THE COURIER.
heading bis energies eitber to help
King or to binder him but it was
Uways King that was under discus
sion Men who had been
considered exactly honest and excep
tionally intelligent were rallying
with King, whose campaign was evi
dently a network of intrigue, and
many of whose henchmen were brand
ed as venal and notoriously corrupt.
. . . King looked like the fore
man of a ditch gang in Sunday tog
gery." King inquires of Myton, the hero
of the story, if be has "lit yet," mean
ing, of course, if he has decided to
which candidate he will give his sup
port. "For King as chairman of the
State Central Committee, Myton had
the utmost respect. For King, if he
had chosen to become warden of the
state penitentiary. Myton would have
worked with etlicient enthusiasm.
But for King in the United States'
senate, Myton felt an irritating moral
revulsion which he could not define,
and which was put in the shadow by
the disquieting sense that it would be
impracticable to an important degree
to make an enemy of King. King
needs the 'Ladies' Auxiliary' and
offers to make Myton a congressman
if in return he will convince the com
position of the Ladies' Auxiliary that
he, King is impeccable. Myton told
the -alumni' that King was a good
fellow and a friend of his but no more
tit to represent that state in the
ssnate 'than Captain Kidd is to act
as recording angel'."
"The effect of Myton's rebuff of
King was not perceptible on the sur
face. Yet King felt that Myton had
hurt him. A political boss is a hyp
notist. He holds his power by a con
stant repetition, in a thousand ways,
of the declaration that his power
exists. Every denial of this direct
suggestion weakens his influence.
Sam King was not a psychologist; but
he knew human nature which a
mounts to the same thing in the long
ran. He ielt in his bones that My
ton's action would cripple him. He
knew instinctivelv, that if one man
could rebuke him publicly, others
might cease to fear him. That night
tlie rumor gained some corridor cre
dence that King had lost two votes
whose they were the rumor did not
specify. The rumor was really the
premonitory sign of the decay of
King's prestige. A man had insulted
the bass-wood joss. The man still
lived. Was the joss a joss, or only a
basswood image? Thus worked the
logic of the crowd in the hotel lobby."
O0000O0MMO0OOOOOC000000OO
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Several of the Nebraska clubs have
sent copies of their year books to this
office. We would be glad to receive year
books from the other clubs in the state.
New ideas of value to each club may be
gained from familiarity with the work
of other clubs, and for this reason we
would be pleased to print in this depart
ment an outline of the season's work of
every club in the state federation.
President's Address.
In the history of the Nebraska Fed
eration of Women's Clubs this is the
beventh chapter, and to me is given the
privilege of enumerating the distinctive
features which have marked this year's
administration, and, might I add, a few
stray suggestions for the future
The leaflet sentach club last March
contained the same hopes and ambitions.
Tbe Courier's EaBter edition reiterated
them, but eucb is tbe faith within me,
I am pleased once more to have the op
portunity of presenting thsm to you.
For the benefit of the many clubs that
have since entered our fold, you will
pardoQ a little retrospection. Seven
years ago this coming December the
Omaha Woman's club, through the
state chairman of correspondence,
issued invitations to every club then ex
isting in the state to attend the conven
tion to be held in Omaha for the pur
pose of organizing a state federation to
b3 auxiliary to the general federation.
Thirty-six delegates, representing as
many clubs, responded. At this meet
ing a letter urging a federation was read
from Mrs. Henrotin. An encouraging
talk was given by Mrs. Scammon, pres
ident of the Kansas and Missouri feder
ation. After listening to three ad
dresses. "State Fedeiation as an Educa
tional Factor," "The Moral Utility of
Federation." "Benefit of Federation to
Isolated Clubs;" the enthusiasm could
no longer he restrained the motion
prevailed "that we proaeed to organize."
Ten clubs became charter members.
Our year look furnishes the names of
the officers elected, as well as those of
each succeeding year, who have assisted
in IayiDg the substantial foundation
upon which we now are building. The
records of the intervening years show a
gradual advancement, until now we find
ourselves requiring the services of eight
standing and four special committees.
