The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-14
Herr Fridstein Rebukes Topeka
CitiZenesS Ideas.
HE ISN'T MARRIED EITHER
Military Visitor Says He Hasn't
Endurance Ability.
Thus the Modest Violet Lets
Female Voters Down.
cBY BERTHA HENIPsTEAD.)

The women of Topeka are being set
by the ears by the doctrines of one
Herr F'ridstein who has swooped down
upon our fair state from somewhere
east of the Mississippi to stampede old
Kansas into an endorsement of the
policy of compulsory military train
ing It is not so much the policy OF
mHitarism that this foreign sounding
person advocates, as it is his gallant
opinion of women in general with
which the citizenesses Of this state are
so highly pleased Three OF the
emancipated women of Topeka sat at
the same able with him yesterday at
luncheon at a downtown hotel His
lecture began a few minutes after they
took a seat a the table and continued
without interruption turnout the meal.
1t is worth a dollar of any lecturers
money 70 have a patient and good
tempered audience for so long a time,
but the three women did not collect.
But to the lecture
1t began, of course. with Herr Frid-
STEMS introduction of himself as an
advocate of compulsory military edu
cation. One of the women dared to
advance a contrary opinion She was
told that all the people of America
of any consequence were in favor OF
IL except a few cowardly pacifists
and they were not of sufficient i'm
other of the diners inquired of him
if he had asked the women about what
they thought:
women Can't Think
We don't care. he said. what
the women think about it Women
are incapable of any independent
thinking They never did and never
will take any vital place in the worlds
work I have studied this question
under one of the most eminent au
thorities in the country and he has
worked it out logically that women
are inately inferior to men. The men
always have conducted the affairs of
this world, and theyvalways will. There
are a few unusual cases of women
who have done exceptional things in
the world. but they are very few and
do not affect the general rule. Peo-
pie say that men have kept women
in inferior places. I say that they
have always held just the place they
were capable of filling Their environ
ment has not restricted them
The women are made to be erna
ments of society. The men are the
groundwork. the foundation and the
structure-the women are the trim
nnings"
He Isn't Married.
I should judge" ventured one of
the women. that you do not have
wife"
men from Chicago, or whatever center
of culture and good breeding he repre-
sents. II have never yet seen a woman
l thought 1 could endure for the rest
of my life When l do I'll marry her
No" he went on we don't care
what the women Think. except in that
they are related to the men who do
the fighting l have the endorsement
of the chancellor of the state univer-
sity and of the governor of this state.
Now I know what I am talking about.
1 think l may claim to be a fairly well
educated man. / am a graduate of
West Point and of the Chicago uni
versity. two of the best schools in the
country. l am not doing this work for
a living he modestly continued.
Fortunately, l have enough wealth to
enable me TO engage in the work that
interests me. I have the rank of lieu
I have had the honor of converting to
my views a lifelong pacifist, on a re-
cent railway journey. Women base
their conclusions on sentiment and
men base theirs on logic I look at
things from purely materialistic
point of view. and man is essentially
the same creature that he was when
he first issued from the low stages of
barbarism."
Thus did this first modest violet of
the spring place three women firmly
and permanently in their proper
sphere They understand now chat
they are ornaments. tho their mirrors
had not revealed that fact to them
All the women of Kansas NAV re-
joice in their beauty; for they now
are told on authority that admits of
no dispute that they are the trim
mings" the gold lace and the brindIe
fringe