Evening star., 1895-02-21
Papers That Were Read and Dis
cussed This Morning.
WOMAN'S CAPACITY as AN EXECUTIVE
How She Would Avail in Public
School Matters.
SOME BRIGHT HE'S

The general subject for consideration at
the morning session Of the National Coun-
Gil of Women was correctional work and
the share of it that belongs to women" The
priE cipal address of the morning was de-
livered by Mrs. Fanny Purdy Palmer OF
Rhode Island and this was followed by
an interesting discussion.
Before beginning the regular business or
the morning the privileges of the platform
were extended to Mrs. Margaret b. Platt
of this city, who extended fraternal greet
ings on behalf Of the Anti-Saloon League.
Mrs. Platt said that the liquor interests
everywhere are opposed to all that may
advance and elevate woman, recognizing
in her their most determined enemy.
Whatever tends to put down the saloon
also tends to raise mankind heavenward.
On behalf of the Anti-Saloon League she
bade the national council all hail and God
speed.
Mrs. Maria Freeman Gray was then intro
duced by Mrs. Sewall to speak for the Fed
Grafton of Women. which has its head
quarters in San Francisco.
Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery, the corre-
spending secretary of the council, read q
telegram of greeting from the Young
Woman's Christian Association of Wor-
cester, Mass.
Slow In Getting Together.
For some unknown reason the members
of the council were unusually slow in get
ting together, Notwithstanding the fact
that Mrs. Palmer's paper was one Of the
most scholarly and able essays that have
as yet been presented to the council. When
she began to read there were but fifty
three women on the floor. There were two
men, who seemed lost in the waste OF
seats, and quite out of place. In the gal
larv hof nf affairs existed
for as that was thrown open to the gen.
eral public it was we'll filled with women.
who followed the reading Of the paper
with close attention.
meeting Of the council that she has few
superiors in the matter Of ability to make
a clever short speech. In introducing MIS-
Palmer this morning she made few pleas
ant little complimentary remarks. Those
who were at the meeting last evening",
said Mrs. Sewall, land who CHANGED to be
listeners to what was going on, may re-
member that / promised that the paper
this morning would be presented by
woman who is so appreciated by her state
that she had to obtain the permission OF
it's governor before she could leave IT, L
referred then to Mrs. Palmer, who fills
position Of great Importance and response
bility in Rhode Island. She has done
grand work there and deserves warm
welcome at our hands The subject of her
paper, it seems to me. is thorough refu-
tation Of the charge that the woman move
ment, as we comprehend 1T, seeks the
alienation Of men and women IN everyday
hfe.'
Mrs. Palmer's Paper.
Mrs. Fanny Purdy Palmer, wife Of DR..
H. Palmer. NJ. D., Of Providence,
spoke on THE Need of Cooperation Of
Men and Women in All Correctional
Work" Mrs. Palmer has been three times
elected a member Of the Providence school
committee Is auditor of the general feder-
ction of women's clubs, eX-president OF the
Rhode Island Woman's Club. a member or
the board of women visitors to state IN
stitutions and at present holds the office OF
state inspector of factories and workshops
by the appointment of the government.
She said that the idea of the possibility
Of correcting evil has followed close upon
the recognition of the existence OF evil
throughout the history of our race. The
first correctional work on record Is that
performed by the angel with the flaming
sword at the gate of paradise. Dante's In
ferno gives US the medieval idea Of correc-
tive work. Modern thought respecting cor
rectional work has been detected from the
lines which led to Punishment and fnQuisi-
TORS. Modern thought assumes that for
the correction Of what is detrimental or de-
structive to society We need to combine all
qualities. In which were tendencies toward
harmony, health and growth.
The logical outcome Of this thought Is
the cooperation OF men anu women III Ill
work.
Evils I'm the school System.
There are evils in our public school sys-
tenn which call for correction, such as the
selection Of teachers through political IA
voritism. the methods of teaching, the
physical effects Of school house conditions.
These would be remedied In most cases If
women Of the right sort were associated
with men in the management Of our public
schools and il we had women as truant Of
ficers our compulsory education laws would
be enforced.
Correctional work is required in the man
agement of penal institutions. There should
be women physicians in asylums for insane
women and especially should women ply
scians be employed for the medical exam
nation and treatment Of girls In reform
schools.
The results of our popular methods Of
almsgiving call for correctional work. The
of charities, which unite the
peculiarly masculine and the peculiarly
feminine traits In methods OF helplng the
needy and incapable. is the system from
which we can expect the best results In
dealing with pauperism and tncapacity.
The prevailing standards OF temperance
and chastity will never be raised but Dy
the free and combined intelligence OF men
and women In good government leagues
and other associations for the correction OF
political and Industrial evils the co-opera-
ton of women has been accepted anu ltS
value admitted. The very latest and most
significant phase Of correctional work Is
that of inspection-the official inspection
of factories, work shops. tenement houses.
&C. Women are now employed as official
inspectors in cooperation with men, ana
with excellent results.
lhe correctional work OF the future
PROMISES to be- not as in the past, the
work of sects or classes, nor yet of one
sex to the exclusion of the other The
future cooperation of men and women Is
an assured fact. To speed Its progress,
let women make 1t to the interest of So
ciety to secure this cooperation.
Women as Trunnt Officers.
Mrs. Palmer's address was frequently
interrupted by enthusiastic applause. In
speaking of the eligibility Of women to
serve in the higher branches Of school
work, Mrs. Palmer said that. in her opin-
ion women would make particularly good
truant officers. They would show an in
terest and ability in overha1iing runaway
schoolboys that men would never display.
One feature Of the question ON which Mrs.
palmer laid particular stress was the
cheapness of woman's labor. She hated to
use this as an argument, she said, but,
the question ought to be
from q practical standpoint, 1t
was as well to call attention to the fact
that there are many lines of work for
which women are as well suited as men.
where women can we'll afford to offer their