New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-09
REDUCING A WINDMILL"
Female DON Quixote Tits at Anti
with Long Lance Of Argument.

10 inc EOltOT Oh no lTiDuHo
Sir: Your correspondent Of Mattituck
the other day seemed to fear that you
were in favor Of woman's suffrage, or
that you were perhaps afraid Of the dear
creatures" /, as one of the dear Great
ures," wish to thank you for your fair
way Of dealing with the question. and also
for the valuable space which you so gen.
erously give This column Is a source OF
information and amusement; even the
ants contributions give just the touch OF
vinegar favoring which adds piquancy to
the situation.
The lady hoped, when We marched, that
We had something warmer on, our feet
than silk stockings and low shoes. Yes;
our feet were quite warm. thank you'
when one has high aspirations and the
bounding pulse of human sympathy one
does not have "cold feet"
Are there not" quoth she. "co-educa-
tional colleges all over our land!' has
she forgotten that women had TO fight lot
the privilege OF education? IL she VIII
read tho history OF the early schools IN
America she will find that. after a strus-
gle. zirls were allowed to go to school
only a few hours a day, but even So
they kept up with the boys. Nor were
women welcomed into the professions oy
men. Elizabeth Blackwell was persecuteo
by the male students. In England ana
Scotland women students studying meoi-
oins were pelted with rotten eggs anu
made to stand In the lecture rooms "hiie
the men sat Even to-day Frenchineh
are 50 Jealous of Nine. Curie that she ID
debarrsd from the laboratory OF the COL
lexe of Science. In the Middle Ages Wom-
en- were burned for possessing know"
edge of science and their property given
10 ths Church, controlled by men.
The lady seems to think that the 'pnysi-
cal force" argument settles the question:
There is already q regiment OF women III
China, and many women In All couhtrieS
have gone as soldiers And now LOT nor
last thrust: Women who count are at
IN. great business Of filling the natural
social centres, which we call home
I should like to speak plainly OF this
everlasting cry. Just what Is our sister
holding up for our admiration? What
but a primitive, natural law. whose urge
ia no stronR as TO be wellnigh Irresistible.
that counts is the cat that goes about It's
business OF having kittens" The extraor-
binary cat would be the cat WINCH
from rcasons Of eIpediency, represseo lts
nature and didn't have EN-. The woman
who would not like TO be mother under
the right conditions would be freak
MANY women have not married and be-
come mothers because they care so Inuch
for the future race They would Ike TO
civ. their child a decent father. and there
are not too many OF them knocking
around. and many good men won't marry
because their salary does not run 10 IT.
The promiscuous bearing or children
ha. not been good for the race and has
alled our asylums, hospitals ana Jails'
ANY cattle breeder would be ashamed TO
have such a percentage OF detectives But
the law Of reproduction is just as strong
IN IN. realm OF the mind, and great think
err produce great works--their children.
Their. will always be physical children;
nature has seen TO that, so don't let US
despise thos. who do not produce those
alone. but spend their life substance In
other ways Carlyle. Ruskn. Bernard
Shaw and many men OF genius have been
childless. but they produced their brain
children, and what loss II would nave
been had they not done so!
Pardon the length Of this letter but wa
suffrarettes are the Don Quixotes OF our
time and are liable 10 tilt at every old
windmill that comes along. q. D
Harrison. ". Y. Nov. 2s. 1912.