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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1916)
I- The Omaha ?AET THREE EDITORIAL PAGES ONE TO SIX unday PART THREE MAGAZINE PAGES ONE TO SIX I VOL. XLV NO. 37. OMAIIA, SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUAKY 27, 191G. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. V Bee L Fsk 29ft is ike leap Tfear Ky NJ "Why Not?" Re tort Most of the Women. Still They Are Careful to Ex plain that in Their Own Cases the Man Popped the Question : .: : DO YOU believe In leap year proposals: Should women propose? These two questions fired point blank at Omaha women socially elect, suf fragists and anti-suffragists, bring vary ing responses. Some laugh It off, others refuse to commit themselves, some downrlghtly pooh-pooh the Ides, while others Just as staunchly coincide In their views with the fair Ines Mllhol land Boissevaln, who admits that she had to "pop" the question three times before her husband would accept her. were not quizzed In this Instance. What would .be the use? You know what they would say for you can take It from us, unattached females have too much of Mother Eve or the sphynx or both to be drawn Into confessing what they really knew and belleTe on the subject. "I dont know, I never made one," replied Mrs. E. M. Fairfield to the first query. Mrs. Fairfield la chairman of the city central suffrage commit tee and it frequently referred to as one of the most beautiful of Omaha suffrag'st. "Bernard Shaw in his 'Man and Superman,' says they do that women pursue men and the men. poor things, are helpless to resist them. I haven't found it so in my career, however." Why Wait Till Leap Year? "If anyone has the inclination to propose, why vat until leap year any more than any other vear?' counter Queried Mrs. Draper Smith, ex- state suffrage president and well known club woman. "No, I can't conceive of a man asking a vi oman more than once to marry him, let alone a woman." "It strikes me It would be far more dignified to come right out and tell a man you loved him rather than to do the " ridiculous things some women do to attract the men. The way they dress and act can only be explained by the desire to at tract attention and thus lead up to a proposal. But it Is such a radical step In advance of anything reretofore," remarked Mrs. George Covell, suf fragist and temperance lecturer. "I wonder if he was worth it," she continued, In commenting on Mrs. Bolsaevaln's three-fold proposal. Some women would be better off If the men dldnt pro pose to them either." Mrs. II. C. Sumney, another prominent suf fragist who Is busily at work heading the antl splt campaign launched here recently, refused to be quoted on the burning Issue of the day. "Oh, such rotl" she exclaimed. "Anyway, I am engaged In higher pursuits. I am looking down, not up. My gaze is on the sidewalk only. I cant even be a suffragist now, I'm so busy on this cam- VTgn." Would First Give the Man a Chance Mrs. E. M. Syfert, president of the Omaha Woman's club, turned from the telephone and asked her husband: "Were we married In leap year, dear?" before she would commit herself. On receiving a negative reply, "I think I would wait for the man to propose," said she. "At any rate, I nmiHn't have the co urate to propose three times to a man. If he didn't know the first time whether be cared or not, I wouldn't ask him again. I can't Imagine a woman who would want to keep com pany with a man who was too bashful to pro pose." "I wasn't married or engaged In leap year either. Let the man do it." vouchsafed Mrs. Wil liam Archibald Smith, secretary of the Nebraska Anti-Suffrage society and regent of one of the chapters of the Daughters of the American Revo lution. "I don't believe in these advanced notions and usurping man's prerogatives. Women are not Justified In assuming men's places." "I certainly do not believe in leap year pro posals. I believe women should be sought after r!dd!v." was the emphatic declaration of Mrs. m F Crofnot an antl-suffraglst and enthusiastic riembr of the Tuesday Morning Musical clul. Prefers Oood Old-Fashioned Wooing Mr. Helen Ai''n Lewis avprred fhe was too much of an anti .uffragiut to countenance a woman's proposing. "I believe In the good, old fashioned wooing. Women should be wooed ahd should not even put themselves in position to be asked. Most any young man can overcome his bashfulness under the circumstances, I believe. Lota of bashful young men have gotten married, J notice." Mrs. Charles T. Kountze, Omaha's recognised social leader, laughingly evaded the queries. "It's o long since I thought about