The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1914-09-02


of public affairs is altogether undesir-
able.
Since women as yet have taken no
great part in political life the first of
these assumptions must be based on
the fact that women in private rela-
lions have shown themselves to be
more emotional than men. Undoubt-
eddy they cry more easily. They may
be moved more quickly perhaps to the
expression of pity. Their judgments
may be more rapidly taken and less
carefully considered. But how much
of this is due to difference of training?
So far the world has inisted that wo-
men should have interests only of a
personal or familiar kind, and when
they express themselves In a personal
manner 1t exclaims, "How emotionalw
Men Also Emotional.
Men, however, do not show them
selves altogether destitute of emotions
in private life, although their emotions
may be aroused by different interests
and may be expressed not by tears, but
by swearing, shouting or hat throwing.
The ideal of q calm and stole silence
under every strain seems to be passing
away. Our college boys watching a
football game are not unmoved. They
stir themselves to an emotional excite
ment by songs and college cheers.
Our legislative bodies are supposed to
be exceedingly dignified in their con-
duct of political business, but even in
them scenes of an emotional nature are
not unknown. In other countries they
are frequent. During the past winter
the German reichstag has been I'm an
uproar of excitement over the Zabern
affair, the Austrian house in tumult
over the delay in passing bill giving
more power to the representatives, and
the Italian chamber, riyaling those
scenes in discussion over an election
reform, has shown that men do not al
ways consider questions of government
with judicial dignity.
Wars, which have been the affair of
men, have seldom been entered into
through cold calculation. Emotion will
be found to lie at the bottom of the
final action
1t was intense indignation at the
treatment of the negro and pity for him
that had much to do with our civil war
1t was also a mixture of sympathy
| with the difficulties of the Cubans and
Indignation at the sinking of the Maine
that brought on the Spanish American
war.
Recently, when war was threatened
with Mexico, the calm decision of the
statesmen of this country was to avoid
conflict at all costs, but when Mexico
refused to salute our flag in specified
manner war seemed imminent. There
were excited groups of men through
out the country who gladly took this
refusal as gage of battle.
The only concerted action taken by
women. however. in this connection
far from contributing to the excite
| ment, sets itself against it. In New
York they calculated colby the cost In
men and work and held a great mass
meeting of protest at Cooper Union
| unfolding the real determination OF
the administration in Washington to
avoid war if possible
Emotion Is Necessary.
Emotion, it may be suggested, is not
merely a feminine characteristic but a
human one, shared alike by both men
and women. With men it seems per-
haps more productive of violent results
-lawless deeds as well as noble wars
But who would Danish all emotion
from nations life-all sympathy with
the unfortunate, all indignation over
wrongs, all generous desire to helT
without carefully counting the cost?
Men are emotional In their own lines
they have shown themselves emotional
in public affairs. Women, too. are
emotional In their lines, but it Is toe
early yet really to judge what effect
the emotionalism of women will have
when brought TO bear on the conduct
of public affairs. If their emotional
ism. however, can look upon the great
industrial problems as human prob
lens" perhaps that is just the quality
the world of politics most needs.