The Van Buren press., 1893-07-08
IN WOMAN'S BEHALF.
THE woMAN's CONGRESS.

he WOMAN'S CONGRESS-. n-
4 Worthy Climax to tho Closing Year Of
the "Woman's Century"
If it be true that the march of civili-
cation is coordinate with the advance
ment of woman, then, indeed, no other
exhibit than that which filled the halls
of the Memorial Art Palace during the
memorial week of May Is and 21 inclu-
sive is needed to show us the marvellous
strides of civilization in the four centu-
ries of American history; no other
prophetic voice is needed to tell MS that
the next four centuries will witness the
increase of those strides in geometric
ratio. The congresses which have just
passed into history afforded most i'm
pressive object lesson to the people Of
the whole world. We wonder il there
breathes a woman with soul 30 dead
who, sitting in one Of those congresses
for half an hour did not ''feel the earth
moved sunward;" who was not i'm
pelled, noleps rolens, to 'join the march
onward" No one could mingle with
the animated throng in hall or corridor
or vestibule and not realize that the
lever feminine" Is sweeping on with re-
sistless force to fill its divinely appoint
ed place in creation. Woman's work
in all its humanitarian and reformatory
phases has been given hearing in
these congresses and the fact has been
demonstrated to the world (for most of
the workers were already aware of it)
that, no matter what the name or the
aim or the nationality of their organi-
zation, the faces of these women are
all set in one direction, their aim, in its
last analysis, is identical-the uplift of
humanity. Whether their work be on
ethical, social or industrial lines, wheth-
er it pertain to politics or to food and
dress, the same underlying idea is pres
ent, the same noble purpose manifest
the betterment of human conditions.
1t was a climax worthy the closing
years of the "womnn's century" that
this most progressive of all nations
should become the proud hostess of the
representative women of the world
that America should witness the gath
ering together of women of different
tongues and OF diverse religious and po-
litical creeds for the purpose, not of de-
batting their points of difference, but of
discovering and emphasizing their
points of agreement and bidding each
other Godspeed in their varied lines of
effort. The mutual recognition of the
truth that, as all roads led to Rome, so
all methods of reform reach out in
singlcness Of purpose toward the eleva-
tion of the race, strengthens and tight.
ems the tie that binds all philanthropic
organizations, and hastens the day
when the consummation of the supreme
aim shall be possible. For a united
womanhood means the solidifying Of
all human interests; and an interna-
tional federation of women is the pre-
cursor of that federation of the world"
which, it needs but the inspiration of
the congresses to discern, is not a mere
poets dream, but an actual fact Of the
future not so very remote.
The worlds congress of representa-
tive women! The very name is full Of
significance 1t means that these wom-
en- are officially recognized as represent
ing the womanhood of the civilized
world. They stand for the woman idea
of their respective nations. They voice
the dominating thought of women
about women. And truly SO; for taxi
ing the thinking women of the world,
the utterances of the congress as whole
undoubtedly express the sentiments Of
the majority. The woman who does
not think, who is thoughtless concern
ing questions of vital interest to her sex
and to humanity, be she princess or
peasant, has not earned the right to be
counted at all. The effect OF the con-
crosses will be to dispel forever the
fear prevalent among those who least
understand human nature) that because
woman comes into the kingdom there
must necessarily be the stepping down
and out of some man. Surely, If this
noble gathering of representative wom-
en- has taught one thing more than an
other it is that woman does not seek to
compete with man. The evolution OF
woman means cooperation, not compe
tition. 1t means the harmonizing of
the masculine and femme forces in all
the affairs of life in such manner ms
toestablish perfect equilibrium Of the
whole, and thus secure the highest de-
velopment of the human.--Union Singal.