The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-08
DOROTHY DIX TALKS
BY DOROTHY DIX
Worlds Highest Paid Woman Writer
Girls and Conyentions.-2.

The consensus of the experience OF
the world has shown that young girls
need to be protected. They have not
the experience of life to know how to
take care of themselves. They are
emotional. They are romantic. They
are full of the fluttering wings of half
awakened sensibilities. They are cred
ulous and too trusting. They are
prone to let their hearts run away
with their heads. and SO convention
has instituted the ckaperon, and de-
creed that the young girl must not
wander far afield without some older
woman to watch over her, guard her
and protect her against the wolves
that lie in wait for just such lambs
as she.
Also, experience has shown that
while many men are honorable and
trustworthy in all their dealings with
women, there are likewise many other
men who consider that any woman is
fair game, and that it IS up to the
woman herself to protect herself
against them. That is why conven-
ton has laid down the laws that Fegu-
late the social intercourse of the sexes
and why no woman may visit a mans
rooms without being suspected of hav-
ing voluntarily walked into the lions
den, and being willing to take the con-
sequences.
OF course the woman may be inno-
cent anu Tie Ian may Dc SullIleSS,
but society frowns upon them because
they knew the rules and deliberately
broke them.
Many girls think that it shows that
they are clever and independent when
they defy the conventions. 1t only
calls attention to. their lack of common
sense and good judgment, for they
find themselves with smudged reputa-
tions, pushed into a class where they
do not really belong. They are poor
bunglers who fall between the stools
of propriety and license. for they have
to pay the piper without every hav-
ing danced. They get the name with
out ever having played the game.
Such girls think that they can go
off on weekend excursions with men
with irnpunity because they know that
they and the men sustain an honorable
relationship towards each other. They
think there is no harm in their JOY
riding with married men, because the
| men were just lonesome when their
wives were away from home. They
| think they can be seen drinking with
men in sporty places, because they
know just how many glasses 1t is safe
to take.
: But they can't, because society has
decreed that these are things that nice
| p1 operly brought up girls may not do
and the girls that do them simply
| line themselves up with the sort OF
women. whose name gossip rolls ir
the mouth. and men do not feel they
have to be on their good behavior with
| them.
A girl of this type had man ar.
rested for insulting her not long ago
The judge, before whom the man was
arraigned,H looked her oyer-at the
too short skirt, the too low and toe
| thin blouse she wore, at her painted
face and cigarette stained fingers, and
dismissed the case against the man.
II don't wonder at the mans mis-
take said the judge. IF a woman
wants to be treated with respect, she
should look and act'like a respectable
| woman"
And there you are, girls. That /.
| the whole case in q nutshell. If you
are innocent, you must act innocently
| You must not do questionable things
or put yourself. in a false position. L
| isn't enough to be good. You mus
be discreet.
There is a cynical modern proverl
that is full of worldly wisdom It Il
this: If you can't be good, be careful
This means many things, among then
is that you can ruin your good nam,
just as quickly by inprudence as 20,
can by wrong doing.
And never forget this, girls. tina
when you defy the conventions and
get talked about, you have no re
course, no way to justify Yourself
Mrs. Grundy never argues matter
with her victims. She simply turn
her thumbs down, and their doom il
sealed