New-York tribune., 1911-12-13
WAYS "ANDROCENTRIC"
Mrs. John Martin Demolishes
MYTH of Matriarchal Age.

Well. after ell, this has always been an
"androcentrio" world. The anti-suffragists
were so glad TO hear It that they fairly
radiated smiles all over the town last night.
The next time any suffragette wakes elo-
ouent on the subject OF the matriarchal
age. when man was mere man and woman
was supreme in her rightfu place. the
ants will say: MY dear. you are quite
mistaken There never was any matrt-
archal age Mrs. John Martin SAYS go She
told us all about II at the league the
other day"
This is quite true Mrs. John Martin,
addressing the National League for the
Civic Education OF Women, at No. 20 East
18th street, yesterday afternoon, annihilat-
ed the great argument OF the suffragists In
a few words.
German scholars" she said. who have
been investigating the matter, say there
never was matriarchal period for So
ciety as n whole. Scattered examples OF 1t
in insignificant tribes may he found, but
YOU can always find something 30 prove
anything you happen to wish to. you know.
These German scholars. however, say that
I'm the earliest Aryan records there are no
society,""
Mrs. Martin was crticising The Man
Made World" by Mrs. Charlotte Perkins
Gilman, the woman who. she said, mas
mortal antipathy 20 man, and so looks
sauint-eyed at tho whole race" and whose
book "is based on the purely speculative
idea that woman was originally the centre
OF life and man mere variant
II is a mere catalogue of mans mis-
deeds" full of such monstrous statements
as that all these centuries woman has oeen
shut up and kept for mans pleasure, with
the result that children have progressive
father and a stationary mother" and wom-
an is a thousand years behind man; that
the ugIiness of the race is due TO mans
perversity i'm not choosing the right wife,
and that womans vanity and extravaganza
are all the fault of men, because woman
being dependent. must make herselr peauu-
ful 10 please mans fancy.
art. music, drama, literature, sports
war and religion were all dominated by the
male mind-yes, even religion. FOR even
the devil is a masculine invention on whom
man might exercise his fighting quail
ties. Women weren't asked how he should
be made"
Well. of course. 10 these and al the rest
Of Mrs. Gilman's statements Mrs Martin
had a witty reply, so that she Kept her
audience in gigeles and sighs of admiration
for more than an hour.
ct ia as sensible TO say woman is a
thousand years behind man." she CRIED
"as that you can walk with your left leg
q r,,ila behind your right Man and woman
are equal, Of course: they always have
been. AS for mans vagaries In choosing
a wife is there any reason to suppose that
women. If they had the right OF selection,
would choose for any other reason than TO
please themselves? Woman's beauty hasn't
suffered nearly so much for being shut up
IN the house as II has for going out into
offices.
''The economic independence OF women
is not conducive to beauty. They are less
charming and more fastidious. AS the ola
lady said. women nowadays are too
choice-y.' AS for fashions-it is the refine
ment of cruelty to blame men for that
when they have to pay for 1t, too, halt
amused and half aghast as they are. Ana
Mrs. Gilman decorates herselt-decorates
very beautifully, too. But l am sure not
even her worst enemy would accuse her or
trying 10 curry favor with men therepy.
Mrs. Martin finished up the poor little
book by wondering. since when women
are had IT is mans fault and when they
are good II is all their own fault, why 1t is
that these paragons of strength and good
ness have submitted all these centuries 10
a., do,,ina tion of a mere variant