93

TAKES ISSUE WITH GIBBONS

Mrs. Peattie Discusses the Cardinal's Position Regarding "The New Woman."

Men Are Inferior to Women in Edurance of Pain and Resistance to Nervous Strain.

Some Plain Statements Relative to Motherhood -Attitude Be Assurred Toward the Criminal Classes.

Lat Sunday there was published in the World-Herald an interesting interview, held by a young woman reporter, with Cardinal Gibbons The subject dicussed by these two persons was "The New Woman." whatever that may mean. Apparently it means, according to his eminence and the bright young reporter, the woman who is granted by universities, who takes an intersect in chic affairs, and who believes in science as much as she does in instict.

Cardinal Gibbons has never approved of this type of woman. He has preached aginst her, and talked against her. If he is correctly reported by his interviewer-and indeed, the interview bears every evidence of being truthful-he says

"As a Catholic, I am bound to disapprove of any so-called woman movement The church-of Rome exalts womenhod in the veneration it accords the mother of Jesus Christ but in exalting woman it still has regard for the special natur of her mission in the world, which is equal to man's, though not identical with it."

His eminence-refers, very evidently, to the mammal functions of a woman, she is elevated, he appears to think, in proportion as she exercises these napoleon, be it remembered, was of the same opnion. He respected most the woman who could bear the most children. He desired to hace the women bear men in order that he might slay them. Cardinal Gibbons' resons are, no doubt, less sanguinary. But he also appears to entertain the same idea The woman he elevates about all others is distinguished because she bore a son in an unheard of sort of a way- a unique way, and one in which she set an example that no other woman has never been able to follow.

IS BUT AN INCIDENT.

It seems then, that it is not for truth, honor, industry, sobriety, intellectual development and spiritual growth that woman is honored or exalted, but merely because she can bear children Now it is natural for woman to bear children She does it as a matter of course. Sometimes she does it with joy and sometimes with sorrow, but in one way of another three-fourths of the somen of the world reprodice themselves But this in only an incdent of their lives They are reponsible for their children only secondly First come their responsibility for themselves fro their own lives, their own duties their own destiny.

The age has passed when one sees the hand of God in an epidemic. Physicians are here, scientists have labored When an epidemic arises it is fought, and frequently defared Has not the time also passed when one sees the hand of God in the indiscrimante bearing of children?

Every thoughtful philanthropist knows that it would be a blessing to humanity if the criminal and half witted were emansculated so that it would be impossible for them to repordice themselves The statistic on such matters fill one with honor Not long aog Dr. Klernan mentioned the case of one insane criminal woman in Illinois who had eighteen chldren and grandchildren, none of whom were sine or innocucus Is it possible that this is the hand of God?

Who had not seen a fretful, overworked, nervous wreck of a woman with six or eight little children tugging at her skirts none of them properly cared for all, of them rather dirty, and soomed to poverty of the sort that grinds the soul down into the muck? Is the hand of God in that?

Now long ago I was sitting in a public meidcal clininc. A dragged-out looking yong woman entered, carrying one little child, and with another tuggling at her skirts. She was ill and told her symptoms to the physician who was in charge the day.

"Madam," he said gently, but with something of amusement in his tone, is it possible that you have these chldren, and you do not know what your symptoms signify? Why did you come to me? I can give you a little medicine to ease some fo your sifferin, but you are not afflicted with a disease Your illness has natural causes"

She looked at him a moment, flushed a deep scarlet, and went wearlily out trying to hide the tears that had fathered in her eyes The students laughed after she was gone They couldn't understand that a sentence of death would have been hardly more terrible to her than that verdict It meant that with a back which was never free from pain, with a purse that never reached her needs with two little ones not yet through teething she was to go not yet through all the torments of a year's illiness and anciety with each month of growing weakness her cares would be increased No one would think of relieving her. No one would consdier her really ill Her neighbors might come in and compare pains with her They would probably never think of helping her And then would come the final agony-that clack suffering which, once ecperienced, is never forgotten, and then the dragging conalescence, very likely with complications of the most painful sort.

