the americanization of edward bok-第56章

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　his　attitude　and　advising　him　by　resolutions；　which　were　enclosed；　that　unless　he　ceased　his　attacks；　the　members　of　the　　Woman's　Club　had　resolved　〃to　unitedly　and　unanimously　boycott　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　and　had　already　put　the　plan　into　effect　with　the　current　issue。〃

Bok　immediately　engaged　counsel　in　the　city　where　the　club　was　situated；　and　instructed　his　lawyer　to　begin　proceedings；　for　violation　of　the　Sherman　Act；　against　the　president　and　the　secretary　of　the　club；　and　three　other　members；　counsel　to　take　particular　pains　to　choose；　if　possible；　the　wives　of　three　lawyers。

Within　forty…eight　hours　Bok　heard　from　the　husbands　of　the　five　wives；　who　pointed　out　to　him　that　the　women　had　acted　in　entire　ignorance　of　the　law；　and　suggested　a　reconsideration　of　his　action。　Bok　replied　by　quoting　from　the　petition　which　set　forth　that　it　was　signed　〃by　the　most　intelligent　women　of　　who　were　thoroughly　versed　in　civic　and　national　affairs〃；　and　if　this　were　true；　Bok　argued；　it　naturally　followed　that　they　must　have　been　cognizant　of　a　legislative　measure　so　well　known　and　so　widely　discussed　as　the　Sherman　Act。　He　was　basing　his　action；　he　said；　merely　on　their　declaration。

Bok　could　easily　picture　to　himself　the　chagrin　and　wrath　of　the　women；　with　the　husbands　laughing　up　their　sleeves　at　the　turn　of　affairs。　〃My　wife　never　could　see　the　humor　in　the　situation；〃　said　one　of　these　husbands　to　Bok；　when　he　met　him　years　later。　Bok　capitulated；　and　then　apparently　with　great　reluctance；　only　when　the　club　sent　him　an　official　withdrawal　of　the　protest　and　an　apology　for　〃its　ill…considered　action。〃　It　was　years　after　that　one　of　the　members　of　the　club；　upon　meeting　Bok；　said　to　him：　〃Your　action　did　not　increase　the　club's　love　for　you；　but　you　taught　it　a　much…needed　lesson　which　it　never　forgot。〃

Up　to　this　time；　Bok　had　purposely　been　destructive　in　his　criticism。　Now；　he　pointed　out　a　constructive　plan　whereby　the　woman's　club　could　make　itself　a　power　in　every　community。　He　advocated　less　of　the　cultural　and　more　of　the　civic　interest；　and　urged　that　the　clubs　study　the　numerous　questions　dealing　with　the　life　of　their　communities。　This　seems　strange；　in　view　of　the　enormous　amount　of　civic　work　done　by　women's　clubs　to…day。　But　at　that　time；　when　the　woman's　club　movement　was　unformed；　these　civic　matters　found　but　a　small　part　in　the　majority　of　programmes；　in　a　number　of　cases　none　at　all。

Of　course；　the　clubs　refused　to　accept　or　even　to　consider　his　suggestions；　they　were　quite　competent　to　decide　for　themselves　the　particular　subjects　for　their　meetings；　they　argued；　they　did　not　care　to　be　tutored　or　guided；　particularly　by　Bok。　They　were　much　too　angry　with　him　even　to　admit　that　his　suggestions　were　practical　and　in　order。　But　he　knew；　of　course；　that　they　would　adopt　them　of　their　own　volitionunder　cover；　perhaps；　but　that　made　no　difference；　so　long　as　the　end　was　accomplished。　One　club　after　another；　during　the　following　years；　changed　its　programme；　and　soon　the　supposed　cultural　interest　had　yielded　first　place　to　the　needful　civic　questions。

For　years；　however；　the　club…women　of　America　did　not　forgive　Bok。　They　refused　to　buy　or　countenance　his　magazine；　and　periodically　they　attacked　it　or　made　light　of　it。　But　he　knew　he　had　made　his　point；　and　was　content　to　leave　it　to　time　to　heal　the　wounds。　This　came　years　afterward；　when　Mrs。　Pennypacker　became　president　of　the　General　Federation　of　Women's　Clubs　and　Mrs。　Rudolph　Blankenburg；　vice…president。

Those　two　far…seeing　women　and　Bok　arranged　that　an　official　department　of　the　Federation　should　find　a　place　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　with　Mrs。　Pennypacker　as　editor　and　Mrs。　Blankenburg；　who　lived　in　Philadelphia；　as　the　resident　consulting　editor。　The　idea　was　arranged　agreeably　to　all　three；　the　Federation　officially　endorsed　its　president's　suggestion；　and　for　several　years　the　department　was　one　of　the　most　successful　in　the　magazine。

