The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-28
Afternoon Session


At > o'clock Mrs. Catherine Phillips Ed
son sang song composed by Rev. Ada
G.. Bowles, and Mrs. Ira A. McClees fol
lowed imm ediately with her paper en-
titled Some Important Phases OF Suffrage
Work.
Mrs McClees entered upon her subject
by referring to the remarkable advances
made in pubic sentiment on the woman
franchise question during the past de-
cade, which has now reached Il point
where it is no longer necessary to argue
the merits of the case, but to consider the
best mcthous of preparation for the duties
that lie ahead of women as citizens of the
republic. Organized action being the
first requisite. the next important phase
of effort will be the education of the peo-
pie in every hamlet, village and town.
Women are needed for education of the
masses as we'll as for teachers, and to ed
ucate on this subject is vital to the per-
petuity of national institutions.
The manner of such education must be
through plain and simple methods,
through pulpit, press ana platform, and
since ignorance OF the broad princpl
upon which the reform is founded is
what bars to be met, the searchlight of
truth must be thrown on the darkness in
the way of sound argument, common
sense logic and clear statement of facts.
The speaker next touched briefly upon
the result of the reimbursement of
women in various states where the ex-
pertinent has been tried i'll one or an
other form, and the necessity of educat-
ing women as we'll as men on the sub ect,
of which many are now ignorant viz,
The cOuntry's laws and its principles OF
government.
Along other lines of thought that have
been touched before Mrs. McClees led her
audience, regarding points of law, intel
ligence and morals. ana the manner in
which woman might be expected to rise
to the occasion as she has done before.
The speaker advanced the belief that pa
tient persistent efforts in education, and
widespread circulation of the best litera-
ture on the subject, backed by faith in
God and humanity, will triumph.
She also made few wise suggestions
regarding the best policy to pursue, as,
tor instance, not to antagonize men, nor
make distinctions between the sexes by
inivdious comparisons; to realize that
women are the complement of men.
supple .nenting certain qualities in them
with which they We're not endowed by the
Creator; and in conclusion said:
''We want clean government-clean
men and women to administer affairs for
the sake of our children. We are willing
to be recongized as the new women of the
twentieth century; to leave behind the
false the mean. the low, and step out in
to the new earth, under the new heavens
where the new man walks side by side
with us in peace, purity and love.
The remainder of the afternoon was
given over to discussion. Various points
of the above paper wer" enlarged upon.
and many others. that were not in the
paper and were entirely irrelevant to the
subject were dragged in by enthusiastic
persons who were votaries of the theme
upon which they dilated. The presiding
officer exercised her prerogatives in keep
ing the main issue upLermost. and the
general trend of argument was toward the
best and most effective manner of con-
Quoting the campaign. The study of
economics by women was advised by one /;
that of political methods by another: u
third contended that it was necessary for
women to educate themselves on the cur
rent history of the day; another gave her
personal eyerience at the polls; another
principles of government and issues on
which they are to vote. 1t was left. how
ever, for the last speaker, an Indiana
colonel. to give the embryo campaigners
few suggestions that were as pertinent
as they were valuable, and vice versa and
were to the effect that women can &C
complish nothing without resorting to
political methods: they have got to have
qua lifcations, and the chiefest of all in
woman suffrage is singleness of purpose.
1t must be kept away from side issues. and
they from it; they must enlist first and
above all practical politicians; they must
follow old political patries and educate
themselves to what they are to do. With
that vehicle they can reach the present
voters. through whom the ballot right to