The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-30
LEAGUE AT CLEVELAND.
Part That Women May Take in
the Movement.
Present Situation May Not Be So
Dramatic as That of I776 or 1850,
But 1t Is Equally as Portentious
to the Future Welfare and Main
tenance of Our Republican States
Great Evidence of Interest.

Cleveland, Ohio. May 29.-Although
a few of the famous Americans who
are on the programme of the first
great conference of the National Mu-
nicipal League have not appeared, the
meeting began today with a good at
tendance and prospects for a profit
able interchange of ideas. The meet
ing room of the chamber of commerce
was well filled with delegates and
prominent citizens of Cleveland at 8
o'clock, when the convention began.
J. w. G. Cowles welcomed the league
on behalf Of the city and a letter of
welcome was read from Mayor Nc
! Kissen, who is not in the city. Hon.
James w. Carter, of New York, the
president of the league, made a. brief
response. He was followed by Clinton
Rogers Woodruff, of Philadelphia,
the secretary, who read a paper on
ga Years Work for Municipal Re
sorm.'
Rapid Reform.
Mr.. Woodruff began by referring 20
| the rapid progress of municipal re-
! form, the unparalleled civic awaken
! ing and truly extraordinary develop
ment of interest in municipal affairs,
during the past fifteen months and the
i encoura cement the movement has re-
ceived. After discussing the success
! of the movement in various cities, he
continued:
mo account of municipal reform
progress would be complete without
/ a reference to the increasing activity
and cooperation of woman. They are
rapidly coming to the front. both in
! their own organizations, like the
l r1rnfaQtiN6 QCSncidti0nS
women's clubs, and in organizations
like the Civic Federation, of Chicago,
composed of men and women We
find them contributing largely to the
study of the complex problems of the
cities. There are few communities
now that have the right of municipal
suffrage; hence their activity IS of
necessity limited to educational and
agitatory efforts and looking after the
details of municipal housekeeping.
Wherever their efforts have been
properly and persistently directed in
these channels substantial results
have been accomplished, for in these
directions women have exceptional
capacity.
Back of all the diversity of forms
the speaker continued, we see
steady. resoIute determination to re-
move the stigma that is resting upon
American municipalities.
Spirit of 1876.
1t is the spirit Of 1776 and 1862 mani
Testing itself in a new way. some OF
the efforts are crude; some destineu 70
failure: all to temporary defeats, but
as surely as our independence was
won and the Union preserved, Just
so surely will the evils of the mun!ci-
pal misgovernment be eventually cen
9uered and American cities placed
where they should be, in the very
front rank of well governed oltles
..What the coming year may nave In
store for the movement cannot ne
foretold, but of one tnlng we are as
sured-the whole question has come TO
he discussed as never before and ITS
innortance has been brought nome TO
a large number of those who value
their political heritage and those m
terested in their country's hlghest de-
velopment. Something more than TINS
however, is necessary deep-seated
determination to sacrlhce everything IL
need be rather than permit the dearly
earned liberties and reputation trans
mitted to us by our forefathers to be
diminished or furnished by selfish IN
competency and inefnclency- Inc
present situation may not be so ORA
matte as that of 1776 or of 1860, but II
is equally as portentious to the future
welfare ana " NN@ ~
publican states"
In New York.
James W. Pryor, secretary OF the
City club, of New York, made re
port on the reform efforts in the me-
tropolis.
Hon. A. Butler, representing the
Milwaukee league. reported that the
work in that city was being prosecu-
ted on definite plan and that 1t had
probably determined the character or
the next legislature. Charles j. Bona
parte. of Baltimore, reported con-
dition of standstill in that city, with a
healthy boss i'm power, due, he believed
to the fact that all their tax COM
lnittees were appointed by a partisan
council.
George Burnham, of Philadelphia.
reported good progress. AS the old
corps of officers were all eastern men,
the organic law of the league was so
changed that the number of vice
presidents was increased to f1ve, ana
the members of the executive conf
mittee to nine, in order that the west
could be represented. The old officers
were reelected and in addition there
are the western officers chosen as fol- /
lows: For third vice-president, Thomas /
N. Strong, Portland, Or, president of |
the Municipal League of Portland; |
Tor IOuTln NsslcS-pI6Slueill, NIL L. II.
Holden. of Cleveland; for fifth vice
president, Dr. H. Dickson, of New Or
leans, of the Ballot Reform league, of |
Louisiana.
Executive Committee-A L. Crozier,
president of the Minneapolis board of |
trade; Frank N. Hartwen, president of /
the Good Government club, of Louis
vile.
A Public Meeting.
A public meeting was held in the
evening at the First Methodist church,
President Wilson NJ. Day, of the
Cleveland chamber of commerce, in
the chair. Mr.. James C. Carter, of
New York, president of the National
Municipal league, made his annual add
dless. which was am interesting ex-
position of the aims of the organize
tibn.
Herbert Walsh, of PHILADELPHIA, fol-
owed him with an address, son the
and.