The Portland daily press., 1893-05-26

JeShd, GCOFSld CdNydA Va Ah'lI0 SiAJ |
Clara Morris and Julia Marlowe. The |
hour announced for meeting was eight !
o'clock, but long before that time the |
doors of the Art Palace were closed to |
keep out the crowd, and it is estimated
that fifteen thousand people waited out
side the doors, while there was no stand |
ing room inside. One could not but be
impressed with the breadth of spirit |
which had arranged the meetings of the
Congress by this great gathering. And
as these artists one after the other made
their plea for other sister artists, and for
better recognition of the woman in the
artist, and spoke of the nobility of char
acter of many of their associates on the
stage, many one Of the audience
must have felt the littleness of her
own soul which had yielded to Pu-
ritanical prejudice. and HAD pharisai-
cally placed all actresses as in sense
outside the pale of good society
Women who GO out of their way to res
cue the fallen woman may have uncon-
consciously cast the first stone which has
bruised or crushed good woman, who
is earning for herself and family the
necessary maintenance on the stage.
Madame Modjeska's paper was valua-
BILE literary contribution giving the his
tory of woman's place in the legitimate
drama. AS the other women followed
with their remarks or papers it was de-
lightful to notice their great loyalty to
and admiration for Modjeska. Each
and all seemed so proud to acknowledge
her as their ideal and paid such touching
tributes to her genius. Such whole.
souled loyalty was refutation of the
charge of petty jealousy among actresses.
These women appealed to the public to
help them in keeping moral plays and
legitimate drama on the stage; to the
chivalry of men to protect them and their
good name as they W ould women in other
walks of life and to be as slow to be-
lieve evil about them; to womanly women
to stand by those who have chosen the
stage as a profession, a profession in
which women receive equal pay for equal
work. The time is certainly ripe for
women to give the fraternal greeting to
such artists as these, and to help them,
in making the lives of others in their
profession as pure as their own.
In addition to the meetings which have
been held during the morning and even
ing there have been informal conferences
in the afternoon under directions of a
committee.
The Congress has been, in sense, di-
vided into eight Departments, to each of
which has been assigned, during the en-
tire week Of it's session, a Conference
Hall, as follows:
Conference on Education Hall XVII.
Conference on Industry. ..... Hall XXI.
Conferences on Literature and
Conferences on philanthropy and n@ll "A HI
Charity Hall Xxx.
Conferences on Religion. Hall I Xii
Conferences on Civil Law and
Government. .................Hall XXI
Conferences on Science and Phil
oSopiiys '...''''. .....-. $50. Hall XXX.
Mrs. L. NJ. n. Stevens of Portland was
the chairman of the committee on philan-
thropy and charity, and when other
duties have called her from the commit
tee Mrs. Hunt has taken her place as
chairman. Many distinguished women
have spoken in this room, Mrs. Chant,
Mrs. Bedford Fenwick, Miss de Pledge
of England, Madame Bogelot and
Madame Marshall of France being among
the number.
One feature of the Congress has been
amusing, in that whatever topic was
announced or discussed it would almost
invariably lead into some allusion to
to woman's suffrage and all such allus-
ions would call out the most enthusiasts
tic applause from the audience.
Mrs. Sewell said one evening. 81 am
really quite distressed. This lis not a
woman's suffrage congress. That topic
has its place on the programme but it
has but one place. What can | do, if the
ladies will not speak strictly on their
especial subject" But the climax was
reached when at Mrs. Palmer's grand re-
ception ex-Gov. Oglesby was called upon
as the last speaker. He announced that
after being under conviction for six
months, that lie had come out full fledged
for woman's suffrage. He felt ashamed
that for SO long he had so plumed himself
upon his superior physical strength, as
to forget that intellectual equality and
spiritual superiority in woman were not
as worthy of recognition, and more
needed requisites in the management |
of political affairs, That men should |
deem it an honor and privilege, that
women were willing to assist in the gov
eminent land that it was shame for |
them to ask for right that was their
due, and for which they were in every
way well qualified.
Chicago women have been unbounded
in their hospitality and public and
private receptions have been extended to
all members of the Congress.
This is only in brief an outline of tile