The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-18
From the Louisville courier-Journal.


 A CCoRDING to Ida M. Tarbell, who
 "A writes an article for the American \ Magazine upon a theme that was old in Thebes and Memphis, yet is live in Oshkosh and Oklahoma City, woman is a parasite, too frequently, where she ought to be at work. Miss Tarbell does not say she ought to be at work in one of the learned professions, or engaged otherwise beyond the sphere" to which she is popularly assigned.
 Here are two paragraphs from the in dictment:
 N"The heaviest burden today on produc- tive America, aside from the burden inn posed by a vicious industrial system, is that of it's non-productive women. They are the most demanding portion of our society. They spend more money than any other group. are more insistent in their cry for amusement, are more resentful of interruptions of their pleasures and excntements, go to greater extremes of incidence and uneasiness.
 "The really serious side to the existence of thls parasitical group Is that great numbers of other women, not free. forced to produce, accept their standards Of life. We hear women. useful women, every where talking about the desirability of not being obliged to do anything, commiserat- ing those who have heavy household re- responsibilities, and by the whole gist of their words and acts influencing those younger and less experienced than them selves to believe that happiness lies in irresponsible living"
 Matrons were probably more highly honored, valued and respected for the inn portance of their function as the partners of men in ancient Rome than they have been since The Romans were less senti- mentally inclined than the Americans of today, and often married for convenience and divorced their wives for personal and political interests. Nevertheless a Roman matron was expected to advise her hus- band as well as to be the head of do- mestic establishment that was a factory and a farm combined. She was expected to produce from the husbands landed es- tates both the wearing apparel and the food of the family and the slaves and free servants and employees. The Rom- ans did not believe that matron neces- sarily neglected her mental development because she was domestic in the sense of the term as applied by modern women who look upon household duties as evils that should be avoided, and which stunt the growth of those who do not succeed in avoiding them. To preside over pots and pans, rear children, manage servants. supervise the spinning wheel, the loom and the iarder. and counsel with Caesar for the defense and glory of Rome was the comnlan lot of the wives of emperors. At no time in history has domestic science. and the science of government applied to the domestic establishment pre- scented more opportunities-and difficulties than it does today when the cost of com modities and labor must be counterbal- anced by ability to get results from ex- penditure. and the role of housekecper IS as important as it was in Rome Prob | ably an investigation, if the facts could be ascertained would show that the advice l of wives in the serious affairs of life is as often asked by Americans whose wives have proven their sound sense and ability at home as by those whose wives keep house by proxy and discuss public af- | fairs Tn pPfSOf todt eiNic oAc VI SeetAiAy many American wives who combine a wholesome and useful interest in affairs outside of the home with ability and willingness to run the establishment along | lines of up to date enlightenment. There | are few who, like Miss Tarbell, are useful | in professions or callings. There arc more who keep house and are content, or fully occupied. with "domesticity' as a career. There are many who earn wages. The parasites are perhaps no more numer-
 ous now than they were at any other time in history. There are Egyptian hier- oglyphics ,and inscriptions on Chinese
 monuments of unknown age. advising young men not to marry the butterfly type. If there are more parasites in Amer ica than elsewhere the men rather than the women are to blame. The average
 Americans pride Is satisfied when the women of his household are free from the necessity of contributing their energies
 to the work of the world. In recent car. toon MT. McCutcheon depicted the Amer ican wife reclining upon a sofa. sotlrround ed by servants and provided with every
 luxury. In the background the American