The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-01-28
is Through organization. that women

utuo arrogance NJ the botIom OF sucn associa-
tons; tina. there IL an implication that their
members acknowledge the spiritual superiority
with which men accredit thein-an acknowledge
modesty with which men also credit womenf All
or the earlier organizations OF women were In
the direct line OF their customary individual eft
& single college or institution of higher culture
had been opened TO women, women had organ
tied TO endow Institutions for the education OF
men In general and for special classes or men,
and here and tberehad locally organized for the
purpose OF educating certain individual men OF
unusual promise. The doctrine OF aitruisin
finds In such organizations It's most touching and
also its most amusing Illustrations. These altru-
istic organizations seldom encountered any
but favorable comment from their Denenciaries;
but when women began. hardly more than q
generation ago, TO combine for purposes which
ostensibly, as well as actually, would further
their personal interests the public at large. men
alarmed: the unthinking majority saw IN such
organizations o menace TO society and argued
therefrom a diminution of domestic comfort and
the final overthrow of mans supremacy.
How different are the real from the fencied re-
suits of such organizations. Still here and there
independence In women; who see incipient revo-
luton In any organization that does not nave the
comfort, the Improvement and the protection or
of their majesties as its avowed object With
gratitude let 1t be confessed that the NUM-
Der OF such men in our favored community
Is small, and that their influence iswaning. But
the eQuanimity or the few would be restored
could they but realize that just at this time the
best service which women can render men Is to
improve themselves. There Is nothing so subtly
debasing as constant association with interiors;
and perhaps every defect of existing man san be
traced TO the doctrine of the inferiority OF wom-
an. Doubtless men would be more rational had
women not been trained to be capricious; per-
haps men would be wiser had not women been
schooled to folly. 1t Is probable that men would
pe more robust had women not Deen nurtured TO
dowed with courage had not timidity been re-
garded as an essential element in true womanli-
a asss; IRE Iss out % Of sSc p,, OF OF r9 ehs oom m 10 ns.
70 invest its drudgery with sentiment,
to find refuge for herself and her family from it's
principles; TO rescue society from frivolity, and
its consequent ennui. and to hold actual man to
ideal standards by the strenuousness of her ex-
Individual to accomplish. Only through the re-
nunciation of family seifishness "a much subtler
and more peryasive poison than personal self
~izations for large impersonal objects such renun-
Citations may be secured. Viewed from its do
nestle aspect the perfect result Of organization
will be attained only when, through 1t, the pow
ers and capacity OF women have been SO trained
and developed that every household snail be o
"house OF peers"
What possible connection. do you ask, is there
between this flight OF aspiration and the
Propylaeuml The Propylaeum Ia q portal;
within this portal opportunities will multiply
for men and women to meet at their highest in
tellectual level; occasions will multiply also for
men and women TO meet here in the practice of
the highest social conrtesies., Here Will be dis
pensed the hospitalities OF thought. as we'll as
those of the table; here men and women will
meet alternately in the role of host and guest;
and thus the building viii gradually come to be
the center of all those influences which
make for culture. To us, the .stockhold-
; srs Is n OF m the the. ;, association, Is this build !
vantage ground, a place TO do our work. 1t gives
us "a local habitation and a name;'' a local habi.
tation SO beautiful and spacious and a name OF
areh lofty afQu16cauca as IN irnnORa QOrreap0pd-
ing obligations. As the year, 90 by and our
workas an association unfolds itself. may the
heightened courtesy and the lifted horizon Of
our community attest our fidelity to the obligar
tons We have incurred.
OTHER SPEECHES..
Mrs. Sewall then introduced Mrs. Vir-
GINA C.. Meredith, one Of the board of lady
managers of the worlds fair. "One can
not always express feelings of friendship
said Mrs. Meredith. IF one could tell the
truth gracefully my congratulations would
be to say that the best in history has led TO
this result. Lord Bacon said A man shall
ever see hat men come to build stately
rather than to garden finely He said men
but in this day he could know that women. as
well can do the same. A great tomb ex-
and years of time had been required, but it
was only dedicated to q dead lord. This
building il dedicated to humanity, a build
ing for q living lord. George Eliot said:
oh, to Bee the sweet presence of q diffusion
ever more intense 2 diffusion the end Of
herself freely. and feels the power to
give ever moro intensely. From
this center intelligence will be
diffused. There has been evolution; now
impulse Of a new life. The ~Propyleum in
dicates will and activity. A club ie organ
lied for women of mental energy, but no
woman has ever risen to eminence who has
not possessed the cordial friendship of some
man. / extend my hearty congratulations
tion.n y 4
The next musical number was "Bolero
SicilIan Vespers" of Verdi, beautifully
rendered by Mrs. Enrique Miller. The re-
mainder of the programme was given to
who compared the ignorance OF fifty years
ago with the progress Of to-day. and said
that he had come from the s.me Sounty as
Robert Dale Owen. who was the first
to advocate the rights Of married women
lation for the rights Of married women. and
Robert Dale Owen had done more tt
accomplish it than o hundred others,
Power is in the hands of the mothers. the
Governor said, TO do more for the intellect
than fathers over could.
AAo 49, ~ ShA IN "
Sorosis, said the present condition requires
new phrase0logy. In her journey from New
York she had seen many buildings, but
none like this. 1t shows the world WON
ans responsibility in financial affairs
Fifty years g there was moth
ing to hinder women doing the same
thing any more than there was q hindrancf
to the discovery of electricity at an earlier
date. This building is the work of woman
in Indiana. She is the governing power
behind the throne.
The next speaker was Mrs. Lucinda II.
Stone, who has one more than anyone to
erect c~lub-houses and organize clubs In
Michigan. Nearly every town in the State
has q ladies' library fund raised through
her efforts. She was happy to extend bel
congratulations and witness the com.
pletion of the Propyl@um. She had worked
the clubs have carried education into fam.
lilies and communities as university could
not do. She spoke of the name, Propylaum,
and thought when she first heard of it thai
some down-East Yankeos would call il
high falu.in'. But now she saw further
and, through an enlargement of vision, rec,
ognized that the women builded
better than they knew. The treasure
brought to wingless Victory at the Acropo-
lis was material, but this is a kingdom OF
mind and SOU. This Is for a diffusion OF
knowledge. which will go out to bless al
mankind. Mrs. Stone said, in closing
nothing was perfectly done except by mer
and women working together.
The next TO speak was Mrs. James s
Peck, who. as secretary Of the Milwaukee
Athenseum, brought greetings of a hearty
character. She said the Propyleun