The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-08-31
Woman 5 Rights
Anything But
Equal
BY MARGARET N. MARSHALL


A N open letter to Miss Alice Paul
IA whose national woman's right
party would elect woman's con
gressional bloc, to put through an equal
rights amendment.
Dear Miss Paul: You're perfectl
correct in your assumption that mel
. and women haven't equal rights, espec
tally In all the important matters
But how can a constitutional amend
ment affect them?w
Even if womahA bloc puts !
through.
One Of the most unequal rights w
know
Is that Of the married man to hav
his dutiful wife
Put the sleeve-links and studs il
his clean shirt every morning.
His also Is the right to tell the sam
funny story to his wife
As many times as he pleases, and t,
draw the same appreciative smile eacl
time.
If he has headaclae or a sore throat
Sor tootheache,
It's his right to emulate the well
known bear with the sore head
To gfowl at brief intervals, and t.
bite every member Of shis family.
4 At least once during the day.
When his wife has the better Of hin
lin an argument
It's his right not to admit it,
But to shut eff further discussion
with the judicial remark:
Nonsense, woman You don't know
what you're talking about I"
When he Is motoring, it's eight al
ways to know the way
Never to accept a suggestion as t.
the proper turning from any feminine
member of the party;
Although she may have travelled thu
route five times, and he never,
Who is she to challenge male infal
libility?
It's mans right to pay woman
less than he would man for doini
the same work,
And to make her do more of it.
It's his right to overindulge his chill
dren, and leave to their mother the tasi
of maintaining discipline.
When somebody has ridden" him Al
the office,
It's his right to go home and ride
the family.
Just to show that he's Man, the Mas
ter, Somewherei
It's his God-given right, above all, .
Never to pick anything up, or put
anything away
Always to leave matches, cigar ashes
bath-towels, Sunday newspapers
Where they fall
Until the nearest womSn creates order
Unequal rights. every last one Of these
But no constitutional amendment car
deprive man of tlm.
On the other hand
Women have unequal rights of their
own
The lady of the house takes as her
personal prerogative
The tenderest piece of steak, the soft
est boiled potato unless she's
dieting), the crispest bacon
The only time any man gets the best
of the food
Is when he dimes alone at his club.
1T is the right divine of any woman
To shove in, blandly, ahead of every
man in the lineup before ticket
window, or the Park Place esca'
Just id ist any lons,sutlsring male tell
her this shabby trick isn't her
And hear her tell him that hes nc
gentleman
It's wonfan's right never to carry
anything
From a spool of thread to suitcase
if there be a man within sight OF
hail whom she can turn into a
beast of burden.
The opening or closing Of windows
in the office
Is the right of the woman office work
err, unless, she can be persuaded to
temper the wind to the bald heads.
The right of espionage is one which
nearly every married woman is
prepare to defend to the death
To open her husbands letters (if he
berash enough to alloy them to
come to the house,;
To use on him her own QUESTIONABLE
for. testing honesty, every time he
wants to take a night off;
To telephone him at the office, for
no particular, reason
Except that he may hear This mas
ter's voice"
The right of censorship over her hus-
bands friends
Is another exercised by woman;
Her blue pencil works busily on the
list Of the boys who obey Toms
cordial invitation to drop in any
time"
The present and voting Congress.
sional bloc of men.
Is perfectly helpless to diminish,
abridge, abolish,
BY constitutional amendment or. other
wise,
Amy one of these rights of women.
But doesn't it, dear Miss Paul, amount
to this:
That each sex has unequal rights
And enjoys them
And would die in their defense
And, though two wrongs may not
make a right,
Don't two rights, both unequal, Fifty
fifty?
No - = $3.50