Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-21
NOR THE FAIR SEX
Equality in ronl,cs and Society
Demanded
THINGS TO Be REMEMBERED
Interesting Meeting Of the Political Equal
ity Club-Dsiegssss TO Battle
Greek Elected.

Yesterday was BE- autfut day and
the members Of the Political Equality
club were out in full force to attend
the regular fortnlghtly meeting which
WAS held ~ the resasucs of Mrs. Libhae
Fitzgerald, No. 2s3 West Bridge street
Mrs. Mary G. Pearsall. the precedent.
occupied the chair. The program was
under the direction OF Mrs. Lydia G.
Goodrich and Mrs. Lo5dell. Mrs.
Goodrich opened the exercises with q
brief but interesting address on the
subject Of political equality. She read
also fragment which che hsd written
twenty-five years ago on the subject,
Progress" and the thoughts then ex-
pressed are applicable now. Mrs.
Goodrich thought the ladies should
feel an encouragement from woman's
present status over what it was u quar-
ter Of q century ago.
"A retrospective talk was INDUCED IN
by many present as q resnl: Of the
topic read by Mrs. Goodrich.
Mrs. s. G.. Ketchum thought
that the civil war which set
free 1900, 900 slaves set free that
many women, for the exigencies OF
war developed unexpected qualities IN
women. and during that dreadful time
women were called upon to DO many
things heretofore done only w men.
Mrs.Ketchum paid glowing tribute TO
the work OF ElIzabetn Cxdy Stanton,
Lucy Stone and Susan b. Anthony In
the line of advancement for women.
Mrs. Pearsall related story of .
young girl who went 20 Washington
from this state and entered military
hospital to care for her brother, which
duty she performed SO well that sac
was gwen entire charge of the hospital.
though only Is years old. The girl
was at the time resident of Lamont,
but Is now an honored attache Of the
treasury department at the capitol.
Something Not TO Forget.
Mrs. DR.. Andrus spoke briefly of the
effect hospital work had had In open.
ing the doors of medical colleges for
women.
Mrs. Goodrich referred to the fact
that burdens were carried by European
women upon their heads, and how the
foreign women were often hitched up
together with . COW or OK to do the
work IN fields even now.
"Yes," said Mrs. Ketcbum, "and no
woman present must ever forget that
the husbands of these women come
over here, become citizens. aud help
make our laws while natural born, ed
ucated. refined American women are
refused all the rights and blessings of
citizenship. Let no woman present
ever forget that"
Mrs. Martha Edison spoke OF
woman's influence in the grange and
deprecated the fact that political
equality clubs were not attended by the
men. She thought equal suffrage
would be long in coming unless the
| subject vas presented to both women
and men. Meeting In this way was too
much like citing under the shade OF a
tree and waiting for the mountain to
move away In order TO pursue the
! Journey. In the grange meetings
women and men had met together on
an equal footing and poor. starved
| women, women who had plenty of
meat and potatoes, but who were
starved for brain food, had enjoyed
what were, to them, golden opportuni.
ties. Women were advancing in all
lines, bat the mountain was still there.
Routine Matters Disposed or
Mrs. Mary Edison spoke of the ad-
vancement of teachers, and noted .
marked Improvement in the salaries
paid.
Mrs. Goewev described the first
| woman clerk ene ever saw ut a time
when women clerks were supposed to
be beyond the line of respectabiilty,
and contrasted that lone woman with
the hundreds who now toll behind the
| counter.
Miss Phillips, modest young girl,
gave a recitation in dialect. Miss Mar.
garet Parsons read q newspaper ex-
tract, "a Blackguard Speaker" and
Miss Clara Wheeler gave a brief but
comprehensive talk on kindergarten
| work.
The secretary announced forty-two
members on the roll, several having
joined during the meeting. The club
being entitled to four delegates to the
State Equal Suffrage association which
will meet in Battle Creek, May 4, 5 and
| 8, the following were chosen: Mrs.
Mary &. Pearsall, Mrs. Mary Edison,
Miss Margaret Parsons and Mrs. Hattie
Towns.
The club will hold the next meeting
| 1t the residence OF Mrs. John Watson,
n