New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-25
"A LOVERS QUARREL"
&C. K. C.'s" Views on Feminism
Denounced as Rank Sentimentality.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

20 the Editor OF Inc lIiDults
Sir: "A lovers quarrel"-that is Mr.
Chesterton's term for one of the most sordid
and ignoble chapters Of human history, the
age-long struggle of women for human rights
in face Of the blind, instructive, dog-in-the'
manger opposition of men.
One must be either an inveterate optimist
or a drooling sentimentalist TO use so pleas
ant an analogy in this relation, especially II
one knows the ugly facts of that history.
The basis of lovers quarrel is usually
misunderstanding arising from the fact that
language started so much later than emotion
that it has not yet caught up with It, The
basis of woman's quarrel with man Is the
brutal law that the physically strong seek
to Cypress and thwart the weak. Says Ches.
terton: 1.-The quarrel between the rich and
the poor may be settled. The quarrel be-
tween man and woman can never be settled,
for it is a lovers quarrel" The tinkle-tnkle
cleverness of this analogy cannot hide It's
absurdity, for the very essence OF lovers
quarrel is that it is settled, and settled
quickly. And so the awful thought, unbid'
den, arises within US: Can it be that all the
cleverness of our paradoxcal Mr.. Chesterton
is due to false analogy and lazy senti-
mentalism?
For lazy is none too strong word 70 apply
to man who sets up and bowls over the OLD
straw man argument that Suffrage will not
bring the millennium" and thinks he has
disposed of the suffrage question; who e.
ats his own petty personal preJudlce'
against innovation and thinks he Is reason
ing; who is so befuddled by charges Of elee,
ton frauds that he considers voting itself o.
no value to any one, since "the machine WIZ
win anyhow; who is so tired and disn-
lusioned that, ostrich-like, he buries MS
moral torpitude in "cleverness" and expee"
to be passed unnoticed.
Creep into thy narrow bed
Creep, and let no more be said.
Vain thy onsetl All stands fast.
Thou myself must break at last.
Let the long contention ceasel
Geese are swans and swans are geese
Let them have it how they will!
Thou art tired: best be still.
Mr.. Chesterton is tired, so tired, in iac''
that he finds all effort, political, moral OF
mental, too exhaustng, so he sinks pae,
with a sigh into the slough of despond ana
pretty sentimentalism. For it Is pretty "
and COLLINS; it is still prettier 10 speak OF
"the epic of the washing day. but why stop
there with our sentimentalsm? Why not ~
on and speak Of the "glory Of the baIIo'
box" "the priceless boon of loving man T"
noble womanhood," etc, etc? But, no, Che,'
terton is q conservative even in sentimental
ism; only the past is lovely enough 70 o.
serve his garlands Of pretty epithets' DIV
sides. il is so much easier TO wax poetle o'''
the good old things of the past-the ktehe"
wash day and that glorious sentiment -
our grandfather, "woman's place IS IN .i'
home" There are no time honored simnss
for the ballot box; we should have 10 MAJ
new ones, and that involves thought anS
thought Is so fatiguing to the spritualIy oiu.
Mr.. Chesterton's cleverness Is eNceeons"
depressing: it is the phosphorescenee VI
decadent spirit Politicians are eotIup.
humbugs, so let's sit back and laugh al w
foolish antics of fanatics who try to impiV'.
matters; democracy is a failure, so lets nv
seek 20 find a reason nor apply any remeOn
for what's the use? THE machine VIII w."
anyhow" Finally, don't let's think los"
80 brutal" facts are so horrid; ~ Is
much nicer to close our eyes and cream
the glorious day when once more the spirit "a
sentimentalism shall rule the minus o.
hearts of men, and the kitchen be is'is
land, wash day an epic and all wome" ~
mestics. W. f. MUNR0E, NJ D.
Brooklyn, Aug. Is, 1915.