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THE COURIER.
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Miss May Irwin is to take the manage
ment of the Bijou theatre in New York,
and will rechristen it the May Irwin
theatre. Amelia Bingham, with a com
pany of her own, will occupy it for a
part of each season, and "between the
two actresses, the house will be an im
portant land mark in the cause of wom
en's rights" in thea:ricle circles.
Madamo BeroBthorn, wife of the Aus
trian "charge d'affaires" at Peking, has
been given the cross of the Legion of
Honor for her heroic conduct and her
assistance to the Fiench during the
siege of the legation. Only one other
foreign woman has been thus decorated
Marie Schellenck, a Belgian woman
who disguised herself as a man and
joined Napoleon's army as a private
soldier. She became a corporal, a ser
geant, and then a lieutenant. She
served seventeen years, went through
twelve campaigns, and was eight times
wounded. Napoleon decorated her per
sonally in 1803.
Mrs. Regina Stucklen, Chief Inspec
tor of the Woman's Department of the
Barge office at New York City, is known
as "the Mother of Immigrants." John
G. Speed says of her in Ainslie's Maga
zine: "No church in the metropolis
solemnizes so many marriages as the
Barge office, and no matrimonial agent
on earth arranges so many weddings bb
Mrs. Stucklen; and beneath the majori
ty of these there is a saving portion of
romance that leavens the whole heavy
lump. Thus there are compensations
even in the most arduous tasks, and
amid surroundings repellent to a refin
ed feminine mind. With great be
nignity and signal abeence of official
fussiness, Mrs. Stucklen regards the
wants of all the women. She learns
whence each comes, whither she wishes
to go, and what she purposes to do. Of
the struggles with the great problems
of existence in all countries and in all
grades of social life Mrs. Stucklen
knows enough to fill volumes. The
Mother of the Immigrants is a woman
of strong personality, calm, firm, and
sympathetic under most trying situa
tions, and to the would-be bride, who
has arrived a stranger in a foreign land
to meet her promised husband, she is at
once counsellor, witness and friend. As
about three hundred marriages take
place annually at the Barge office, or
directly under its auspices one solemni
zation for every working day of the year
and as Mrs. Stucklen inquires into
the intimBte history of each matrimoni
al affair, she has more than an ordinary
opportunity to study this interesting
side of life. Whither they go and how
they prosper after leaving her guardian
care, the inspector has little opportuni
ty of knowing."
The committee appointed by the Chi
cago Woman's club to consider the Ruf
fin case, received in response to a re
quest made to President Rebecca Lowe,
the following communication: "Jlb an
executive, I took no action; as a mem
ber of the executive board, I can tell
you that the matter regarding the ac
ceptance of the crtdentials from Mrs.
Ruffin was laid upon the table at our
first meeting in Milwaukee, and no ef
fort afterward was strong enough to
take it off the table." Mrs. Elia W.
Peattie's minority report urged that the
clubs were founded upon social lines,
and that it was unwise to break up the
foundations. Mrs. Peattie thinks con
ventions and social customs should be
recognized. Iu the discussion which
followed, opposing opinions were strong
ly expressed, Mrs, Williams, the only
negro member, taking an aggressive
part. Mrs. Henrotin aaid that the
club ought not to tpke any action that
seemed to criticise an act of the superi
or board. Mrs. Henrotin said further
that she had seen this trouble coming
for some time. She was in favor of ad
mitting Mrs. WillianiB, but since then
Mrs. Henrotin has confessed that she
was not sure of the wisdom of that ac
tion. About the first of February the
matter will be considered again.
At the recent meeting of the New
York State Federation at Albany, the
members presented Mrs. Wm. Tod Hel
muth with a silver loving cup, eighteen
inches high and a Tiffany work of art.
It Is a massive yet graceful cup, plain,
but for the wreath o: flowers embossed
around it at the middle at the height
where the handles fasten. It rests on a
tray inscribed as follows:
Presented to Mrs. William Tod Hel
mut President of the New York State
Federation of Women's Clubs, in the
Assembly Chamber, State Capitol. Al
bany, November 1G, 190"), by the Clubs
of the organization as a testimonial of
their appreciation of her long and suc
cessful service, made so by her gentle
ness, generosity, and justice. 1897 1900
The twenty-seventh annual conven
tion of tho National Woman's Christian
Temperance Union, held at Washington,
D. C, through the first week of Decem
ber, wsb one of the most successful in
point of attendance of any previous
convention. The work of the week may
perhaps be summed up in the resolu
tions adopted, which pledged renewed
loyalty to the union, felicitations over
the victory in the exclurion of Brieham
H. Roberts from the House of Repre
sentativpp. favoring the suppression of
the liquor traffic, opposing the army
canteen, urging the enfranchisement of
women, expressing "sympathy with or
ganized labor in its just demands for a
living wa?e, an eight-hour day, the pro
hibition of child labor, and in all wise
efforts for justice and freedom;" urging
adoption of laws to secure purity in man
as well as woman,. ind protesting against
the government regulating vice in any
form in the Filipinee, instead of sup
pressing it. A delegation from the con
vention waited upon the House Com
mittee on Insular Affairs to advocate
Representative Littlefinld's bill against
the sale of liquor, opium and intoxi
cants to aboriginal tribee and native
races of the Pacific islands. One of the
sessions was devoted to services in mem
ory of members who had died during the
year. The delegates and visiting tem
perance women were given a reception
by President and Mrs. McKinley. The
election of officers resulted in preserving
intact the entire list, which therefore
still stands: President, Mrs. E. M. N.
Stevens; vice president-at-large, Anna
A. Gordon; corresponding secretary,
Mrs. Susanne M. D. Fry; recording sec
retary, Mrs. Clara C. Hoffman; assistant
recording secretary, Mrs. Frances E.
