The Washington times., 1895-03-03
WOMEN TAKE THEIR LEAVE
National Council Comes to a
Brilliant Conclusion.
FLOWERS AND ENTHUSIASM
Spirited Speeches by the Distinguished Dele
gates-Mrs. sewalrs Farewell Address
Finished Effort-Electlon of officers
Who Did Not Seek Office-Countess Of
Aberdeen's Description of Canada's Work.

Aberdeen's Description of Canada's Work.
The dissolving view of the National Coun-
Gil of Women was the most attractive and
interesting of all the sessions of the just
closed second triennial session of that as
sembage of brilliant and accomplished
women. That was the fact because they
had shrewdly planned to make the last act
the climax of all they had to say or do
before an appreciative and responsive
public.
The public was there to overlooking.
One of the boxes was occupied by Lady
Pauncefote, wife of the British ambassador,
and their daughters, Hon. Mrs. Ivor Her
bert OF Ottawa, Canada, and Hon. Mon
cure Ferguson, aide ofthe Countess
OF Aberdeen.
The stage looked like the center-piece OF
great flower show There were flowers
everywhere and i'll every phase
WEIGHTED DOWN WITH FLOWERS.
All the retiring and incoming officers
were literally weighted down with hand
and vases, and pIateaus of lilies and roses
and violcts that everywhere spoke their
kind intent and diffused their subtle
perfume through the nall.
The object OF tie closing session was to
install the officers elect and to hear an
address from the Countess OF Aberdeen
on the work OF the International Council
of Women, Of whom that lady is the presi-
dent.
Lady Aberdeen has failed in only one
suggestion made during her visit. On the
adjournment sine die last night she said:
Ladies, If this was Canadian audience
we would all give Mrs. Mary Wright Sewall
hearty Canadian cheer"
The audience did not know what that was,
but they tried "manfully' to give it but it
ended only in a pretty little United States
scream. In lieu of q success in this the
audience gave the Chautauqua salute, with
every handkerchief in the hall in an enthu
siastic flutter.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
After the formal opening OF the session
ficers as follows:
Mary Lowe Dickinson, president; Rev.
Anna II. Shaw, vice president; Hannah j.
Bailey, treasurer; Louise Barnum Robbins,
corresponding secretary; Emeline Burlin-
' :
Helen Finlay Bristol, second recording sec
retary.
These officers occupied the right front
Of the platform, the retiring officers being
seated on the left. Lady Aberdeen and Mrs.
Sewall occupying the center.
President Dickinson was called on to
speak of and for her staff. She began by
referring to the Importance of the council
III the White City the vestibule of Heaven,
where were gathered the glories of the
nations. She spoke OF the progress of the
council, what it had done and what it pro-
posed to do. Applying the lessons of the
past to the future, she continued:
Surely such q council as we have Just
passed through should mark an era in the
development of intellectual and spiritual
truth II is to our council ideas and efforts
and results, our chance TO see ourselves as
others see us. Approached in this spirit,
there Will be no less desire on the part of
our organizations to prove their own great
ness than there VIII be to see our rlghtful
place among the helpful agencies and to
gather together an eager spirit of appropria-
tion and addition of grace and power. y
During her address Mrs Dickinson an
nounced amid great applause the appoint
ment OF Mrs. Sewall as an officer of hercabi-
net as secretary of foreign affairs.
Mrs. Frank Gibbs, president of the Ma
tional Council OF Canada, in a speech OF
elegant finish and grace, presented to
Mrs. Sewan a hand bouquet of roses from
the Canadian delegates to the council.
She pointed her remarks by assuring Mrs.
Sewan that the Imperial Federation
women would have no difficulty in set
ting thee tariff policies, as they were
committed to the policy of reciprocity.
Mrs. Sewal responded appropriately
TO the sentiment Of the gift and also to the
presentation of floral tribute from Mr..
John Bryan, Of Cincinnati, one of the patrons
of the council
Then came Grace Greenward, who read
a characteristic address, full of good
points and keen satire, which was partic
ularly leveled against the male critics of
woman as an independent creation.
MRS. SEWALL's FAREWELLADDREs
The retiring president then delivered
audience was an ovation. 1t was some
time before she could proceed. She elab-
Grated the ideas of sympathy and
federation"
| Sympathy, she discussed from the view
of a ''synthesis of life" Real sympathy
must be based on real knowledge, and
| must increase in proportion to the in
| crease of knowledge. The tolerance of
| all creeds and opinions in the council was
| explained by the fact that in the eVolu-
| ton ofliberty we have gotten as far beyond
| reciprocal dis TeClpIOcdl lOleG-
ance, in its day. was beyond the mutual
persecution which had preceded it, She
also reviewed the domain of the council
and the uDification out of its many COM
ponents, and developed at length the
council idea.
! She then introduced the outgoing and
/ incoming sets of officers as two novelties;
/ the one set who never sought the office, and
] the other who surrendered office willingly.
| She commended this to the male politicians
! of the country. She also referred in highly
complimentary terms to Capt. Ponney.
Mrs. Sewall concluded the ceremonies
of the transfers of office by saying some
thing very pleasant about each of the
/ officers and their work
SPEECH BY LADY ABERDEEN.
Lady Aberdeen was then introduced and
must have been gratified by the enthusiasm
of the audience. Looking back to the be-
| ginning of the council idea and noting now
| its great power and development, the
| progress partook, to her mind, of the
| character of a dream After speaking of
the idea as such she said that it was not
until 1888 that it took shape in the election
| Of Miss Willard, Miss Anthony, and Miss
! Faucett Then it received a great i'm
pulse, and has now thirty countries repre-
| Sented
She then took up the question 'What is
the use of it," She confessed that those
| to whom it was explained were not always
| fully satisfied with the explanation. She
read in this connection the preamble stat
ing the purposes of the council idea.
She denied that the central idea of the