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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1901)
THE COURIER tE CLUB NOTES THE WEEK'S REVIEW One of the most practical and help ful organizations today is the National League of Women Workers, which is made up of five associations of Con necticut, Long Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York state. It includes one hundred clubs in Ver- mont, Massachusetts, Khode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland, with a membership of eight thousand women. The league is governed by an executive board of eight members. It was organized In November, 1897, and each of the live associations composing it is represent ed on the board of delegates appointed by the ollicers of the association. Organized in the Interest of women workers and their clubs, It is intended that the league shall stand as a central bureau of club work offering counsel and help when sought, but not placing restrictions upon any club or associa tion, writes Helen M. WInslow in the Delineator. Clubs joining the league are brought in touch, by correspond ence and interchange of visits, with many workers with experiences in common. Thus they profit by the suc cesses and failures of others and also contribute toward the success of the whole movement. Tangible and im mediate results of affiliation are re duced rates for various publications, privileges of consultation about vari ous matters of common interest and personal visits from officers of the league to the isolated clubs which do not come in touch with other clubs through the regular meetings. The alliance employment bureau was originally established to meet the needs of women seeking employment, and to offer to fair and just employers an ave nue through which they might secure reliable workers. This bureau found after working along ordinary lines for several years with somewhat disheart ening experiences in trying to make the supply of workers tit the-demand, that every year brought certain dis crepancies. How to turn the undesired skill into a desired calling of market able value became a problem of the league, and especially of its bureau, which considered the problem worth solution. Accordingly, it was decided that an experiment should be made. Any working girl who could take the time was offered instruction on a sew ing machine. Of fifteen girls taught in 1899 every one found a place at once. In 1900 it was decided to make a larger effort, when the league was able to point out the thoughtlessness with which the average girl is forced to choose her employment, a fact made more apparent every day by the num ber of middle-aged women who, after years of industry, are without any spe cial trade and consequently must be classed among the unskilled workers, and are therefore the first to be "laid off when they least expect it. The grave problems of how to train young women and how to make more secure older women set some women of the league thinking. One remedy seemed applicable for both problems, and that was Industrial training. Con sequently a summer school for working girls was opened In the summer of 1900. The course of training was eight weeks Ave days In the week and eight hours a day. Over fifty applicants came and fifty-one weie graduated, each receiv ing a certificate that she had received a training which would meet a demand In the market, teach her how to think for herself and bring out as much orig inality as possible in the product of her skill. The cost to the student was fifty cents. Each student cost the school $9. Still, this proved to be a valuable experiment and aroused Inter est everywhere among those depait ments of women's clubs devoted to philanthropy and altruistic work. It would seem that neither the school nor the student regarded the work as expensive or as a charity, for the stu dents weie fitting themselves to eain a living, and the school knew It was meeting an economic need. The alli ance, begun in a small way, shed a larger light on the need of industrial education for every child, and felt that tile New York state legislature migm yet grant to children the industrial training school for girls for which the New York state Federation of Wo men's clubs is working. In the school season the girls learned to work to gether in the fundamental principles of co-operation. Through agreement to continue and to help others with what they have learned grew a fine organiza tion named the "Look-Ahead Club," which has held many helpful meetings. Jt j The York Woman's club met with Mrs. W. D. Mead last Monday. The afternoon's work was centered on the following questions: 1. Give Charlemagne's idea of free dom, also German idea. Through how many periods have we traced French history? 