The　breach　had　been　healed；　two　powerful　forces　were　working　together；　as　they　should；　for　the　mutual　good　of　the　American　woman。　No　relations　could　have　been　pleasanter　than　those　between　the　editor…in…chief　of　the　magazine　and　the　two　departmental　editors。　The　report　was　purposely　set　afloat　that　Bok　had　withdrawn　from　his　position　of　antagonism　（？）　toward　women's　clubs；　and　this　gave　great　satisfaction　to　thousands　of　women　club…members　and　made　everybody　happy！

At　this　time　the　question　of　suffrage　for　women　was　fast　becoming　a　prominent　issue；　and　naturally　Bok　was　asked　to　take　a　stand　on　the　question　in　his　magazine。　No　man　sat　at　a　larger　gateway　to　learn　the　sentiments　of　numbers　of　women　on　any　subject。　He　read　his　vast　correspondence　carefully。　He　consulted　women　of　every　grade　of　intelligence　and　in　every　station　in　life。　Then　he　caused　a　straw…vote　to　be　taken　among　a　selected　list　of　thousands　of　his　subscribers　in　large　cities　and　in　small　towns。　The　result　of　all　these　inquiries　was　most　emphatic　and　clear：　by　far　the　overwhelming　majority　of　the　women　approached　either　were　opposed　to　the　ballot　or　were　indifferent　to　it。　Those　who　desired　to　try　the　experiment　were　negligible　in　number。　So　far　as　the　sentiment　of　any　wide　public　can　be　secured　on　any　given　topic；　this　seemed　to　be　the　dominant　opinion。

Bok　then　instituted　a　systematic　investigation　of　conditions　in　those　states　where　women　had　voted　for　years；　but　he　could　not　see；　from　a　thoughtful　study　of　his　investigations；　that　much　had　been　accomplished。　The　results　certainly　did　not　measure　up　to　the　prophecies　constantly　advanced　by　the　advocates　of　a　nation…wide　equal　suffrage。

The　editor　now　carefully　looked　into　the　speeches　of　the　suffragists；　examined　the　platform　of　the　National　body　in　favor　of　woman　suffrage；　and　talked　at　length　with　such　leaders　in　the　movement　as　Susan　B。　Anthony；　Julia　Ward　Howe；　Anna　Howard　Shaw；　and　Jane　Addams。

All　this　time　Bok　had　kept　his　own　mind　open。　He　was　ready　to　have　the　magazine；　for　whose　editorial　policy　he　was　responsible；　advocate　that　side　of　the　issue　which　seemed　for　the　best　interests　of　the　American　woman。

The　arguments　that　a　woman　should　not　have　a　vote　because　she　was　a　woman；　that　it　would　interfere　with　her　work　in　the　home；　that　it　would　make　her　more　masculine；　that　it　would　take　her　out　of　her　own　home；　that　it　was　a　blow　at　domesticity　and　an　actual　menace　to　the　home　life　of　Americathese　did　not　weight　with　him。　There　was　only　one　question　for　him　to　settle：　Was　the　ballot　something　which；　in　its　demonstrated　value　or　in　its　potentiality；　would　serve　the　best　interests　of　American　womanhood？

After　all　his　investigations　of　both　sides　of　the　question；　Bok　decided　upon　a　negative　answer。　He　felt　that　American　women　were　not　ready　to　exercise　the　privilege　intelligently　and　that　their　mental　attitude　was　against　it。

Forthwith　he　said　so　in　his　magazine。　And　the　storm　broke。　The　denunciations　brought　down　upon　him　by　his　attitude　toward　woman's　clubs　was　as　nothing　compared　to　what　was　now　let　loose。　The　attacks　were　bitter。　His　arguments　were　ignored；　and　the　suffragists　evidently　decided　to　concentrate　their　criticisms　upon　the　youthful　years　of　the　editor。　They　regarded　this　as　a　most　vulnerable　point　of　attack；　and　reams　of　paper　were　used　to　prove　that　the　opinion　of　a　man　so　young　in　years　and　so　necessarily　unformed　in　his　judgment　was　of　no　value。

Unfortunately；　the　suffragists　did　not　know；　when　they　advanced　this　argument；　that　it　would　be　overthrown　by　the　endorsement　of　Bok's　point　of　view　by　such　men　and　women　of　years　and　ripe　judgment　as　Doctor　Eliot；　then　president　of　Harvard　University；　former　President　Cleveland；　Lyman　Abbott；　Margaret　Deland；　and　others。　When　articles　by　these　opponents　to　suffrage　appeared；　the　argument　of　youth　hardly　held　good；　and　the　attacks　of　the　suffragists　were　quickly　shifted　to　the　ground　of　〃narrow…mindedness　and　old…fashioned　fogyism。〃

The　article　by　former　President　Cleveland　particularly　stirred　the　ire　of　the　attacking　suffragists；　and　Miss　Anthony　hurled　a　broadside　at　the　former　President　in　a　newspaper　interview。　Unfortunately　for　her　best　judgment；　and　the　strength　of　her　argument；