The morning call., 1895-02-23
TIMELY TOPICS DISCUSSED ATT
THEIR NATIONAL Con-
GRESS.
AS TO CITIZENS AND VOTERS.
How CHILDREN MAY BE TAUGHT TO
RESPECT THE FLAG AND THE
NATION.


ington's birthday. the National Congress
of Women now in session here chose
patriotic subjects for consideration at both
morning and evening sessions. The
morning session was divided into two
parts, assigned to patriotism as an element
in government and patriotism in school
government.
Kate Brownlee Sherman OF Ohio read
the report of the committee on patriotic
teaching. She then discussed the influence
of patriotism in founding and preserving
free institutions. She said, in part:
Patriotism does not reach its highest
form on the battlefield, when the trumpets
blare and the general cries Forward ?
Splendid is the patriotism that leads a
man to die for his country in the fore
front of battle, but splendid beyond human
speech 10 depict is the patriotism that leads
to the martyrs stake, TO the death of hui
initiation, defeat and the reproach of men.
She who leads q temperance crusade is
nobler than he who wrenched Jerusalem
from the Saracens. He who POUNDS a
school is greater than he who builds an
armory. A free kindergarten that teaches
the use of hand and eye and fertile brain
is better. a training school of industrial
arts would do more for popular advance
ment in a decade than West Point has
done in all the years of its existence"
She declared that women are citizens if
not voters. Their interest in moral and
municipal reforms was arousing them to a
sense of their duty and power for good.
She held that woman was a natural re-
former, and that her interest should be
awakened not only where purity and tenn
perance are involved but in every question
that affects national prosperity for prin-
ciple of right and wrong.
Louise E. Barnum Robbins of Michigan
then discussed the part played by patriot
ism through the schools in forming the
character OF American citizens. She said:
1.-The people have established free schools
and free education. If need be, let them
assume control of the textbooks and let q
few Jeffersons and Websters and Claws and
Wendell Phillips be found for the noble
task of compiling in our schoolbooks the
high thoughts of man and God, liberty and
patriotism, to be absorbed by the outreach-
ing hearts of children.
with the right textbook placed in the
school, teachers with lofty ideas of in
tegrity, honor and patriotism, place in the
school the starry flag that the children
shall learn to do homage to it as we'll as to
grand ideas. Teach the inspiring Star
spangled Banner and Rally Round the
Flag and there will be a rally and the
children will learn to love the flag whose
folds protect them. Teach youth the
splendor of great ideas by recounting the
numberless examples taught in our his
tory"
Patriotism in New York Kindergar-
tens" was discussed by Isabella Charles
Davis of New York. She portrayed the
results of this instruction on the pupils of
these institutions and made an eloquent
appeal to the mothers of America to lay
the flag on the altar of their homes and
''give our head and our hearts to our
country"
''The day is coming" she said, when
the country will no longer lag behind the
promises or the prophecy of the flag and
when capital will not fasten its grip on the
throat of labor"
The discussion of patriotic teaching was
opened by Miss Mary Nasha of this city,
who advocated more mingling OF poetry
with the teachings of fact.
Rev. Anna Shaw of Pennsylvania made
vigorous protest against the discrimina-
ton against women in the constitution.
Miss Susan B. Anthony said that from a
male standpoint there were forty-four stars
on the American flags which were waving
throughout the hall. but there were only
two stars for women, and she predicted
that within decade her sex could claim
the remaining forty-two stars.
The evening session was divided into two
parts. The first was under the auspices of
the National Association of Loyal Women
of American Liberty. Mrs. l. S. Manches-
ter presided
1.-The degree to which women are re-
sponsible for maintaining the sentiment
of patriotism in our nation" was the SUBJ
iect of the first paper read by Mrs. Sarah
D. Lafetra of Washington. The second
part of the evening was under control of
the Woman's Relief Corps. Emma R.
Wallace presided.
The story of the flag was told by Harriet
L. Reed of Massachusetts. She said a
woman's mind conceived and woman's
hand modelled the stars and stripes of the
American flag, and continued to educate
the children to-day in loyalty and patriot
ism. The Flag Day Association has es-
tablished Flag day, the 14th of June, and
asked that this day be made legal holiday.
The IA, 600 patriotic women that she repre-
sented indorse most heartily this move
ment.
Mrs. Kate Brownlee Sherwood of Canton,
Ohio, reviewed the revolutionary types of
women of the republic, whom she held to
be the direct heritors of the women of the
revolution. ''All talk of a new woman, -
she said, sis a mere fable. There is no
new woman. Without the blessed woman
the world would be bowling wilderness,
such as Dante saw and was afraid off,
Mary H. Krout of Chicago closed the
proceedings of the day with ''Women as
Patriots.''
FACED FIERCE WILDCATS.