2. In what year did the Germans in vade Gaul? How did Feudalism origi nate? How did the people obtain their rights? 3. Who were the serfs? Name the different classes. 4. How far did this system extend? Who was the founder of Feudalism? What were some of the good results of Feudalism? At the close of the ninth century Into how many counties was France divided? How were they gov erned? 5. When did the Northmen invade France and what did they do? Who was the father of Charles the Fat? What scheme did Rollo attempt to carry out in SS3? Where did he finally go? 6. Who ascended the throne after Charles the Fat? By what means? To what was his power confined? By whom was he succeeded? Who set the example of making necessity a virtue? 7. How was it carried on? Describe the ceremony by which Charles pre sented the province to Rolo. 8. When and why was the name of Northmen changed to Norman? What questions were the people debating as to who would be their next ruler? 9. Which was successful? Whom did they elect? What power did the king have at this time? 10. What year did Hugh Capet die and to whom did the crown fall? 11. When the year 999 came to a close what great change had taken place In France? During what years was the great famine in France? What was the truth of God? 12. Who was William, Duke of Normandy? What did he do? What were the results of the conquest in England? What were the results of the English conquest in France? George Eliot and her characters were the subjects of discussion by the Ze tetic club of Weeping Water on No vember 9. Mrs. Kennedy was hostess on this occasion. Following the program, refreshments were served. Detroit has long enjoyed the repu tation of being an ideal convention city. With Its magnificent hotels, beautiful public buildings and parks, wide, clean streets and delightful river trips, this hospitable city has enter tained at one time or another within the last ten years the annual meeting of almost every organization of prom inence in the United States. Lincoln is becoming more and more popular as a convention centre for Ne braska. The annual meeting of the Missouri Valley Unitarian conference was closely followed by the State Woman Suffrage convention last week. This week the Young Women's Chris tian Association is holding its statecon ventlon In the Y. W. C. A- building In this city, the opening session taking place yesterday afternoon. Among the speakers from out of town are Miss Agnes Gale Hill, national secretary of the Y. W. C. A., of India, Miss Mary S. Dunn, of the American committee, Miss Emily Uodgers and Miss Margaret Thompson, of Doane college, and Miss Lena Sebell, of Y'ork college. Follow ing Is the program for this afternoon: 2:00 City conference, leader. Miss Mary S. Dunn. (a.) Place of the Association in the community. (b.) Noon lunch, Miss Henrietta Bankson. (v.) Finance, Miss Emma Hathaway, (d.) Gospel meeting. Gospel Bible study. Miss Mae Sum ner. (e.) Problems of a boarding home, Mrs. Florence Andrus. 3:43 Necessity for the Evangelical Basis, Miss Margaret Kyle. 4.13 The Evangellcistle Power of the Association, Mrs. Emma F. Byers, gen eral secretary Omaha Association. 4:43 The Missionary Spirit of the Association, Miss Agnes Hill. A reception will be given this even ing in the Y. W. C. A. parlors, corner Twelfth and P streets, to which the public Is Invited. Tomorow the pro gram will be: SUNDAY. 9:30 a. m. Consecration service, Mrs. Emma F. Byers. 4 p. m. Gospel service, Miss Agnes Hill. 5 p. m. Farewell meeting, Mrs. F. M. Hall. 7:iu The Young Women s Christian Association in America, Miss Mary S. Dunn. The Young Women's Christian Asso ciation in India, Miss Agnes Hill. One of the most interesting features of the annual convention of the State Woman Suffrage Association was the debate between Miss Laura A. Gregg, chairman of the state headquarters at Omaha, and Mr. A. L. Bixby, the poet laureate of the State Journal. The point under discussion was: "Re solved, That the right of citizens to vote should not be denied nor abridged on account of sex." A consolation prize in the form of a large bouquet was presented to Mr. Bixby by his opponent the next evening. A less tangible but no less acceptable bou quet was also presented to him on Thursday evening by Miss Gregg, when she said: "It is with all respect for the superior years and wisdom and poetic genius of my opponent that I meet him on the platform tonight. There is not a suffragist who has laughed and cried over his exquisite little volume of "Memories," who does not agree with the little girl in your city schools, who, when asked, "What is a poet?" promptly replied, "Mr. Bix by." It is not, therefore, that I am lacking