The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-05-23
in WOMAN'S BEHALF.
WOMEN'S LEAGUES,

AhC III ossiuibtt Vi foNeF uOOu III " OH
ans Organizations.
AT recent meeting of the Woman's
League of New Orleans, Miss Nate
Mobiles spoke as follows:
"Why should there be woman's
league? Why should there be concerted
action of the already organized bodies of
women?
''In the city of New Orleans there are
more than sixty associated bodies of
women, with rolls recording from sew
enty-five to three hundred names-it
would be safe to say force represent
ing at the least calculation $4,000 wom-
en-good women, true women, from
every rank of life, banded together for
pure helpfulness;s and this outside
Of any church work, of every denomina-
ton, working in harmony.
IF it were possible in the short time
allotted to me this afternoon to give you
even an outline of the glimpse that has
come to me of this power for good
amongst us, you would recognize more
fully, as have long since done. what an
American philosopher meant when he
defined civilization as the power of
good women This power of good wom-
en- is being used in our midst in sixty
needful directions. Each group does it's
special work.
But there is work to do, work of
civilization that no one group is strong
enough to accomplish. Where 200 or
800 voices are not loud enough to arouse
public attention, $4,000 must needs be
heard. This is the wherefore of the
Woman's League, that $4,000 women
gether for one common end, and that
end civilization.
We live in an age that places grave
responsibility upon intelligent woman
hood. We are not required to spin or to
weave, our grandmother's work, which
now mere machines has taken up.
Higher duties are ours. We. who by
an effort of our own, by mere chance,
have been hedged in by strong moral
Influences; we who have voices and
power of speech, who are not MANNED
or mentally, we are, indeed,
the keepers of ourless fortunate sisters.
We are not guiltless when we do not
look to their welfare. aE...s
ave cry shame upon the woman who
deals out in corner shop the liquor to
almost babes-cupbearers to drunken
parents. We look on with horror, no
doubt, while the little ones stay their
steps, fitting the vessels to their lips,
III N tipor tho GOOD Of o1oobolisr, IS II
the ignorant bartender, with the brut-
ish instinct for mere gain, that is to an
Swer for this crying evil, on not only
our own but the coming generation, or
you and and $4,000 other women who
10 not come together and demand that
the already existing law forbidding the
sale of intoxicating drinks to minors be
enforced? . #r -rr
1T is some years now since the men
Of Louisiana passed laws making it pos
'ible for women to occupy positions up
on our school board, and to have voice
IN the cause of education; also a law
imposing a fine upon all employers who
lid not provide women employees with
seats when not necessarily actively en-
Dloyod. Both enactments are dead let
,ers. No special group of women exist
ID whose business it was to see carried
,ut the good intention of the men.
Hence the necessity of the league.
II might go on enumerating scores of
needed reforms and aids to the commu-
lity within our reach, but l am not here
o tell you what we might do, but rather
o review what we have done in the few
months of our existence. ..'.
"a small group of women whose
learts had grown very sick with pity,
whose minds had grown tired, too, with
rying to think out the problem of solv-
ng how best to dc away with the posi-
'ility of crime against poor degraded |
detained in our station
louSeS, to save the remnant of woman
lature from unnecessary brutilization,
allied together the first meeting of this |
eague. Every known organization,
rom the richest to the poorest, was in
TIED to confer together. After several |
meetings., about twenty organizations |
inferred the federation.
THE necessary work preliminary to |
uccessful organization having taken |
lace, several evenings were devoted to
,ecoming acquainted with the workings !
# the combined associations, and then |
N executive committee was appointed. |
t was fitting that the question that |
the league should be the first |
for solution. The result is
veil known to US all. New Orleans
low, like other large cities Of the Unit
d States, has matrons in at least three |
4 the station-houses, and as in the 9TH
r cities, placed there through the efforts
f women to alleviate the condition of |
Before closing, I can not refrain
rom alluding to the possibility Of
ower for good in the holding together
4 this body of women. This is an age
rhen brute force has given way to mind
orce-when any thing is possible to
ormulated thoughts. In this, at least, we
re mans equal, and the world has fully
ONE to recognize this fact by leaving
n our hands the adjustment of so much
( its philanthropic, educational and
loral work"
Honor Among Women.
We are told that "woman's notions of |
roperty are apt to be hazy," and that