were
men when knighthood was in flower"
t is best for all parties that they
lave discovered their mistake. In the
)usy life of today "a typical gentle
nan of the old school is about the
most useless creature that fills space.
lie is the best living example of a
Don QuiXote. While highly respect
lble as a relic of by-gone system =
he is of as little practical value as
he lithOstrotian fossil. One working
nan of today is worth a whole regi-
nent of such For one, the editor of a,
The Eagle is glad that knighthood is
10 longer in flower, and he knows that
his sentiment is shared by an over
1helming majority of those with !,
'hom he shares the glorious mem
ries of the Old South When the war !
nded we gave up our dreams, cast
our idols of gold to the moles and 9
0 the bats" and went to work. 1t :,
'as a hard struggle to part with our !.
herished ideals, it was like tearing .
sunder our heart strings, but we had :
D do it. Our country, our beloved
outh. "the land we love-" demanded =
hat we make the sacyrifice. Some !.
lew out their brains, but they were
DO cowardly to do their plain and =
Inevitable duty. The editor of The :,
'agle confesses with shame that he "
'ould have been one of the deserters ,
Tho fled to Mexico or to South Amer
"a if he could have left his loved ones
} their fate, but this he had not the f,
cart to do. b
There is as much true courage Il
though it is not called chivalry) and n
hfcrb L.,