It, I wouldn't' say. Really, I haven't an Idea on this subject" Mrs. Howard Baldrlge, another of Omaha's beautiful women and active In all social affaire, also persistently evaded the quizzing. "I've been married so ions. Ask the women who have the right to ask men," she laughed. "Isn't this a per fectly delightful day, and oh, yes, do you know about that perfectly delightful visitor who is at the FontenelleT" and she lead the conversation Into other channels less committal. "Why should a woman be barred from show ing her admiration simply because she Is a woman and he Is a man?" asked Mrs. Ualleck Rose, prom inent In the Omaha Society of Fine Arts and also strong for suffrage. "I see no reason except cus tom which should make women resign their lives to fate. At that, the state may some day step In More Common Sense Needed in the Home Too Many Good and Brilliant Women Lack Judgment in Dealing with Husbands' Desire for Variety in Life, Says Ella Wheeler Wilcox IT Is easy for many women to be brilliant, and It is easy for others to be good. But it seems the most difficult thing In the world for a woman to be sensible. Genins and virtue are everywhere, but we search for common sense. Woman Is called a composite creature, but man Is tenfold more com posite. When a man has had the whole world cater ing to everything In his make-up except his love of virtue be is not to be made abidingly happy with nothing but that quality satisfied. He cannot suddenly and permanently change his whole mental structure. Be satisfied, then. If your husband gives up the liberties and vices which tlie world allows a bachelor, but do not ask him to relinquish the courtesies and recreations which are every man's privilege. Drive suspicion from your door and Install con fidence in its place. Cultivate self-esteem and self confidence, and think, act, talk and live so sweetly and lovingly that rivalry is impossible. Make the new life a holiday, not a term of Im prisonment. A very good woman who has no human weakness in her nature is sometimes the devil's tool to drive men to drink- Every now and then a world-weary and folly-weary man marries an Innocent, unworldly and "good" woman. He wants the sweet home 1'fe be had not In the paths of pleasure nor In the byways of license. He wants the unmercenary devotion of a loving woman, and he wants to walk forth in the broad light of day, unaiiuait-d, with his wife by his side. By Ella Wheeler Wilcox It Is the Inevitable goal of every worth-while man. The world approves of such marriages, and the woman feels that she Is Tilling the highest mis sion of her sex in reclaiming a lost sheep. But how few such women know the wise middle course to walk with such a man. It Is all very well to listen when he tells you he Is happier than be has ever been in his life before, and that his home Is dearer to blm than any club on earth, but It Is far from well If you fall upon his neck and weep the first time he Intimates that he would like to drop In at the club and talk with the old chums for an hour. This Is the poorest method you could adopt to convince him of the greater Joys of home. There Is a certain fascination In a club to most men. There is danger In this fascination to some men. When a man sickens of it and wants a home It Is because he has had nothing but his dub, and be cause there Is a worthy element In his nature which calls for something better. The fact that he should want to visit the old scene now and then Is not an Indication that he Is sick of home or that he is wandering from the fold again. If the pasture Is sweet and the shepherdess kind and wise the sheep will not wander far. If you have married a man who has been over fond of the fair sex, and If he Is kind and true and loving, do not stand forever upon the alert, lest he become disloyal to you. Constant surveillance never kept a man true. It has made many a man unfalthfuL Although your husband may have told you over and over that you are tenfold more pleasing- to him than any woman he ever knew before he met you, that does not signify that he might not like to sit by some other at a cotillon. It does not signify that he would not enjoy talking with others whom be regards less highly than you. In the association with the women he does not love a man often most appreciates the woman he does love. Should he take a seat by some other woman and converse with her in your presence, do not act sulky, distrait or injured. That only makes you ridiculous and unlovable. Although your Innocence and unworldllness won your husband from the paths of folly, those qualities will not keep him at your side unless