The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-06-20
WOMEN WHO TALK POLITICS.
An Organization in Which There IL Tea
and No Hair Pulling.


The society for political study is a
furnishing organization of New York
women whose object is to educate the
sex in politics. It must not be sup
posed that the students seek to learn
the most approved manner of capturing
caucus, or how to throw a delegation
when the balance of power happens to
come the right way. Nor do the teach
ers have anything to say about the rel
alive value of the ''infooence" of this or
that wire-puller, or the value of pulls
in political affairs.
The society, says the New York
World, has leaped over the rudiments
of practical politics and plunged at
once into deeper pools Of political know
ledge. 1t has been organized only a
short time, but during its brief career it
has practically solved some of the knot
test problems over which statesmen
have become gray haired It has head
quarters at No. 305 East Seventeenth
street, and meetings are held every
Tuesday afternoon at $3.50 o'clock.
During the last year papers were read
and discussions had on such subjects as
''protection' and Stree trade" Natur-
ally these are subjects on which all
women take a great deal of interest, or
would, but for one thing. The tariff, Of
course, affects the prices ON ribbons,
laces, feathers, silks, satins, fans, bon
nets and gew-gaws from the other side
generally. The one thing excepted is
that the husbands and fathers, as a rule,
pay the bills.
But the women of the society for po-
itical study have gone deeper yet,
which proves that they are not inter
ested only in those political subjects
which concern the cost of articles i'm
ported for their adornment. They have
educated themselves thoroughly on the
work and aims of the Pan-American
congress, reciprocity and the Monroe
doctrine At the subsequent meetings
they are to discuss the annexation Of
Canada, the admission of Utah and the
international copyright. After these
heavy topics have been satisfactorily
disposed of they may take up the tliplo-
matte relations between Italy and the
United States, the financial situation of
tic policy of Peru.
The discussion of such subjects as
these are the feature of the weekly
meetings. The constitution of the
United States and the relation of the
federal government to the states are
standard topics, while no little time is
devoted at each meeting to the study
and practice of parliamentary usage.
Next winter, it is said, the relation OF
parties to the welfare of the nation will
be one of the features for discussion.
Miss Grace Dodge recently delivered
an address before the society on the
subject of manual training, and after
the discussion that followed tea was
served. Tea is always served before
the meetings adjourn. Tea is soothing
after a political discussion, and it could
be introduced with advantage in the
Fourth and Eighth wards, SO the exam
pie set by the society is a good one.
The ignorance of American women
concerning the politics of their own
country has frequently been commented
upon by foreigners. In England the
women are thoroughly informed on all
political questions. Political subjects
are discussed there at the Preside and
around the dinner table, and the women
are able to hold their own in argument
with the ablest statesmen. It is a part
of their education from childhood, and
Englishmen cannot understand why it
should not be SO everywhere.