Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-03-04
From the Baltimore Sun, Feb. 26th.]
REPUBLIC OF WOMEN.
Outcome of the Great National Council in
Washington.
sTEADYADvANCEuENT OF.THE SEX

PRESIDENT WILLARD DESCRIBES HOW THE
PLAN WILL BE DEVELOPED.
A woman's republic conducted 10 precise
ly the same manner as the present national
government of the United States is to be
formed as o result of the Woman's Ma
tional Council, which closed its long and
busy session in Washington yesterday. The
new idea comes from the active brain of
Frances E. Willard, the organizations tire
less president, and it has been settled into
definite policy after q number of private
conferences and discussions among the
delegates. Under its broad provisions all
tho woman's societies in the country are to
be banded together in great federation,
which shall be governed by legislative aud
executive officers chosen by ballot. Eu.
thusiasm and hope fill the leaders 10 the
project, and they predict that nothing can
stand before the powerful influence which
will be created if their ambitions are real.
lied.
Members of local woman's societies in
towns and municipalities are to be the citi
zens of the republic. They are to vote for
one delegate, who with the president of the
organization shall represent each body in
local councils, embracing all the associations
in the same neighborhood. These councils
are to stand in the place of comfy or city
governments and will choose representa-.
tives in legislature for each State in the
Union. Two delegates selected in the man.
ner outlined are to be sent by every such
body to a lower house, and the presidents
of the local councils, with one other dele
gate, will constitute an upper house or SEN
| ate. The State societies are to elect com
mon president every year, who will cor
respond to Governor and be vice presi
dent of the national council in virtue of her
Office.
JUST LIKE CONGRESS.
With like faithfulness the Senate and
House of Representatives are to be initiated
in an upper and lower council representing
the women of the nation. Every organiza-
ton sufficiently broad in scope is to send
two members to the upper council, one its
president and the other q special delegate
| chosen. Women appointed by the forty
four State councils are to form the lower
national council. An executive officer, cor
responding to the President of the United
States, is to be ruler of all the women, and
have an advisory cabinet of seven persons
representing the industries, education, pro-
LESSONS, philanthropies, reforms and other
branches of female effort. The State and
national councils will legislate for changes
in law desired by the weaker sex, and in
order that any measure or declaration of
principle may be adopted, it must pass both
houses and be duly signed by the national
or State president.
| OBJECTS OF THE REPUBLIC.
The proposed republic is to labor for the
better protection of women, married and
single for laws protecting the property
| riubta IF M rripd vnunan and rivipn thnrn
equal power with their husbands over theil
children making the kindergarten a par
of the public school system req uiring les
sons in physical culture and gymnastics to
be given in all grades of the public schools,
with special reference to health and purity
of personal habitudes for national and
State appropriations for common school and
industrial education, and appropriations fol
institutions helpful to women. Locally the
council will seek to secure for women admis
sion to all school committees, library asso
Citations, hospital and other institutional
boards intrusted with the care of the defect
i've, dependent and delinquent classes ; to
boards of trustees in school and college an6
all professional and business associations
to all college and professional schools that
have not yet set before us an open door.
Each local council will have power to call
IN the united influence OF its own State
council, or, in special instances, of the ma.
tional council if it's own influence does moi
suffice. The idea is to be carried out in
time for the next national council, in 1898
WHAT MISS WILLARD SAYS.
Miss Willard sees bright promise in he
novel plan, and says it is to be entirely indie
pendent of the suffrage movement. "We
are after certain reforms which women
need" she said, "and are not going to
hamper ourselves by demanding the ballot,
too. For our own regulation and better
ment we want an improved style of dress,
and from lawmaking bodies we desire better
protection for the property of women. These
steps 10 advance are the real result of the
council, and mean much to our sex. 1t is
the intention not to institute any radical
departure in the fields of woman's effort,
but rather to band together all forces ten
ding to help u.s."