The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-03-04
~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.
Upon what psychic principle are city
directories compiled.
How far can their compilers go in
their ruthless raids upon the defence
less, innocent and entirely private citi-
zen without danger of assassination by
the latter?
Why should we be tagged, docketed
and flung into the alphabetical pigeon
hole without our knowledge or con.
sent?
The individual has q right or two to
be respected.
City directories are useful and. In
deed necessary. but not compulsory.
II the residents Of a given house on
a given street in a given town don't
happen to be at home at the arst or
even third or fourth. call Of the gentle
men getting up the directory for his
own emolument, what vested privilege
has he, pray. to put down the former
as "any old thing"
There is no law compelling city
directory to ferret out the occupation
OF every person in town and set 1t
down, opposite his name in the city's
residential roster.
With business of various character
this is Information that is both inter
estinR. convenient and desirable, and
desired as well.
But with the registering of the great
mass it is all impertinence to placard
them individually.
And certainly their consent should
,ipx, do
| as to the correctness OF the designa-
ton.
And il an objection is made to in
GLIDING anything more than the name
and house address. this objection
should be absolutely regarded.
| For it may be based upon considera-
tions Of importance to the individual
which are not divulgible and which. II
they were, are. in common parlance.
"nobody's business" the pub
lies or the gentry compiling the direc-
tory.
Why, in instance, label people ia
borer." domestic" grinder" help
err" "school-teacher." "stenographer,'
clerk" barber" "stringer." "molder.
"chair-caner," apprentice" machine
hand" bartender" cantor" "oiler.
"peddler," "charwoman" and the like.
Often this is humiliation.
An individuals temperament, educa'
ton. birth or social status are not In
yariably indicated by his occupation.
Necessity compels many persons to
be ground down by distasteful and re
pugnant tasks.
There are men in the shops OF this
city, for example. that are the intellec
tual' peers Of some of the towns res
plendant pillars Of society.
1t is a mere accident of fortune that
they are where they are.
And yet the city directory may tae
'em "laborer" and throw them into the
social discard.
What Is a "laborer" by the way?
Everybody who works at anything II
laborer.
Its hard labor to write books, in in
: stance.
And sometimes to read 'em!" inter
polated the cynic.
Nothing requires more labor thai
giving a party.
The physical strain is sometimes 81
} great at a woman's bridge that tn
guests return home in a state OF col
lapse. Scraping the streets is child
play in comparison.
y The hardest laborers in the Worl
are the so-called society people
The women go into retreats to re
! cuperate and the men retire to Mu
doon's eyrie.
Nothing is more strenuous labo
. than practical politics"
D The President of the United State
: is the hardest worked laborer in tn
1 Union.
There are other outrages perpetra
= ed by the insane and impudent Amer
. can desire to pry into the affairs OF e'
j. eryone from the mansion to the hove
o from Fairview to the Glen, frol
o Goosetown to Beallview.
One of them is the publication of til
ages and occupations-alleged or oil
erwise-which are set forth in ma
- riage licenses.
Whatever the law with regard
the pre-matrimonial lineup, and hov
:, ever rigorous and exacting the statut