The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-03-27
WOMEN'S CLUBS.
An Ex.Member Tells Her Expert
ence-Why She Resigned.

why she should not sass BACK anu
grow personal at any time she wants,
and she has no hesitation whatever In
telling of her committee work, oil
whispering around of who has and
who has not been blaek-balled, and
of showing that she herself is a very
leaky vessel.
| was talking with a woman the
other day, and she said this:-"A
veal Q | was tempted and fell-fell
into being a member of the 'Woman's
Press Club | had been duly warned
by the men of my family that l would
bitterly regret this, but | believed
that men knew nothing. thought,
here, at last, is the ideal club.
1t will be composed of women writers,
and wherever there is one who needs a
lift, the helping hand, in the way OF
giving her the name OF an editor who
wants work, orthe kindly voice in the
way of offering her a suggestion, Will
be found. They will be bright women,
they will be business-like ome L
shall find meeting them once a month
a pleasure, while as for the business
meetings, of course. ONE who earn
their own living will know how to o
duct these properly.
1.-THE original officers were elected by
reclamation. Then, for several
months, the club worked along with
out a constitution in a very aimless
tanner but still l hoped against hope
that it would eventually prove of
value. Last Autumn circulars were
sent out announcing that there would
be IAN election for vice-presidents.
treasurer, secretary and some other
officers. No mention in this circular
was made about the election of a pres
ident and vet when we got there we
found there was to be one, and we
hadn't sense enough to know that II
was illegal, because nonotice had been
given OF it.
lone woman, who was energetic in.
her desire to see some good officers put
in, was asked to be a teller of votes-I
think that's what you call it-and she
took the position, though she said she
didn't want to, and never realized I'M
til the next day, when her husband
told her, that the thing was done toget
her off the floor, so she couldn't work
for her candidate, and that she ought
to have refused to do it. He laughed
at her q good bit. and tainted her
with it because she was the daughter
of a politicianl Another time, a letter
came from some women in the West
asking for the address of ~syndicates-
a perfectly proper question to put to
such a club. The president read it
out in a derisive manner, and seemed
to think it a great joke, and while the
blood in my veins was boiling at this,
a Southern woman said she would
take it and send the addresses de-
sired.
Women in the club were supposed
to be the writer's of something, Now,
| have nothing to say against people
who write advertisements; it Is a
money making business, and n that
undoubtedly calls for a vivid magma
ton, but still | do not think 1t is
journalism. | have nothing to say
against a dear little soul who wrote
her first article after she joined the
club; still, | don't see wherein came
her claim for admission; but | do
think it funny that women who have
only written checks, or who are
anxious to get in with a literary set
save the mark!-are eligible for mem-
bership. | tried to do my best in that
station in which | had been placed by
vote. 1 wanted neither ducats nor
kudos from such a club. but | got an
immense knowledge from various
types of women.
For the first time in my life | met
the woman who was determined to
hold on to her position like a leech,
who doesn't intend to do any work
and who can't add anything to a club
by her name, but who clings and
clihgs, and even death won't put her
out-death don't want her; she is the
woman who is ruled by the last idle
gossip she has heard, and who Is
wildly anxious, by making new ac-
quaintances, to take the sponge OF
forgetfulness and wipe off the marks
on the slate of her life. l met the
woman who is a cat clothed in cash
mere. She looks at you inquiringly,
wonders what she ought to do, then
goes home and writes you a letter and
tells YOU what you ought to do. She
is willing to give everybody advice
about their work and she does her
own very poorly. Then | met the
other type. the woman who fiatters.
and fiatters and 1atters-who writes
you a letter and tells you that your
genius is so great you ought not to be
wasting it on the work that you are
doing; later on you discover that she
has made application for that very
work. I'd discovered, too, how
women, following the fashion Of
O'Connell, will drive a four-in-hand
through a constitution without 6
wink. After all this you will do as
did-come home and sit down by
your consolation-the man who adj
| vised you not to do it-tell him of the
envy, hatred, malice and all un
charitableness that exists in a woman'
! club, and find he is too much OF a man
and his manners are too gentle fol
him to say, 1 told you So But you
will have a small weep and announces
to him that you have done with it
Any advantages? Yes, there wert
three. | got acquainted with a dea
little doctor, who was as loyal as
giant, and wasn't afraid to speak thu
truth; with a Westener iona who's
heart is true, whose words are honest
and who is as big OF brain as she is o
heart. With another woman who's
dark eyes saw all the meanness, an
who felt as | did-that, touching pitch
she had been defiled.
j said a woman told me this. So /
was. 1t was that familiar friend VIII
looks at me from the mirror, and as
shake my head sadly her lips moves
as did mine, repeating with me-
stick to your traditions-abho
women's clubs as you do cigarette: