The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-19
REMARKS ON cHIvALRY

| NGNAfAANfA0 OlN AN1IN AAsN
 The question of whether chivalry is
 dying out, again comes to the front
 through a communication from "A
 Subway Traveller" which was recently
 printed in the New York Times. Here it is for the benefit of those who havs passed through one of Gotham's
 tubes" around five p. m., and
 emerged with clothes and temper in- tact: q am beginning to think that all chivalry toward women is dying out in New York. While I do not ex- pect man to give up his seat to me when l enter a crowded car, 1 do ex- pect that when a seat is vacated or some other woman should be given preference over any men who happen to be standing. This little act of cour- tesy does not seem to hold any more. The other morning four seats were vacated in the course of a half-hour's ride and before I could take one (de- spite the fact that was the only wo- man standing) man slipped in ahead of me. The same thing happened in two instances this morning. In each case the man was under thirty-five years of age, we'll dressed and appar- ently American"
 This complaint brings to mind Mr. Dooley's query; "Why should vim men want roights whin they have privileges" Conversely, when wo- men insist upon the observance of so- called courtesies such cease to be courtesies and come within the realm of controversy, which makes it very unfortunate all around. It is prob able that a New Yorker feels that there should be some way of distin- gushing between himself and nick. Since hick is usually polite to women, it follows that in New York those who are not uniformly polite to women must be natives of that great and wicked city. Evidently, from what the lady quoted above says, there are very few non-New Workers who ride the subway.
 Nowadays, when women have rights they must stand up for them-even in street-cars. The essential difference between rights and privileges is that rights must be wrested from an un- willing opponent, whereas privileges are voluntarily extended and even thrust upon women by members of the hostile sex. It may be that some wom- en of today are not so wise as the ladies of past ages. Formerly, when there was no question of rights at all, men broke their necks and their peck etbooks trying to please their appar- ently indifferent inamoratas. Of course, that indifference was but a pose. As long as women were con, tent only with privileges, men were their willing slaves. In proportion as rights are asserted it is natural for men to become mere or less unwilling slaves. When women drop artifice for the bludgeon they sacrifice much that otherwise would have been theirs without the asking
 Still, men owe something to their own self-respect. All other things be- ing equal, no man should hasten to pre-empt seat Crp,n a woman. A gentleman will yield his seat on public vehicle to lady, unless there 4 is some special reason why he should not do so. The thought that worries most men who retain their seats while a lady stands nearby is not that the lady is perhaps tired and needs the rest more than he, but that others are noting his boorishness and are mak- ing uncomplimentary remarks about it. If he felt sure that no one was observing his selfishness, perhaps he could make up with his conscience after he got home. The true inner spirit of courtesy is rare bird. It is also a bird of passage-here today and gone tomorrow. The same man may today be genuinely courteous and tomorrow indifferent. Perhaps the surest means to compel courteous at tention is for every woman to be sur passingly beautiful. That hardly ever fails.