One often wonders if men would consider the unrestricted bearing of children such a God-ordained instutution if they had some of the suffering to bear themselves'

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

The truth of the matter is, that so inferior are men in physical endurances of pain, and in resistance to nervous strain, that they would perish under the suffering that women edure while they continue their daily work The work is not well done perhaps and the body a mere house of pain, but someway or other they live and fret

The question arises, are not two well eduacted, self-respecting, well-trained, carefully developed children of more value to the state from an economic point of view than twelve under-fed, dirty, half-educated, weak and nervouse children?

I once knew a woman who believed that it was God;s will that she should have a child every year, or, at least, every year and a half There were nine of them She was not strong She did not love her husband She was bitterly poor. The children were fine babies, and the two eldest grew to strong manhood The others, as they reached the age of puberty, developed the most astonishing weakness Every jount seemed to be disserved The arms swung helplessly back and forth. The legs would sustain the body only at times and then with the greatest difficulty. The head would lie on the shoulders. It used ot be very obvious that if the owman had cared for her health, built up her vitality, and waited a few years after breaking her first two children, she might have had a famly to be proud of. As it was, her poor hear broke with grief and shame-and it really seemed as if she had done something to be ashamed of. As for laying such misery as this to God-it would be blasphemous!

One does not deny that there are women who can bear twelve, twenty or thirty children In Italy the descendants of the Roman mattons not infrequently bear thirty children. To be sure, they cannot very well support them But in Italy one only lies in the sun and lives In America it is against the law to merely lie in the sun and live, unless one has a bank account. The only vagiants approved of here are those who draw interest on invested money Thirty children would consequently be a hositible embarrassment in America But there are women here who can best twelve children and still be strong and well. There is one very lovely and well-known Irish-American woman in this town has bone twelve children, and still is emparatively yong an happy and handsome. She evidently, is the woman made ofr the trek and, erly care fro them, she has reason to feel herself blessed

But no man would think of asking a broncho to drag the same loads a Normandy draft horse would The load is intelligently tempered to the powers of the animal. Are we not to show as much humanity and intelligency where human life concerned?

CRITICISES RELIGION

There was a time when religion was even more tryannical in its attitude toward women than now. Not only was she disgreed if she could not. A barien woman was considedered accursed, and unworthy of a man's love. As a matter of fact, behind the smiling faces of many women in this very city, who are much in society and club life because they are childless and have no duties to keep them at home lie bitter histories of disappointment of withered hopes and physical suffering. Though fitted spiritually and mentally fore mothergood the boon has been denied them. But, fortunately, science had at lest exploded the superstutiib that woman is bewitched of accursed because she cannot bear children. And men, apparently love, as a class, out grown the ideas of Napoleon and Cardinal Gibbon's and love women regardless of their abilities in that direction. They have married their wives for companionship, hoping, without doubt, for sons and daughters, but too well satisfued with the amlial assortations to fume over their disappointment and certainly too just to resent such a condition

It is also noticeable that Cardinal Gibbons fears that the higher education takes woman for religious influences His eminence has a much poorer opinion of religious than most laymen, who frankly think that the more one knows of God's world the more sincerely and reveintly religious will one be. Ignorance is not the handmaid of God.

"God had given us a heart to be formed as well as a head to be enlightened," says the cardina. That is very true But he is wrong in assuming, as he docs, that it is the uneducated woman who clutivates the hear. The New Woman, as she is ridiculously called,finds in her codege, her club, and her social intercourse, the very things that teach her how great is her responsibility to her kind. The small gossiping which used to drag the sex int object puerlility are recogonized now as hopless bad for "They stand associated with somen of the old provincial type The women who think are the somen who feel They are those who try to better the condition of their sisters by practical measures. They provide houses of refuge fro the fallen, secure physicians of their own sex for the insane, put matrons in the police stations, build college settlements in the slubs, teach good cooking and house Cleaning, put travelers aid agents at the stations to protect the unsophisticated inculcate and live up to democratic principles, ladorse and encourage legislation protecting their kind, and wage organized war agianst the vices that have for centuries corrupyed men and wrecked homes.