Taere is yet a much-needed civic section
for the purpose of improving and beau
tifying our towns, and for the purpose
of public sanitation and municipal legis
lation, to improve the physical and
moral condition of the community. All
committees are now prepared to report;
you may judge of their activity.
..Io anticipating the report of the spe
cial library committee which you autho
rized at your last meeting, I would say
that the Nebraska club women have
reason to feel exultant, not alone over
their successes, that their introduction
to legislation was in the interest of two
such magnificent measures as the trav
eling library and compulsory education
bills. But thirty school days have
elapsed since the latter went into effect,
and already we are hearing of its bene
ficial results. Our work on the new
school law is by no means completed.
We can assist by reporting to the truant
officers all cases that come under our
observation, also by having a watchful
eye that the law is wisely and judic
iously enforced.
In our efforts to develop better citi
zenship, I wish the federation might ex
press its sentiment on the subject of
manual training for both boys and girls
in the public schools. Professor Beard
shear, president of the National Edu
cational Association, had this to say to
the women of Iowa last May: "Chil
dren's intellectual imagination is ap
pealed to over and over in booki and
elementary sciences, but the construct
ive imagination is too largely ignored.
This does not mean that the youth must
make perfect products. It is remark
able what a vast amount of strength
and utility will come out of an uncouth
structure and mechanism. The contriv
ing and constructive abilities of a pupil
are the most valuable to himself and,
therefore, to civilization. The
sweetest whistle a boy ever blew is that
made by his own knife; the keenest joy
a man ever experiences in material af
fairs is that arising from the creation of
his own hand. Both boy and girl should
have a greater interchange of education
in the elementary stages of a manual
training. The girl can do much of ele
mentary work in wood, and the boy
would be better off to know more of the
elementary work in domestic science,
not including that of cooking."
With this all must agree, and much
more might be added.
Last July for the first time in its
history the American Library Associ
ation formally recognized the value of
women's clubs, and Nebraska was hon
ored by having a representative in its
nations', program. They appreciated
this fact, that the great impulses given
to tbe libraries in their extended useful
ness came from the club movement. All
clubs are asked to interest themselves,
this coming year, in the pure food law.
Every woman should Bee to it that tho
provisions of this law are extended and
made more effective by providing better
means of enforcement.
Now from the State Charities and
Corrections' Association comes the re
quest for assistance in bringing about
the passage of a juvenile court law to
supplement the provision of the new
compuUory school law for parental
schools. We are asked to investigate
the workings of a similar one in Chicago
and elsewhere. After our children's
bodies have been provided for, their
hand and their mieds properly trained,
we may turn our attention to women's
welfare and use our influence to tbe end
that at the next session cf the legisla
ture there shall be passed a women's
rights law.
Tbe Courier's Easter edition, of which
a copy waa sent to every club president,
contained a report of the Louisiana
Purchase conference held in Kansas
City last January. This report included
fifteen proposed projects for the perma
nent momorial to be erected by the wo
men of the general federation. An ex
pression upon a suitable memorial, and
the amount of Nebraska's contribution
to the same, can only be determined by
the clubs. I trust each president has
came authorized to speak definitely on
both questions. The Mothers' Congress
83ked our moral and financial support
in the education of one southern woman
to fit herself for the position of a kinder
garten teacher for colored children in
the south. The good this will accom
plish you will hear about later, as all of
these subjects will be discussed during
this session.
For four successive years the invita
tion of a state teachers' association to
hold a joint session during the holiday
has been accepted, until last winter,
when, through a misunderstanding, the
meeting waa omitted. In consequence
the executive board unanimously ex
pressed its approval of each club hold
ing at least one patrons' meeting during
the year to which patrons, school board
and teachers should be invited. The
wide-spread influence of this you will
readily see.
