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LINCOLN NEB., SATURDAY. OUIOHER 17. I&XJ.
mUtZD IK THK POiT OITICB AT MVCOL
AS COXD-CLA83 XATTXX
PUBLISHED EVEBY 8ATUBDAT '
bt
TIE COURIER PRINTING AND POBLISHIH Gt
Offic 1132 N street, Up Stairs.
Telephone 384.
SARAH B. HARRIS Editor
Subscription Rates In Advance.
Per annum 92.00
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Three months 60
One month !0
Single copies 6
1 OBSERVATIONS t
The former editor of this paper, Mr.
W.Morton Smith, has gone to New
fork where he wiU work on The Times.
He leaves a great many friends, personal
;and journalistic, who will be glad to
know that he will contribute a weekly
letter to The Courier. Believing that
the republican party represents prin
ciples the application of which makes a
nation healthy, "wealthy and wise. The
.Courier will continue to uphold them
as zealously in the future as in the
past. "The Editor."
- The third annual meeting of the Ne
braska Federation of Woman's Clubs
met at Fremont on Thureday and Fri
day October 8th and 9th, 1896. The
president. Mrs. A. W. Field, of Lincoln
-was in the chair. About eighty-eight
delegates wero present and thirty-five
visitors. At eleven o'clock when the
'dolegates had nearly all arrived Mrs.
Field presided at a meeting of the
board of directors which is composed of
presidents of clubs or their alternates.
It was decided that all resolutions
presented to the federation must
first be approved by the committee on
resolutions to be appointed by the p"es
ident and it was voted to rec jmmend to
the executive committee, which consists
of the officers of the federation, a change
in the constitution in regard to the ad
mission of new clubs. As it stands at
present tho constitution provides that
no club can be considered a member of
the federation unless accepted by the
board of directors which meets only once
a year at the time of the meeting of the
state federation. The dues of a club are
accepted at any time although it
mjy be nearly twelve months beforo the
club can become a member of the feder
ation. The directors then adjourned.
The women assembled at 2 p. m., to
listen to a musical and literary program.
Mrs. Frawley and Miss Blanche Turner
played a duet tho first two numbers of
Beethoven's septet. They played in per
fect time and with more musical feel
ing than the conditions of a duet gen
erally allow. After very satisfactory re
ports from Miss J. S. Haskell of Stroma
burg, secretary. Mrs. Amoret Roso
man of Fremont, treasurer, Mrs. F. B.
Harrison of Fremont sang a
love song. She has a sweet
voice and dramatic feeling,
and both were much appreciated.
Western audiences have tho reputation
among actors and musicians of being
cold and unsympathetic, and unrespon
sive to the most impassioned appeals.
They might change their mind if they
could play to the federation of women's
clubs of Nebraska. Their responsive is
immediate and spontaneous.
After the president of the Fremont
women's club, Mrs. T. F. Reynolds, had
delivered a hospitable welcome to tho
federation. Mrs. A. W. Field replied
with a gracious recognition of Fremont
hospitality. Her address, which fol
lowed was a statement of the objects,
functions and benefits of federation,
with a reference to what other federa
tions are doing in the way of practical
benefit to the places they live in. For
instance in some small towns in Min
nesota the woman's club has become a
village improvement seciety. The mem
bers have planted trees, induced drink
ing fountains, discouraged the weeds
and above all created a love of neatness
in the children which prevents them
from throwing banana peels, paper or
any refuse in the street or on the side
walk. When those village boys are men
tho habit cf tidyness may keep them
from expectorating where women's
skirts are apt to be soiled by it and
overy-body's health endangered. The
effects of the village improvement so
cieties in Minnesota is apparent in
beauty and neatness where ever the
women have taken up the work. Liter
ary culture is good but social useful
ness is better, and women's clubs are
the first to accept it. Federation also
gives to the whole association the bene
fit of the best papers written during the
year by any member. 0Mrs. Field said
that she found the bitnnial meeting at
Louisville "inspiring, disappointing and
cn3oltng." The adJresses and the
SDuthern hospitality were inspiring.
Not to be able to hear all the speeches
was disappointing. The meetings were
held in ditlerent halls at the samo time
because there was no auditorium large
enough to accominodato all of ihe dele
gates and visitors. In consequence there
was an embarrassment of riches making
it difficult to decide which meeting to
attend. Another anniversary tho ses
sion will be longer, tho voices and halls
stronger so that there will be no tantal
izing necessity of missing two toirds
while listening to one-third. Mrs. Field,
in closing, recommended the federation
to make an appropriation for the presi
dent's travelling expenses during the
coming year so that she may be enabled
to visit the clubs of the state. It was
consoling to find that Ncbratka women
were as brilliant as cultured, as elo
quent as the eastern women.
