The morning call., 1895-02-20
ON CHURCH INFLUENCE.
SUBJECTS DISCUSSED BY THE
WOMEN'S NATIONAL
COUNCIL.
THOSE BELIEVING IN VARIOUS
CREEDs TELL How THE SEX
CAN BE BENEFITED.

=
dresses were listened to with deep interest
at the morning session of the Women's
National Council, the audience being one
of the largest which has yet assembled in
the hall. The religious work of women
and their influence in church were the
topics considered, and at the conclusion of
the regular addresses general discussion
of views was suggested and ensued. The
stage was well filled with notable women,
among them being Lady Henry Somerset
and Frances E. Willard, whose zeal in the
cause is shown by their constant attend
ance at every session, whether they take
part in discussions or not
Mrs. May Wright Sewell called the.
. meeting to order at 10 o'clock. Mrs E. w.
Wardell of Topeka, Hans, and Mrs. Helen
S. Johnson of Cory. Pa, fraternal dele
gates from the National Farmers ALI
ance and Industrial Union, were intro
duced for the purpose of extending the
greetings of their organizations. Mrs.
Johnson is one of the able national lee
turers of the alliance. Mrs. Amelia S.
Quinton of Philadelphia extended the
greetings of the Woman National Indian
Association, of which she is president.
Mrs. Minnie D. Louis of New York pre-
sented paper on 1.-The Influence OF Women
in Bringing Religious Convictions to Bear
Upon Duly Life" She advanced the the
DRY that religious convictions were in the
beginning the effect of physical force, and
then proceeded to consider their effect on
humanity. Mrs. Lewis address was re-
ceived most enthusiastically, and at its
conclusion was discussed formally by Mrs.
Mary F. Lowell of Pennsylvania, a delegate
of the Administration Society, and Mrs
Frances E. Bagley, vice-president of the
council.
Woman, Mrs. Lowell asserted, is not do
ing Gods viii when she ignored her hus-
bands relations to his employees, and
it was her duty to interfere when he
grinds them down to point where they
are unable to sustain themselves decently.
She held, too, that no woman was doing
Gods will who will wear upon her bonnet
plumes of the birds of the air.
Mrs. Frances E. Bagley, who next pre-
sented the subject briefly is widow of the
late Governor Bagley of Michigan. She
was one of the members-at- large of the
board of lady managers of the Worlds
Fair.
A general discussion, open to all, fol-
lowed. 1t lasted twenty minutes and was
led by Mrs. Jenkins of Detroit. The dis
cussion was closed with few bright and
encouraging remarks from Miss Frances E.
Willard, who was greeted with prolonged
applause as she arose to speak. Katherine
Lente st. Stevens, bright, earnest little
woman, read the next paper on "Woman's
Mission to the Church as Minister and
Missionary"
Woman's sphere of usefulness, she main
tanned, was as wide as the world. and could
not be confined. She took up the argu-
ment that st. Paul was opposed to women
becoming practical church-workers, and
contending that if st. Paul lived in our
time no man would have been more lib
eral in his attitude toward women than he.
The formal discussion of Mrs. Stevens
paper was conducted by Mrs Burlingame
Chene of Main, delegate of the National
Free Baptist Women's Mission Society, and
was loudly applauded when she took the
stand that because men formed religious
creeds it was no reason why women
should follow them.
In the open discussion which followed
Lady Henry Somerset criticized Protestant
Christianity for ignoring the claims of
women to recognition, and held that until
the Virgin Mary was recognized women
could not hope to be. Mrs. Mary Lowe
Dickinson, delegate of International Order
of Kings Daughters and Sons, spoke in
a similar way, which prompted President
Sewell to announce that fraternal dele
gates of the women of the Catholic church
would be present at some of the sessions.
Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, who is well
known to every one, spoke at some length.
She was brought to this country from
England when a young child. She was
graduated from the theological department
OF the Boston University in 1878.
During the last year of her theological
course she accepted the pastorate of the
Methodist Episcopal church at bingham,
Mass. Her second pastorate was in East
Dennis, Cape Cod, where she remained
seven years, preaching for both the Meth
odist and Congregational assembly. The
New England Methodist Conference. how
ever, refused her ordination on account of
her sex. She appealed to the General Con-
ference in 1880, but their decision was
against her.
The Methodist Protestant church. how
ever, granted her ordination in the fall of
the same year. During her pastorate at
East Dennis Miss Shaw took a medica,
course at the Boston University, practicing
among the poor of that city while acouir
ing her medical education. She is a gifted
orator, and everything she says is full of
force. Miss Shaw is a handsome. we'll
preserved woman and has gray hair.
Speaking of the men of the church she
said:
Approred by the President.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.4The Presiaan4