You are familiar with the story of the
board's struggle with the question of
finance and to them the very satisfac
tory solution of the same, Club Exten
sion. Your last president, foreseeing
the helpfulness of such a committee,
accordingly formed one, appointing one
member from each judicial district.
Reports received from the various dis
tricts were identical "No money with
which to conduct campaign." This
year the omission of the manual gave us
the necessary funds to start the work,
and now the further responsibility rests
with you. Two items of information I
confidently expect to hear repeated
ofttimes tomorrow, and then not become
monotonous: namely, that each club has
reserved on its program this coming
year one meeting to be devoted entirely
to state federation interests, and the
appointment by each club of a live ex
tension committee. If I am not to be
disappointed in this, the question of our
future is answered.
I beg to acknowledge my grateful ap
preciation of the efficient corps of work
ers with which you surrounded me. In
their selection not once did your judg
ment err. Each an expert in her par
ticular field, your best interests have
been hers. In addition to the duties for
which they were elected, graciously
have they performed arduous labor upon
important committees;, To your treaa
urer's gentle but effective solicitation
you are indebted for the fund which
m ikes possible this mooting. I should
be re niins in my duty if I did not mako
mention of tho program committee,
whoce good work must be apparent. All
committees have been zealous in tho
pursuance of their special lines.
These annual meetings are tho time
keepers of our federations. They record
our advance or our retrogression. In
our general summary of the year jubt
closing wo consider the growth most
satisfactory, both in membership and
achievements. The federation now
numbers 107 clubs, aggregating IS.tJOO
members. All must recognizo in tbe
program the enlarged scope of our work,
and we hope every woman presont may
be moved to greater effort in her own
and the state's advancement.
At this session the constitution ccm
mittee will ask you to consider several
radical changes, tbe most important,
perhaps, will be the election of a vice
president from each congressional dis
trict, and the holding of biennial meet
ings. The combination will give a
larger working force and materially re
duce expenses. The convention and
the printing of tho manual coming only
once in two years, will allow the neces
cary means for committee work. Let
terr, no matter how explicit, aro unsatis
factory messengers and not until tho
exocutivo board and the chairman of
committees can meet at least annually
to consider matters of importance, can
anything like gratifying results bo ob
tained. The forming of district feder
ations would result in a friendly rivalry
which gives irdpetus to auy movement
and inspiration to higher and nobler
endeavor.
To recapitulate: We have gleaned
subjects for consideration for our "State
Day" program:
The Constitutional Amendments.
How to Create Interest in Our New
Traveling Library.
Southern Kindergartens.
Manual Training in Our Public Schools.
Holding of a Patrons' Meeting.
A Juvenile Court Law.
A Woman's Property Rights Luw.
Quite enough material for one meet
ing, you will agree with me.
That experience may count. 1 would
ask the retiring officers and chairmen
of committees to formulate for their
successors such suggestions as would
facilitate the work in the future.
We come together today with feelings
of mingled joy and sorrow. Important
to our progress as are the subjects re
ferred to, eaca and every one binks into
insignificance in comparison with wo
man's responsibility in connection with
the great tragedy for which a whole na
tion is humiliated and mourns. Three
yeare ago the 12th day of the month
President McKinley was the guest of
this organization. In a few choice
words to over three thousand women he
extended greetings and good wishes to
our continued success. Today the flow
ers are yet fresh on the casket which
contains his mortal remains, slain by
the hand of a warped, misguided being,
wholly lost in his infancy to every noble
impulse.
In President McKinley's death wo
manhood has sustained an irreparable
loss. His life an example of equal stan
dard of virtue, his death a monument to
woman's strongest weapons purity of
home, law and order. Let this common
eorrow bind us closer together, and out
of the gloom come a unification nt high
purpose. To me the chief tribute we
can pay to his memory is to dedicate
ourselves to renewed vigor in the gravest
responsibility which rests upon us: the
intelligent understanding of child nature
and their early mental and moral train
ing. This is the mission of women's
clubs. Believing that the object of edu
cation is the foundation of character, we
gay with Reverend Charles Parkhurst
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