The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-05
NEXT WOMAN'S CONGRESS
Woman and Government" Will
Be the General Theme
of Discussion.
Mrs. Ellen NJ. Henrotin and Mrs.
Charlotte Perkins StetSon
Will Participate.

The Woman's Congress of 1896 Is
launched.
The executive board OF the Woman
Congress Association of the Pacific Coast
met in the parlor of the Occidental Hotel
yesterday afternoon to arrange details in
relation to the congress, which will open
May and continue one week.
1t was announced that in addition to
Miss Susan 3. Anthony, Rev. Anna H.
Shaw and Mrs. Carrie Chapman Gait,
whose services had already been engaged,
it was expected that Mrs. Potter Palmer Of
Worlds Fair fame, Mrs. Ellen NJ. Hen
rotin, president of the General Federation
of Women's Clubs, and Mrs. Charlotte
Perkins Stetson, well knowg on this coast
and at present resident Of Hull House,
Chicago, would attend and participate.
woman and Government" was the gen.
eral theme chosen for the consideration OF
the Congress.
1--WE chose this topic" said Mrs. George
I. Gaden, chairman of the programme
committee, because OF the fact that Cali
| fornia will soon be called upon to decide
whether or not women shall be enfran-
| chised, and we believed it would be wise
| to arrange for presentation of the truths
about government by trained thinkers of
this coast and the East, with view to the
! coming situation. Our aim is comprehen-
| slve. We want to consider the theme in
its most important phases, for instance,
analysis of government as social func-
ton, the birth, growth and latest develop
ment in government, the main lines of
| governmental excuses and failures, the
distinctive features of American govern
| ment, and woman in fact and hction-that
Is, woman as she is in fact and woman as
viewed simply in the light of sentim emit. -"
The opening day of the Woman's Con-
! of Government" On May Forms
! of Government" will be discussed.
Woman" will be the theme on May 6,
IAN Historic View" on the 18th, Special
Phases of Government" on the 8th,
Claims, Special and General on the 9th,
and on the closing day Sunday the Gen
eral Ethical Side of Government will be
discussed.
The programme was arranged by COM
mittee consisting of Mrs. George i. Gaden,
Mrs Sarah B. Cooper, Mrs. Charlotte Per-
kins Stetson and Mrs. John +. Swift. The
board which met yesterday to indorse it
comprised Mrs. Sarah b. Cooper, Mrs. Ada
Van Pelt, Mrs. George Z. Gaden, Mrs.
Nellie Blessing Eyster, Mrs. John f. Swift
and Mrs. A. A. Sargent.
Slxty-seven papers, whose authors have
not yet been chosen, will be presented at
the congress. Gentlemen will be invited
to participate In the afternoon as well as
the evening sessions. The executive board
will hold frequent meetings to arrange de-
tails even to the minuti@ of the conven-
ton.
The committee whose duty it is to select
a place for meeting has been making a
canvass for that purpose, but has as yet
made no choice. NaIt is designed that the
congress shall not be held in church.
The memb ers of the board express much
enthusiasm and predict that the coming
congress will be greater than any of its
predecessors.
Miss Anthony and Miss Shaw are ex-
pected to arrive the latter part OF next
month or early in March to assist in the
woman suffrage campaign.