in appreciation of the gifts of my opponent that I have dared to rush In where friends have told me that I should fear to tread. I yield to him the advantage of wisdom and wit and poetry, while I hold the superior ad vantage of the right side of the ques tion we are about to discuss, and this Is my only excuse for challenging in debate one whose talents I hold in reverence." - Miss Gregg "said later: "Much as woman needs the ballot because she is the teacher of youth, because she is a taxpayer, because she should reel her own dignity as a factor in the building of our civilization, because she Is a bread-winner, because she Is amenable to law and must suffer, the same as man, any violation of it because she is a part of the peo ple, defined by our Constitution as a citizen, whose rights shall not be de nied or abridged much as woman needs the ballot, the government needs her still more. Before the recent con vention of the lanrest nrrcim ... - women In this state, the Federation o'j woman's uiuus, superintends t Kn.. i, urged the attendance of nioih.rs at the school meeting to cast their votes in the interest of more attractive and comfortable school rooms -th.it inn dren may not be encouraged to num. and driven Into the streets by the verj grimness of the building where they must spend the greater part of the day. I have not heard that any woman in that convention considered it. ,t m, Superintendent's suggestions were m compatible with her vvomanlv nature or that any man (for several nun wtre there) was shocked to hear it advo cated that his wife should go to th- .1 . polls and vote for sanitation and dean- T liness in the schools. hile r have been building a continental and industiial life that has challenged the wonder and admiration of the world, the home interests have been ktit out side of politics, and as a result our civilization lacks balance, we re strong on material lines, we are weak on spiritual lines; we forge ahead in industry and commerce, but the home suffers. We have delighted to pro claim that 'the voice of the people i the voice of God.' If that be true, the voice of God has never yet been heard in government, for we never have had the voice of but half the people And we shall continue to be a nation siroiig in material force, but weak in spiritual power; strong in intellect, but weak in moral stamina; intense in partisan spirit, but tinctured with anarchj great in commerce, but handicapped in its home life, until the great edu cational and spiritual power represent ed by the womanhood which composes two-thirds of our churches, the home making element, shall come inside of politics and represent the home inter 1 The most important business tr.ns- acted by the convention was the elec tion of officers, resulting m the re-election of Mrs. Clara A. Youns f Broken Bow as president; Mrs. Aman da Marble of Table Rock, vice prei dent; Miss Nelly Taylor of Merna. corresponding secretary; Mrs. Ida 14 Denny of Lincoln, recording seirwrj' Mrs. J. A. Dempster of Omaha treas urer; Mrs. Mary Smith Hayvvurd or Chadron and Mrs. Belle Sears of Te kamah. auditors. A fund of $1 00 t be used for state work was pledged at the afternoon session. The headti'iar ters at Omaha will be continued. The afternoon program conslt-te 1 of a symposium: "How Would the Ki franchisement of Women Advanc 'he Progress of Civilization?" Mr J H Dundas of Auburn, in a paper n-a 1 by Mrs. Marble, made this very logi. .1 statement: "The ideal in government, in so ciety, in the home, is equality; and 'he further we pass from the ideal, the less is our human happiness. It .s said many years ago that this couiito could not exist half free and half slave, and this prophetic forecast a based upon a knowledge of natural conditions. I do not pretend to siiJ' that In the home, the society or thff I government when one-half of the lr dividuals are denied the participat on in matters affecting all. that thee 01. n tlons are of 'half slave and half f'" but I do contend that under su. h n dltions there is no true democrat "" catholicity. If that condition in vvr there is the boss and the bossed tne master and the slave. Is the desir tide condition, then the extending f suf' frage to the one-half of the human be ings who now are denied the right. 1 adverse to the well-being of men. ' if true equality is a better conditio" than inequality, then the step wo.ll certainly be hailed with rejoicing bv men." Mrs. C. W. Damon of Omaha refenel to Wyoming, which admitted won. 11 to full suffrage In 1869. In 1S2 " v" ernor Hoyt declared that "undei '"'is regime we have had better laws, ! "er officers, better Institutions, better 1 or als, and a higher social condition In general." The opinion of Gov rnor fc.
