The Cordova daily times., 1921-03-21
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 1921
HE-GOSSlPERS.

Cartoonists, writers, the stage and otherwise the members of the fair sex are sometimes, oftentimes, pic tured as gossipers, scandal mongers, disseminators of information detri- mental to the peace and happiness jests are usually good for a laugh, but if Ketchikan is any criterion, they are not at all accurate, for it appears that much of the vicious scandal and gossip that goes the rounds, priodically, originates not with women but with men.
 Or perhaps, that statement may be in error. Possibly they are sim ply old women posing as men. At least they pursue the tactics so often cartooned as the activities of women who have passed the peak of life.
 But to get to the point. Not very long since a social affair was held in Ketchikan which has been the subject of much comment daily and hourly up to this time. It may be said by many who were present and knoW-we weren't present and don't know-tEat there was some room for criticism. But whether there was or was not justification for criticism it is a Cerainty that as time has dragged along there has been vast exaggeration of the facts, both as to the general conduct of the affair itself and of the per sonal conduct of many who attended
 The affair, everyone knows to what we refer, was conducted by an organ ization, the membership of which numbers many of Ketchikan's most respected citizens, men who would not sanction any sort of function except one which anyone might pro- perly attend. And this being the case several hundred of Ketchikan's people, men and women, good and bad, as the general run of mankind goes, did attend. They had every pro- lection of the law ill attending, or right to it, and so long as they con- ducted themselves in an orderly, law abiding mauner, they can be subject 10 Ro criticism.
 This is not intended as an attempt to justify anything that took place at the affair for which censure is due. It is not intended as a cover-up for any who may have been entitled to severe criticism. It Is merely statement of fact, leading to the aftermath
 Now, those attending having been perfectly within their rights in at tending, they cannot be subject to criticism for so doing. and especially from those who took a prominent part in the management of the af- fair. It comes from many sources that the most severe critic of the whole affair, of the personal conduct of those who attended, and of every thing but himself, comes from one who played an important part in the staging of the social function.
 Particularly has there been in cir culation some unjustifiable gossip, slanderous, unmanly and filthy, re- garding some young ladies which is subject a thousand times more to criticism and censure than any part of the social affair. It can be justi- fled in no way whatever, for the req son that it is, to use short ugly word, lie, deliberate and intended to tnjure, or possibly to clear the skirts or divert attention from one or more who might be subject to criti- cism
 Years ago it was written as the code of the north that women should be protected, right or wrong It was a pioneer code and whether that was right or wrong matters not for in this instances the ladies in question were right and therefore doubly en- titled to protection. Or If not pro- lection, at least to common decency; to have no false and malicious stories circulated about them.
 Stories circulated that such and