Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-12-09
The Haskin Letter
BY FREDERIC
HASkiN
A BLOW TO CHIVALRY.

women object to the scent of tobacco
smoke. and many feel sighted if not in
vited to help make it.
Some Individual Views.
The women do not intend to keep
their theories in the conversation stage.
| There is talk here pro and con of pub
lie declaration to settle these matters
of what is desirable in the way of court
| esy from men. 1t is in this connection
that the Woman's party is considering
bill of rights to be drafted by the national
convention of women voters when II
meets at the capital next February.
this would certainly simplify the situa-
ton for perplexed man. Before such
declaration could be made, however
there would have to be a concensus
of opinion obtained SO faA there has
been no organized attempt to find out
where the women voters stand nthe
question though there is no doubt every
woman has her own definite ideas on.
the subject
We give here three sample opinions
by women who are representative, and
we predict that the convention will have
some trouble in reconciling the differ
ent factions which will rise to show that
lifting a hat ia an act of scorn or ges-
ture of reverence.
Margaret Hatfield, who is strong be-
lever in woman's equality with man, and
who retains her maiden name, though
married. expressed the following view:
There has always been, and ! sup
pose always will be chivalry which is
founded on women being the mothers
of the race Mans willingness to carry
the heavier burden is founded on this
factua1 basis. But the chiyalry which
divides women into two classes the pro-
A1u tod Sc
intolerabe and the quicker it is done
away with, the quicker we will approach
real civilizatiou.''
Margaret Hatfield found out that hat
tipping and other ceremonies were only
skin deep in our civilization, when she
left sheltered existance to experience
the sensations of a bread winner in q
strange city. In nine weeks of the exper-
iment she held half a dozen jobs, all mis-
erably paid. and she learned that the un-
protected girl dosen't get much in the
way of disinterested gallantry from men.
She advocates that man should do away
with the outworn, bothersome. formal
tiles toward the women he regards as
worthy of his protection. In their place
she would have him adopt toward all
women the same attitude of sensible
courtesy that he uses in dealing with
men.
A Conservative viewpoint.
Mabel Boardman the first woman
commissioner of the District of Col
umbia, is opposed to the anti-chivalrs
bestowed upon women would mean
loss and not a gain" she told an aud
ience few DAYS ago. 'ChiValry adds t5
life.s values TO dispense with amen
tiles. which have become a habit, and
are i'll no sense Il burden. would be
great mistake.
Still another attitude is taken by An
Ita pollitzer. legislative secretary of the
woman s party, who said thoughtfully
when questioned:
Whether the ancient customs Of cour-
tesy from men to women continue to be
followed Is Il matter. it seems TO me. OF
the completest indifference TO women
All courtesies reflect credit upon the
person who offers them and not upon the
person to whom they are offered The
lifting of hat is a graceful act becom
ing to almost any man, and if it is omit
ted. the man alone loses.
As for men they seem to hesitate to
express their sentiments freely Most
Of them tip their hats to the street
and remove them in elevators. because
they think the women expect it. Some
privately object to the custom on the
ground that it is responsible for an
counted colds and cases Of pneumonia.
Back in 1864 Samuel Pepys wrote into
his d;ary:-''Home to bed having got
strange cold in my head by flinging
off my head at dinner and sitting with
the wind in my neck And ever since.
men have ssumbled more or less about
exposure TO drafts III the cause OF
chivalry.
Ii Margaret Hatfield and other prog
ressipes are right, men will soon be freed
of hat raising responsibilities. These
women hold that the cutom is slowly
dying out anyway. and that if enough
women denounce it, it will soon be rs
obsolete us the old-fashioned bow which
required lots of space and more time
than the modern man or woman would
care to give TO non essentials.
drink brew made from the leaves of
ha Hroyiftau Yuata rp "A guhs Itltg