The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-24
WOMEN GO TO THERON
OPENING OF TIE TRIENNIAL
COUNCIL AT WASHINGTON.

Miss Frances E. Willard Delivers the
Opening Address-Di Difference of Opin-
ion on One Question Must Not
Divide Them on All-The Wonderful
Strides Of the Gentle Sex.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-The feature Of
this mornings session Of the first triennial
council of the women Of the United st ties
was the address Of Mss Frances E. Willard,
president of the council. Albaugh's opera
house was filed in every part by highly
enthusiastic audience, which was largely
composed of representative women
from all parts of the country.
On the stage, which was effectively decor
ated with flowers and tropical plants, were
seated Miss Susan B. Anthony, Mrs. Julia
Ward Howe, Mrs J. Ellen Foster, Mrs. May
Wright Sewall, Rev. Anna Shaw, Mrs. Ter
elda @. Wallace, and many others who
have been prominently identified with the
cause of women.
MUST LEARN TO AGREE.
In the course of her address, Miss Will
lard said that she held, with The president
of previous councils that difference of
opinion on one que stion must not prevent
the women OF America from working IN
itedly on those on which they can
agree. They were engaged In a he roic
struggle to lift woman from a mere sex
hood up toward glorious womanhood, and
10 do this for humanity's sake was the prob
lem. But it has taken women of brains
and purpose more than forty years to find
out this simple truth-to learn that they
must agree TO disagree on many things in
order that by the greatest numbers the
greatest good might be attained.
ADVANCE OF WOMEN.
She reviewed the advance of women and
particularly since the last council asserting
that these three years have produced great
or results than the previous ten years. or
the general advance Of woman's cause, she
said: Consider the fact that more than 50
per cent. OF all our public school teachers
how over 1900 women students; that indus
trial schools for girls are being founded
in almost every state; that hardly a score
OF colleges In all the nation still exclude US,
and these begin to look sheepsh and speak
in tones apolsgetic, while the University of
Pennsylvania was recently opened. Bar
nard college in New York, an annex to the
brilliant Columbia, and the Methodist Uni
versity Of Washington, d. c., Leland STAN
ford and Chicago universities with count
less millions back of them, are, In all their
departments, including the divinity, to be
open to women. Reflect that we are adj
mitted to the theological seminaries Of the
Methodist, Congregational and Univer-
salist churches, to say nothing
CT half dozen smaller ecclesiastical COM
munions; that tho Tree Baptist and several
other churches now welcome women dele
gates to their highest councils, while we
vote in the local assembly of almost every
church in chrstendom, except the Catholic.
and that, while some OF us were rejected
as delegates by the general conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church In 1888,
that body submitted the question TO a vote
OF 2, 900 900 Methodists, and 60 per cent. of
those present and voting declared in
favor of complete equality within the
household of faith"
PHILANTHRoPIEs OF woMEN.
Miss Willard passed in review the philan-
thropies of women, religious and secular,
and in.this connection said: Reflect that
women spoke before the Catholic Total Alb
stinence Society at its late meeting, in the
presence of distinguished prelates of the
church, which, while beyond others in util-
izing the money, devotion and work Of
women, Is the most conservative of
all when their public efforts are concerned.
Remember the pathetic features of our be-
loved little Pundita Ramabai as she stood
pleading the cause of high caste Hindoo
widows upon this platform three years ago,
and rejoice that in her school at Poona the
dream is coming true"
REFERENCE TO PARNELL.
In speaking of MIR. Parnell she said that the
| chief significance of his present discrowned
estate had been but little emphasized as vel
in the public mind; but to her thinking the
woman question has had no triumph SC
signal in our generation. 1t is not many
| years. she said, since any man of great
| gifts and splendid public achievements
in the interest of humanity was entirely
separated in the minds of the people into
two characters. AS he stood forth for
what the world knew of him in his rela-
tions to the world and in his relations to
women, he was an altogether different per-
sonality, with whom the public had moth
ing whatever to do, and no matter how
basely he might conduct himself, it was no
| concern OF theirs, because the estimate OF
woman was SO much beneath that which is
| now held.
| AT the afternoon session, papers were
read and speeches delivered upon the sub
| ject of the control of the social care of the
dependent classes, and women's snare in the
work. Included in this topic was dis
cussion of the Indian question.
| AT the night session, women in the
churches" was the general topic of most of
the papers and addresses.