The Washington herald., 1912-11-24
DisaErees with shaw.

That distinguished biped of the mascu-
line gender who answers to the name
of Bernard Shaw. is a whimsical genius
We must admit. but his philosophy is
surely the result Of a distorted mind.
due, no doubt, to some prenatal infiu-
ence. Therefore, We should pity, rather
than censure. the man for his apparent
attempts to destroy the standard it has
taken the AnglO-Saxon race hundreds of
years to evolve.
In society there is, of course some
pretense. 1t cannot be otherwise. II
is human to appear at our best. and in
doing this if we overstep the line be-
tween facts and Imagination and Of the
latter use a little we are to be forgiven.
ITO err is human" and We cannot be
held accountable for the frailties of our
natures. Wherefore, If the young women
and their respective matters are guilty
Of a little pretense and We men cannot
discover il, and II We do, overlook it.
as We will. let us remember that We men
are often guilty of similar practices.
There may be some sham in society. but
it is of a negligible quantity. and there
can be no justification to the accuse ton
that society is based upon sham or pre-
tense.
There may be a few isolated instances
of young women enticing those of the
opposite sex into the holy bonds of matri-
mony. Perhaps Sir Bernard may have
one of these. If such was the case and
he became simply a meal ticket of Celtic
extraction igor some charming woman
the fault was his in that he could not
distinguish between true sentiment and
fiabby waistline superinduced by the
gnawing pangs Of hunger. These cases
are rare. The percentage of marriages,
in this country at least, which have
for their basis the proper sentiment is
S5 per cent. In the United States, at
least. the young woman as a class are
too modest and the young men too dis
cerning and sensible to be guilty of being
members of the roper and ropee"
classes, respectively. Therefore, to that
part of Mr.. Shaw's indictment let us file
a plea of mon est factum."
1t is not the duty of the mother to be
the mental guardian or godmother to her
prospective son-in-law. 1t is her duty
to see that the daughter has the proper
associates, to provide for her welfare as
mich as possible. &c. In doing this she
is within her proper sphere or jurisdic-
ton. OF course there are many swash-
buckIing old danes of the spectacIed,
face caIcimined, Pekin duck type, who
exploit their daughters virtues before
near-prospective swains for the sole pur-
DC Sc of giving them and their blessing
tc the highest bidder: the prices involved
rsnging from social to ancient ped!l.rets
and predatory lwealth. But these cases
are few and far between, for all of
which tlet Us be truly thankful to the
good common sense of American mother
hood.
Let us therefore render INTO Caesar
tn, things which- are Caesars'' by con-
graduating Mr.. Shaw upon his brilliancy
Of intellect and to the additional fact
that kC has afforded the public certain
amour. of mental exhilaration, but of
his philosophy let US say in good natured
disgust, Oh Shaw! G. w. LOVE
lt2s Meridian Place Northwest.
Thinks Society DeceItfuI.
There is no doubt in my mind about
the correctness of Mr. Shaw's phiIoso-
ply as developed in Man and Super
man"
Certainly he is entirely right in his
claim that society is reeking with de-
ceit. Any observer of what we some
times term the upper ten" knows that
all he makes John Tanner say is only
too true.
The average American mother of the
so-called 400" class will not and does
not hesitate a moment to marry her
daughter to any man who can or NAV