Beauchamp; treasurer, Mrs. Helen M.
Baker.
THE MEDFORD CLUB'S PROTEST.
The much discussed Medford Club
resolutions, and the letter of the cor
responding secretary to the Massachus
etts executive board are herewith re
printed in answer to requests.
November, 2.
Whereas, The Executive Board of the
General Federation of Women's Clubs,
assembled at Milwaukee in June, 1900,
refused to receive Mrs. Josephine St.
Pierre Ruffin, an accredited delegate of
the Woman's Era Club, the New Eng
land Woman's Press Association, and
also a member of the Executive Board
of the MassachusetB State Federation,
8
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Hi II DIM!
The remainder of 1901 Calendars will go
at One-Half Regular Price. We have a
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selling
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9
S Phone OS. VSTZ So. lltti St.
the reason being that she represented a
club of colored women; therefore,
Resolved, That the Medford Woman's
Club protests agaioBt such unjust and
illegal action and withdraws from the
General Fjderation.
Resolved, That a copy of these reso
lutions be sent to the Executive Board
of the General Federation, the presi
dents of the State Federation and to all
clubs in Massachusetts
To which the Massachusetts State
Federation replied as follows:
To the Medford Women's Club:
The Executive Board of the Massa
chusetts State Federation of Women's
Clubs hereby acknowledges the receipt
of the resolutions adopted by the Med
ford Women's Club, announcing its
withdrawal from the membership of the
General Federation of Women's Clubs.
As the official organ of the General
Federation in this state, the Executive
Board feels obliged to point out to the
Medford Women's Club that the reas
ons given for this action are apparently
based on a misconception of the eitua
tioo as it existed at the biennial meet
ing. Mrs. Ruffin would have been permit
ted to take her seat in the convention as
a delegate from the Massachusetts
State Federation or from the New Eog
land Woman's Press Association bad
she chosen to do so. She was urged by
the Credential Committee to take out
credentials from one of these organiza
tions, the question of color not operating
against her as an individual. The ques
tion at id8ue was the broader one of the
general policy of admitting clubs of
colored women to the membership of
the General Federation. The refusal
of the General Federation Board to con
firm the admission of the Women's Era
Club and to honor its credentials, rep
sented two convictions of one section of
this country upon this policy; and also
the desire of all sections to preset ve the
national character of our great organiza
tion. The right solution of this ques
tion is not to be reached by the with
drawal of the clubs of any section;
therefore the Executive Board of the
Massachusetts State Federation deeply
regrets the hasty action of the Medford
Women's Club, which deprives it of all
further influence in shaping the future
action of the General Federation.
Per order of the Executive Board.
EttaH Glidden,
Corresponding Secretary.
Hotel Vendome, Nov. 14.
Medford, December 12, 1900.
To the Executive Board of the Massa
chusetts State Federation of Women's
Clubs:
In reply to the letter of the Executive
Board of the Massachusetts Federation
to the Medford Women's Club, the lat
ter club begs leave to state that, while
the wording of the resolution of with
drawal which was passed by the Med
ford Women's Club may justify your
board in saying "that the reasons given
for this action are apparently based up
on a misconception," nevertheless tho
Medford Women's Club labored under
no misconception when it withdrew
form the General Federation. It con
siders its reasons for withdrawal suf
ficient; it believes them sound. At the
moment of 'passing the resolutions to
withdraw its main object was withdraw
althe wording of its resolutions was of
secondary importance. Granting that
the club failed to express itself clearly
in the wording of its resolutions, it ex
pressed itself clearly in the act or with
drawal. Stripped of all technicality, it
is a fact that Mrs. Ruffin, a colored wo
man, representing a club of colored
women belonging to the Massachusetts
State Federation, a duly accredited dele
gate from her club, was rejected by the
General Federation. If the delegate of
the Woman's Era Club had been a white
woman, representing a club of white
women, it is probably true that she
would not have been rejected. The ac
tion of the Medford Woman's Ciub may
be wise or unwise, but it acted under no
misconception of the situation.
If the president and secretary of tho
General Federation, in their letters of
welcome to and acceptance to member
ship of the Woman's Era Club, if the
treasurer, in receiving its money and
giving its delegate proper credentials, if
these officera were too hasty, and ex
ceeded their duties or privileges, the
should properly be the ones to suffer
from the effects of too "hasty action,"
and not Mrs. Ruffin. We sympathize
deeply with her, and through her we
feel the direct affront given to an ac
credited delegate to a club belonging to
the Massachusetts State Federation of
Women's Clubs, and to a member of its
Executive Board. The Medford Wom
en's Club regrets that the Massachus
etts State Federation did not withdraw
from membership in the General Fed
eration at its last biennial in conse
quence of the direct affront. But this
expression of regret is not made in a
spirit of conscious criticism any more
than was the communication from the
Executive Board to whom this is a re
ply. In this connection it is proper to
bear in mind that the State Federation
and this club are independent organiza
tions, each accounting only to itself,
each under the necessity of deciding its
own action. This club in withdrawing
from the General Federation was free
from the guilt of "hasty action." The
question of withdrawal has been under
consideration and discussion for over
two years. It has felt the yearly dues
to be excessively large, it has not ap
proved of its relation, as a single club,
to the General Federation. Moet im
portant of all, it has not been in sym
pathy with the actual results of that
organization.
Louise R. Atwood,
Corresponding Secretary.
Per order of the Executive Board.
Medford, Dec. 11.
COURIER SUBSCRIBER.
After February 28 all delinquent sucscrip
tions due January first, J90J, will be one
dollar and a half. One dollar is the cash
price. After the date specified all subscribers
delinquent two months or more on 1891
subscriptions will be charged a dollar and
a half. THE COURIER CO.