The chronicle=news., 1913-04-09
GIRLS CHASE MEN SAYS
Miss IDA TAR0ELL

advanced that can he adylHced IN
prove that upon man should he plar-
ed th,. blame when women sacrifirc
their virtue. the plain fact remains
that, except where Niolcnc. l. eni-
pIoycd, III. i,sue depends finally ON
tho consent Of tn. women.
Whatever may have been iru. in
ramot. ages. whatever may hc tru.
today in unclyiliksd countries. the
relative positions of the s.Scs In this
country at this tim" are that the av.
.rase man seSuaiy Indifferent to
any woman until she has don. SOinc-
thing TO attract hi. motto. and stimu-
lat. his emotions that at the start
the average woman pursucs he man
| do no mean TO imply that "A wo-
Mau deliberately sets out to capture
u man with view to establishing
any Irregular relationship with him.
What | mean II that many un,hink-
Ing women viii. whenever occasion
offers, tso their s"N consciously for
the pufpos" of gaining influence over
men, and that one. they have come
10 rcaliE. the power they can exert
they fall under n strong temptation
10 force I,s exercise further and fur
ther for til" qualification OF their
Wirii"s, whether these lie IN the dis
rcction of fint'.ry. gifts or ma,r!-
mony.
Women are rarely honest with
themselves about their atitiud. to-
ward men. ! .upIUs. that II u woman
We're to 20 up TO aEyon. OF the thou
sand girls that may b. seen ou Fii'h
Avcnu. ON a I'm. afternoon dressed
In the present ailurtng and ru.H-s-
tiv. fashion. their cheeks and lips
painted. every trick and device EN-
ploycd which ~ likely to attract tho
attention OF tn. pa.serOy. ana were
to say TO such n Girl that her chief
object In dressing and adorn!nI her
self In tina, fashion. was to excite
the emotions of men, sh. would pro-
'"ss and often feel tn. greatest ns-
ioni-hmtnt and Indignation.
But II tn. matter i faced frankly.
traced hack 10 its caus. aud forward
to Its issue. II is. missing out somc oi
the Intervening steps. precisely
maniun,. disguised by silks and sat
Ins. by lingerie aud lace. by the con-
y-n,ions OF society. but non. the
less manhun'. Talk with these
girls aud women and they Will deny
l, Indignantly. They are simply
dressing according to the fashion. II
Is mt this point that most OF them re-
iu.. TO civ. tn. matter another mo-
mcnts thought. dcclIn. absolutely -
carry III. Id. OF fasaion TO It's log
ical conclusion.
A. the women OF this class have
plenty OF money. obtained from hus-
bands. fathers. brothers or other rel
ativ.s. IL Ia not necessary TO red Into
their man chase any moiiv. less wor-
thy than matrimony. hut carry this
man chase Into u class where the
/ girls. Instead OF being able to crafty
all their whims OF dress and ornn.
m.nt AT the expense OF their male
relatives. are supporting themselves
hy their own work aud are lust able
by severe economy to provide them
selves with food, shelter and cloth
Ing on very modest scale. and the
changed conditions Introduce some
new and very important factors into
the situation.
The question II now no longer
merely one OF getting husband: 1t
IL one OF getting everything which
makes the difference between u lone
II dull and laborious life and II life
OF companionship. amusement and
ease. So far from being surprised
that with this choic. before them
a number Of girls purchase the bright
er 10; at he expense Of their virtue.
am as,onishcd that greater num-
bcrs do not do so.
That the mass Of girls remain vir-
tuous Is the more creditablc to them
because most OF them suffer from n
home training which might well be
expected to lc dto an opposite re-
suit. Where are YOU going to find.
except among the poor. any real girl
hood today? In the average home OF
the fairly comfortably placed there
seems to be no stage between child
hood and wOmanhood. AS soon MS n
girl enters her teens she is cncOur-
ngcd to play the woman and to play
1t without chaperonagc.
What seems TO have happened Is
this. that while We have withdrawn
the old fashioned safeguard of the
chaDeron We have provided nothing
in the way, Of training or moral edu-
cation to take its place. II Is true
not only OF boys and girls, but Of
crown men and women. that 1t re-
Guires lot OF knowledge before one
can walk straight In this world with
out counsel and guidance.
In regard to the specific point
which is being so widely discussed
today OF the relation between wages
and virtue It seems to me that 1t is
n foolish as well ~ an unjust thing
TO try and make X appear that the
precise economic condition of a girl
fixes in any considerable number OF
cases the state Of her morality.
Two considerations make such q
hypothesis untenable. One is that
there IL no class of peopl. in any civ
ilized country in which the morality
Of the woman is higher than II Is in
the very poorest classes: the other
is that there is at lest as large n
proportion of immoral woman among
tile moderately well-to-do. the we'll