The Press., 1893-05-18
w. C. T. U. DEPARTMENT.
The Dedication of the woman's Buildin


 gavel of Mrs. Bertha Honore Palmer tap ped the first hour of the new century as she opened the dedication ceremonies of the woman's building at the Worlds Co., lumbian Exposition. The noble women of all lands must have felt an electric thrill of sympathy with these representative women of the world who assisted to register an event in history as new as the creation-the consecration of building, planned aad decorated by women, to the arts, indus tries and literature of women; and, great CT still, to chronicle the first setting of it's women by a government, in great national and international enterprise, in position independent of and coordinate with the men of the nation.
 The platform was gaily ruff1ed in yellow and red on background of cream white The American flag twined with the Span ish colors, orange and red, guarded the side of the speakers stand, and above 1t, in the rear foated the brilliant standards of Germany, Russia, Spain and Italy. Theodore Thomas matchless orchestra occupied the extensive rostrum on the north, and all the interims and interstices Of the occasion were symphonies of sound and color and perfume of flowers.
 Near Mrs. Palmer on the grand stand were our guests, the Duchess de Veragua, of Spain, Lady Aberdeen, representing Scotland Ireland, Princess Mary A. Schahovskoy, of Russia, Madame Mari otti, of Italy, Mrs. Bedford Fenwick, of England, and Frau Professorin Kase- towsky, of Germany; and close at hand was pretty little Syrian woman, Mrs. Korany, representing the press of her country. To the inquiry, Who are the distinguished ladies on the platform some one replied: They all look distin- guished; and so any one would have said who turned the eye upon the well-known American women on the stand, the one hundred lady managers who occupied the front seats, the dense crowd of handsome faces which filled the body of the building and the arched peristyle on four sides oVerhanging the whole. White-ribboners missed the best known and best loved faee in America-our chieftain's-not of- ten wanting where noble women gather this side the water. | The exercises opened with most elo- quent and suitable prayer by Miss Ida Hultin, and after an ode rendered by Miss Florence Wilkinson, Mrs. Palmer, amid enthusiastic applause, rose to speak on behalf of the lady managers. She spoke with marked ease, tact and judgment, dwelling chiefly on the industrial and eco- homie problems. of women. She said with much else that was fine
 Of all existing forms of injustice there is none so cruel and inconsistent as is the position in which women are placed with regard to self-maintenance; the calm ig- noring of their rights and responsibilities | | which has gone on for centuries.
 "Would you have women step down from their pedestals ?" some men ask. Yes, if we can find any woman mounted on pedestals, let them step down. Free dom and justice for all are infinitely bet ter than pedestals for a few. I always suspect the motives of any one advancing the pedestal theory. It is not the natural duu HHO U0GW06n QuSOanQ ana | wife, or between friends. They should stand side by side, the fine qualities of each supplementing and assisting those of the other.
 The women of to-day have no desire to be helpless and dependent. Having the full use of their faculties, they 1eioice in | exercising them. Ignorance is too ex- pensive and wasteful to be tolerated. We cannot afford to lose reserve power of any individual.
 An impressive part of the ceremonies was the presentation, by Mir. George S. Knapp, to the board of lady managers, of the standard flag of America and the Worlds Columbian Exposition. This flag was carried at the head of the dedi- catory procession, October 12, 1899, and escorted the liberty bell of Philadelphia, April 29, 1898. The silk for this flag was spun by "ladyn. American silk worms in twenty-five states, was woven of the. best quality of silk by the Women's Silk Union of America, and was made every stitch by women. Mrs. Palmer received it for, the board, saying: "Though we shall carry it to bloodless victories we honor It none the less"
 It would be very pleasant to touch up- on the magnificent lace, of just the dark cream color that labels it properly "old," which covered the lowered silk that en- veloped the stately form of the handsome Duchess de Veragua who speaks very lit tie English i; to mention in full the sensi- ble address of charming Mrs. Bedford Fenwfck, who, in noting the English wo- men and the industries and achievements which have made them famous, spoke es- pecially of the extensive and skillful train ing of English women as scientific nurses and the elevation of. this occupation to the rank of profession. Mrs. Fenwick is herself a trained nurse. |
 Frau Professorin Kasetowsky spoke for her countrywomen with an honest Ger man homeliness and heart that were es- pecially attractive. Lady Aberdeen dwelt mainly upon the value of home industries which shall make the peasant women useful and independent citizens; Madame Mariotti interestingly called for Italy's recognition in the place of Countess de Brazza, nee Slocum, of New Orleans, who | was kept from the dedication by sick | child. Nothing could have been more winsome than the manner in which the Princess May Schahovskoy told of Rus sia's peasant women, and the efforts of Russian women of rank for their eleva- tion.
 The closing act of the. day was the driving of the far-famed slast nailn- more famous than any since Jael's- made from all the precious metals of Montana. and presented to Mrs. Palmer, who drove |