The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-11
Do Women
Respect Men?
AN ENGLIsHwonAN's VIEW

DECLARING that abuse of men Is
now the most popular topic OF
many London drawing rooms. clever
Englishwoman, writing in one OF tne
leading women's magazines OF hel
country, goes on to say that she re-
members the time when it was not So
when, in fact, a mans entry INTO q
room caused quite a feminine nutter
and a hostess was wont to put herseil
to considerable inconvenience to peat
up" men in every direction for those
dull, inevitable afternoon teas Sne
continues:
But now it is not the case. Men are
not wanted. They are dull. they are
stupid. and they are self centered ana
In the way.
I'VE have learned to do without
them. We no longer sun ourselves IN
the light of their countenances or hang
on their words or care what they say
THE bachelor girl. with her free
happy life, her friendships, her WORK.
her amusements, is the result or the
vast multitude of unhappfy married
men and women who pass silently In
! and out of our lives, each with their
| tragic story unspoken, but strong In
| their influence over the present youth
| and posterity. They are as warnings
to the unmarried. And many domes-
ticated, affectionate woman who hun
gers for home and children sees those
awful warnings and would rather tread
the long, gray, lonely road of life by
herself than mistake her mate and be
bound to the wrong man, bound to q
contract for all the rest of her life and
his. till death comes in the end as 8
blessed relief.
But why is this so? Have men al
tered, or have women changed? Men
have not stood still, of course, but the
great change is in ourselves.
I'VE have gained our freedom and
with it our right to criticise. We no
longer adore our lords and masters
The idol we had placed on a pedestal
we have discovered to have feet of very
clay.
I'VE have developed our brains to the
detriment of our hearts. We have
learned to do without man, and BE-
cause we no longer look up to him we
have learned to despise him.
I'VE have learned to earn our own
daily bread and to know that women
will be asked to accept a daily wage
that man would be ashamed to offer q
brother man. We have learned that we
can work, that we are capable. reliable.
trustworthy as any mere man.
'"rhat this state of things exists all
the world knows, and that men are not
too proud to live upon their wives in
comes is only too true, alas! And, this
| being so, can they blame us that we
have lost our respect, consequently our
love and reliance, and only now regard
them with plying liberation or active
hate?
Men are not so selfish in their daily
lives as they are self centered. absorb
ed in themselves
Here is something of special interest
to Americans:
Then, again, there is another factor
in our present social life-the influx of
American wives. Our men do not COM
pare favorably with our cousins across
the water. We have learned to crtti-
else and compare and condemn.
"We still have our love of home. We
still have capacity for affection. We
have not lost the art of loving yet. But
we want something worthy to love,
something to look up toto lead us up
ward, not downward, to the depths of
disbursement and despair.
And in this our men have failed us
as a class. and women-like. we pro-
claim it upon the housetops instead of
| hiding it in our hearts,