Mrs. Elia W. Peattio read her report
as trea'surer of theMibrary fund.and Mrs.
G. M. Lambsrtson, who was appointed
custodian and distributor of
books read her report. The num
ber of books bought, given to the
circulating library and loaned to the
clubs of tho state. Her report also included-the
names of the books. These
reports were preceded by a few remarks
from Mrs. Keysor of Omaha, who pre
sented the offer of the art department
of the Omaha Woman's club to loan a
collection of three hundred small photo
grafs in tne name of art and frater
nity. Mrs. Frances M. Ford of Omaha,
member of the board of directors of the
general feceratiou, delivered the next
address on the "Responsibility of tho
Woman's Club Toward Public Ques
tions." She said that the woman's clubs were
a developemont and continuation of the
Soldier's Aid Society which was the
first woman's club in this country. The
Christian soldier is now represented by
his wife. In regard to politics a club
in order to retain its usefulness and
unity must de very careful, careful as
tho pulpit should be. There are certain
principles that every woman individ
ually and in club assembled should
stand for. But the various party ways
of expressing these principles should be
ignored by tho various members who
may.as individuals stand on any platform
their interest or preference may select.
For instance, as in Omaha if the school
board dismiss a teacher for political
reasons and if her withdrawal from the
teaching force seem a distinct loss to
the educational energy of the city it is
within the functions of the club to ad
dress a remonstanco to the board and to
use any further means which use is likely
to reinstate that teacher. The differ
ence between party enthusiasm and the
love of justice, truth, purity and honesty
is hard for any one to decide and es
pecially hard for women who are nat
urally more ardent partisans than men;
but upon such discrimination rests the
future of women's clubs. No woman is
a good club woman until the public
weal is above everything elao. Tho club
is no place to grind axes. And it must
not be used as a weapon to punish
political opponents, nor used as a cats
paw in any way. On the other hand
when an occasion arises in which the
influence of tho club, in the opinion of
a majority of tho members, will aid a
good cause it should bo used without
fear of tho word "cat's paw.'
The club neod not beware of politics
if politics'mean public health and public
morality. Dr. (Junsaulus in a recent
sermon on the text "Thino enemies are
disappointed by tho hand of a woman''
said that the regenerating forces love
and pity were essentially feminine
That women knew the right and that it
was her mission to make tho world
ready for it.
The Daper by Miss Shuman of No
braska City on "Significant Phases of
tho Club," is published herewith.
The Lorelei quartet, composed of Mini
Lilian Terry, Mrs. A. G. Edwards, Miss
Maud Oakley and Mrs.D. A Campbell,
sung several times before the federation.
They are getting into more perfect tune
each time they sing. Mrs. Campbell's
rare alto gives a body and depth not
often heard in a woman's quartette.
She is supported by Mrs. Edwards, and
Miss Terry's and Miss Oakley's sopranos
chord with the other two voices liko
tho treble of an instrument in perfect
tune.
The discussion. "Woman Before the
Law," was opened by Miss Vesta Gray,
a practicing lawyer in Fremont and an
alumnus of the state university. She
discussed the subject of the personal
rights of woman, with the apparent
conclusion that in Nebraska they were
the same as men's. Mrs. Elizabeth J.
Travis of the Plattsmouth Woman's
club, unravelled the tangle.which some
times becomes a snarl, of woman's prop
erty rights, and Mrs. Archibald A.
Scott, president of tho Lincoln Woman's
club, talked about woman's personal
and property rights in Nebraska. Her
paper concluded with the clever rhyme
which follows:
If jou Nebraska laws will can
You'll find they all were mails by man.
Yet, woman's taxed, yoa will admit.
Without a voice or hand in it.
Justice to all we would see done.
At least to her, tho weaker one.
Wo ask club women, in this state.
The soman's 9phere to elevate.
Knowledge is power, use it with murht ;
Teach her to know what is her right.
Help her in any way you cant
Consult with her, as man. to man.
She, too, loves the stripes and start.
And loves this noble state of our.
Let us, as women, plead this causa.
"Equality Before the Laws."
After the foregoing apotheosis of wo
man under seven different heads, Mr
O. C. Holmes Secretary of the Nebraska
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