LIBERTY AND INDEPENDENCE

All this means, of course that woman enjoys liberty and independence American men, as a class, are not afraid of this They are proud of it and flad of it, and heaven knows that never in the history of the world were there happier homes or more devoted hysbands that here Some of these husbands are even unselfsh enough to feel proud of their wives' achievements On to put it better, they look upon these achievements as their own, seeing no division in the perfect partnership which they and the woman of thier choosing enjoy together.

One never sees a man fretting about the developent of a woman without wondering what mystery he is trying to protect, or what injustice he is endeacoring to foster.

But it is too late fro the protests It is rapidly becoming too late fro the myseteries Turn the light on Let it flood the whole world-the light of learning and liberty! If this loses any woman a man's love, his love is well lost. If it keeps children from being born, they are well in their oblivion

His eminence say that the cardinal virtues of a woman are chasity and humility It is unfromunate that it should seem to be the chief occupation of a large part of the men to destiny the first and to identify the second with servitude.

Chasity and humility! Women are chase by nature, thank God And they will be more humble when they know more than they do now-and the "New Woman" is trying to speed that day

It deso not seem odd to refer to eduacated women as new women Is human development a novelity?

Put after all it is pity rather than resentment that one should feel for Cardinal Gibbons His opportunities for knowing and enjoying the "New Woman' are so exceedinly limited

ELIA W PEATTIE

TAKES ISSUE WITH GIBBONS

Mrs. Peattie Discusses the Cardinal's Position Regarding "The New Woman."

Men Are Inferior to Women in Edurance of Pain and Resistance to Nervous Strain.

Some Plain Statements Relative to Motherhood -Attitude Be Assurred Toward the Criminal Classes.

Lat Sunday there was published in the World-Herald an interesting interview, held by a young woman reporter, with Cardinal Gibbons The subject dicussed by these two persons was "The New Woman." whatever that may mean. Apparently it means, according to his eminence and the bright young reporter, the woman who is granted by universities, who takes an intersect in chic affairs, and who believes in science as much as she does in instict.

Cardinal Gibbons has never approved of this type of woman. He has preached aginst her, and talked against her. If he is correctly reported by his interviewer-and indeed, the interview bears every evidence of being truthful-he says

"As a Catholic, I am bound to disapprove of any so-called woman movement The church-of Rome exalts womenhod in the veneration it accords the mother of Jesus Christ but in exalting woman it still has regard for the special natur of her mission in the world, which is equal to man's, though not identical with it."

His eminence-refers, very evidently, to the mammal functions of a woman, she is elevated, he appears to think, in proportion as she exercises these napoleon, be it remembered, was of the same opnion. He respected most the woman who could bear the most children. He desired to hace the women bear men in order that he might slay them. Cardinal Gibbons' resons are, no doubt, less sanguinary. But he also appears to entertain the same idea The woman he elevates about all others is distinguished because she bore a son in an unheard of sort of a way- a unique way, and one in which she set an example that no other woman has never been able to follow.

IS BUT AN INCIDENT.

It seems then, that it is not for truth, honor, industry, sobriety, intellectual development and spiritual growth that woman is honored or exalted, but merely because she can bear children Now it is natural for woman to bear children She does it as a matter of course. Sometimes she does it with joy and sometimes with sorrow, but in one way of another three-fourths of the somen of the world reprodice themselves But this in only an incdent of their lives They are reponsible for their children only secondly First come their responsibility for themselves fro their own lives, their own duties their own destiny.

The age has passed when one sees the hand of God in an epidemic. Physicians are here, scientists have labored When an epidemic arises it is fought, and frequently defared Has not the time also passed when one sees the hand of God in the indiscrimante bearing of children?

Every thoughtful philanthropist knows that it would be a blessing to humanity if the criminal and half witted were emansculated so that it would be impossible for them to repordice themselves The statistic on such matters fill one with honor Not long aog Dr. Klernan mentioned the case of one insane criminal woman in Illinois who had eighteen chldren and grandchildren, none of whom were sine or innocucus Is it possible that this is the hand of God?

Who had not seen a fretful, overworked, nervous wreck of a woman with six or eight little children tugging at her skirts none of them properly cared for all, of them rather dirty, and soomed to poverty of the sort that grinds the soul down into the muck? Is the hand of God in that?