Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-20
A "Mere Man, suffraat.t.

OMAHA. Aug. 1s.-To the Editor OF
The Bee: observations of a mere man;
last Saturdays "Bee,"--a few observa-
lions in response:
Mere man." the expression sounds
hammered down by the merchandising
blows OF present-day femlnism. Man."
that used to be enough. when men were
real men and women were real women
The psychology back Of mere man"
unconsciously reveals the weak, waver-
ing and unvirile attitude some femnlsti-
cally recast men take toward grave is
sues Of social existence today.
Mrs. Gilmans a-sexual chairmanship
OF the suffrage association bears fruit.
As II man" were not sufficient! When
women feel ashamed to be women, men
may also feel 1t weakness to be men.
They sign up mere man"
A mere man" watching with glee-
the travel of the suffragists and anti
suffrsgists," Is hardly liable to be IAN
impartial and unpreJudiced observer"
Two TO one, he will be a mere joker
and issues of life playthinss to him. He
may have famous capacity for ''chort-
ling over the pictures presented to my
VISION" but light 'chortiing'' In big
problems constitutes the difference be-
tween mere man" and real man. who
takes manly and womAnly issues seri-
ousiy; serious they are.
''The mere man" seeks refuge in die
tionaries. The Standard" for definitions:
Gramercy. the method used 10 be famous
in ancient ages 70 begin an address with
. dictionary definition. Here is a proper
place for mere man to laugh again."
and assuredly at his own joke. Die
tionaries for definitions OF feminism!
Why suftragism runs at a sped that
photographers race up with about as sue
cessfully as the tortoise and the hare in
the famous Greek fable. And THE
Standard" dictionary, at that. All! IL
the daily newspapers published a fresh
daily revised dictionary 1t might have
definition OF feminism OF some worth.
For It could follow the daily growing
advance OF suffragism OF the now antique
type. into its present feministic type.
The standard" observations OF mere
man are ancieng. Read Inca Milholland,
Foia la Toilette. Mrs. Gilman. and set
definitions. They are up-to-date!
80? The anti-suffragists and their
paid leader."-;isten, she is not salaried,
fortunately does not come in for mere
mans" structures II she writes. as she
does, beautiful letters-to the papers
they are at least not salarled. Even II
she were salaried. were that an objection?
In ten thousand forms 90 service 10 social
problems salary Is given. Why not also
IN this?
Ellen Key, Margaret Deland not suffra-
gists? The mere man must be guess
ing. Read their books and see. The
gentlemen may know Margaret Deland
only by hearsay. Read her Essays. Read
| Ellen Keys numerous writings She is a
AuffrAEisL but a feministic suffragist.
She wants the ballot. but as a feminist
more. and that more IL what makes her a
| feminist she has a spiftt similar 10 her
lighter thoughtless imitAtors, Inez H'lhol-
| land. Mrs. Gilman and Foia La Toilette.
When the Sioux City gentleman dis
misses the writings OF Mrs. Belmont and
I other feminists by calling them rather
/ weak stuff rather ridiculous. he Is
partly in the right But weak stuff as
social program OF the magnitude Of
feministie suffragism and weak stuff