New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-07
ONE LESSON Of PARADE
SuffragiSt MarChers at Least
Essentially Feminine.
NO EFFORT TO COPY MEN
Women Are Trying to Perform
a Great Work, but Only in
a Womans Way.
BY Alice A. G. Perkins.

One thing which distinguished the woman
suffrage procession on Saturday from every
other that has marched up Fifth avenue
was it's essentially feminine quality
When men march in crowds they always
try to look as much as possible like SOL
diers The most successful civil process
sion that was ever seen in the city-the
Sound Money parade-was organized and
commanded BY a general in the United
States army. AS the men wheeled into
ranks and strobe along UP the avenue IN
serried files each with yellow chrysanthe-
mum in his buttonhoe. some Of them
shouldering their innocent canes like guns
the chief thing one could think Of was
What an army they would make" II
there IS A war these will he the fighters"
One loses sight OF The individual in the
numbers. and the numbers themselves how
ever peaceful the occasion. seem TO suggest
physical force.
The womens procession suggested none
Of these things With all their precision of
organization, their carefully kept line, the
surprising steadiness Of their marching
when We consider that the greater number
Of them had never marched before-there
was nothing military. nothing that seemed
even an attempt to initiate military effect.
! in the Impressions they left behind them.
As they followed each other line after
| line after their nuttering banners. one
| found ones self think OF them just as
one always does when one sees women
| alone or in orowds-with kind Of init
mate interest and curiosity. wondering
| what kind Of homes they are going TO or
! have come from. And though this effect
is no doubt quite unconscious on the part
OF the women not one OF them. am sure
would have IT otherwise II they could
! No one OF them in marching Saturday
! rad any thought of being like men.
| And yet how hard IT is for some nen
n understand this. that the women who
/ have been working so hard for the vote
| do not want 70 he men. nor are they a bout
irving 70 initiate men. on the contrary
| thov arc trying m 20 certain great human
| things in their own way-a way often sc
| different from mems that II will give
I The thoughtful observer much food for
! thought
so sign Of physical force here no re-
ninders of armies Of fEhting men. on
| the contrary. many signs OF all that gra-
oious kind Of living that love 81 fitness
and decencv. that gentleness and kind
ness. that impression of deftness and
auiokness in adapting ones self to lew
conditions which are vomen's particular
charactaristics in their daily life.
can anv one even an anti regret that
such qualities are henceforth To hA az
much al the service ~ the public life %
a communicates professions. It's civic
activities. al that goes 70 make up It's
wider public political existence-as they
have been AZ the service Of many small.
isolated centres Of private interests?
n our procession has shown nothing
else - has az least shown this. tina
whatever women DO how like in form II
may h. 10 mems work II always keeps
certain distance. a certain spirit of its
own. the complement 10 mems spirit.
which is needed ny every community be-
fore We get the ideal whole