The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-22
LADY COLIN CAMPBELL.
SIZE OFFERS LETTER ON WOMEN,s
WORK IN ENGLAND.

The Inspiring Hand of Lady sandhurst.
sIrs. Bessnt and the Lucifer Match
zIakers-The Trades Unions-society of
! Lady Artists-The Thimble League.
| Copyright by American Press -Associationl
LONDON, June 5.-On reading the daily
press of England one would almost be
inclined to suppose that the women of
Great Britain had little to do with pub
| lie life. With fashionable wedding or
3 grand ball. according to the newspa-
per report, the sphere of woman would
seem to end. But if we seek out facts
and honestly chronicle them we must
adopt quite another conclusion. Indeed,
such harvest of societies, leagues and
associations do we gather in that Sc
lection from among them becomes diff
cult. Almost each month brings new
crop of some sort Of associated effort on
the part of women, and the field is be-
coming crowded indeed, for the old So
cieties continue with vigor ever peren-
NAL. Among the most important socie-
| ties formed this last year is one In which
Lady Sandhurst has been the inspiring
and guiding hand
For long time the working women
| of London have felt their lack of organ
ization whenever dispute arose between
! them and their masters. a little over
year ago, when the girls employed by
Bryant & May, the leading match man.
ufacturers in the metropolis, struck for
higher wages, little regard would they
have received had it not been for the in
slant and efficient help of Mrs. Besant.
This lady is a born organizer and
| leader, and she soon had brought
the chaotic ranks of these match girls
into line, SO they could cope advanta-
geously with their employers. This
strike, with its disorderly beginning and
successful close, was splendid object
lesson for the working women of Lon
don.
Realizing their power when united
they are now ready to work in with
Lady Sandhurst' idea of forming great
trades union Of all the women wage
earners in the metropolis. Of course the
object of this work could be more eff
GENTLY accomplished if the trades unions
among men were to open their doors to
women, and demand that all should
have equal pay for equal work and all
fair days wage But unfortunately
John Bulls brain moves slowly. The
men do not yet see that they must carry
women with them into the promised land
or be barred out themselves by having
women usurp their places in the onward
march, and underbid them In every labor
market. So, sincethe British unions have
not adopted the broad and wise demands
which 1 understand the Farmers Ali
ance and the knights of Labor in Amer
lea have embodied IN their programme
viz, enfranchisement for women and
equal pay for equal work-we must well
come as timely departure the society
inaugurated this winter by Lady Sand
hurst.
1t is pleasant to turn from more COM
monplace subjects sometimes to the
world of art. But all is not sweetness
and light even here. just as l think
the union of men and women in trade
societies or in government is necessary
if the most thorough reform is to be ac-
complished, SO l deprecate any separa-
ton of men and women artists. 1 am
opposed to either sex drawing aside and
forming an exclusive association. The
Society of Lady Artists" is, feel sure,
q tactical error from all points of view.
Women are already far too apt to make
studies of flowers and fruits and por-
traits Of characterless babies. 1t is to
their own interest, then, not to cut
themselves off from the criticism Of their
brother artists, not to forego the valua-
BILE lesson of comparing their work with
that Of men who have won their artistic
laurels in the eyes of the world. It Is
really the women outside the Society
of Lady Artists" who are making their
names famous. Countess Feodore Glei-
chen, the sisters Montalba, Mrs. Rae,
Lady Butterflies are artists to whom
the world accords high praise Countess
Feodore Gleichen shows thorough ap-
probation of form in the busts and
statues she exhibits In the academy, and
Mrs. Rae has shown both courage
and ability III dealing with the nude
and the varied work of the Misses Mon
talba also hold their own-aye, and moro
than hold their own-in the open compe-
tition on the walls Of the Royal academy.
If picture cannot do this, whether it be
by man or woman, the artist has clearly
mistaken his or her vocation, and no
amount Of exhibitions Of hole and cor
ner societies, where membership replaces
talent as reason for the hanging of GER
tain pictures, win convey the smallest
honor or kudos to the painter who can
not face the open competition of the
world of art. Before the great question
of art all distinctions OF sex should van
ish. The true artist is al artist before
everything. The mere fact OF being
man or q woman Is q question of detail
with which the world at large has moth
ing at all to do by their works We shall
know them" is true in all branches Of
art, painting, music, sculpture, htera-
ture. If the work Is good, so much the
more praise If woman, one Of class
Of beings whose mental development
may be said IS yet to be only IN leading
strings, should have accomplished it, II
the work Is bad,,no plea Of sex should
save It fron condemnation. Therefore |
I Ok upon such societies as that Of the
Lady Artists Gs deliberate step back |
ward in art education, and The sooner it
is disbandei and It's members merged |
into the innumerahle societies Of their
brother workers IN art the better it viii !
be for those women painters who look |
UPON their vf,eation seriorslY.