you mingle common sense and tact with them. Absolute loyalty, absolute morality, absolute honor and cleanliness of life every woman has the right to ask cf her husband. But to make him a willing captive should be woman's art, not to make him a life prisoner and the home a reformatory and the wife a suspicious warden, always imagin ing that the prisoner Is planning escape. The good wife must possess other qualities be sides goodnesn to make her marriage with a mere man successful. Common sense and tact must be two strands of the rope to make it strong enough to act as an anchor for the domestic ship. The too good wife relies wholly upon one strand and the ship breaks anchor. toovrrtt. iti4 ear av) Champions of Woman's Right to Propose Claim that Right for Her Not Only During Leap Year but Any Old Time and All the Time and settle the affairs of the heart for both men and women by granting or refusing them the license to 'wed, and," she continued, "the social conventions which decree that a woman, surrender the prerogative of proposing marriage to a man and await supinely the event of being wooed and won, are Incidents of the Inferior and dependent social position she has occupied In the past. Leg islation In America has removed many of her dis abilities, but social traditions to far dominate present customs as to leave the prerogative of proposing where It has always rested: 8 long as the wife Is regarded as a dependant and her main tenance Is looked upon as a sort of burden upon the bounty of her husband. It will doubtless be thought more seemly and modestly to yield this privilege, to the dispenser of the bounty. Viewed In that light, a modest, single woman will hesitate to make a proposal that Implies the solicitation of a man's ' bounty. A position of social equality would bring a woman's proposal within the pro prieties. The freakish disregard of societ con ventions during leap year aeems, however, aside from the point and not in furtherance ot any con sistent course of evolution." Girl Can Help the Man to Pop "I see no reason on earth why if woman wants to propose, she shouldn't do It In leap year or any other year. Most any girl can bring about a proposal and most of them succeed, with the as sistance of their mothers. In making It dead easy for a man to propose. Lots of girls are brought up with that end In view,; was the frank admission ot Mrs. F. II. Cole. Mrs. Cole's father, however, she says, brought her up on the doctrine that "He wfro giveth his daughter In marriage doeth well, but be who gives not his daughter in marriage, doeth better." Mrs. Cole Is a civil service reform advo cate and heads that department of the General Federation of Women's clubs. Mrs. George Prlns, earnest art and literature student and exceedingly popular in social circles, was deeply engrossed in some thoroughly "high brow" subject when the question was broached and she had to come back to this terrestrial sphere and mundane subjects. "It shouldn't be done. I believe In the old-fashioned notion that a man l'.kes to pursue and the woman likes to be pur sued," she averred. Dinner Table Debate of the Question That evening Mrs. Prlns threw a oonversa tlonal bomb Into a perfectly proper dinner party by appealing to the other dinner guests oa the subject. "My! Wouldn't It be great," exclaimed one of the dinner guests, an interesting widower. "The msn would bate it!" differed a bachelor. One of the matrons at the table thought it pathetic thst there were so many old maids, splen did women, who would be happily married per chance had they exercised the right of choice with men whom they admired. "Still I wouldn't advise them to ask the man because, after all, women like the Idea of having the man ask them to share wedded bliss." Another man, still clingtng to single blessed ness, Insisted that the privilege of proposing be longed solely to men. It Is whispered that a num ber of like bachelors suffer In Imminent fear ot losing their Independence were women to take it into their pretty heads to propose. One matron said she was so surprised when her husband proposed to , her, she couldn't have been more astounded if a perfect stranger had popped the question. However, she confessed, she had had her eye on him all the time and thought she would be tempted to propose If there were any danger of his getting away from her. A "mere man" with whom the subject was dis cussed, threw up his hands In dismay. " 'Should women propose?' By all means, if they want to! If they want to vote, let 'em vote. If they want to propose, let 'em propose. The dear things will have the&r own way anyway," quotk bt