Evening star., 1896-12-04
WoMEs's NATIONAL Cot>cu
Annual Convention Opened i'm Dos,ou
Yesterday

annual Convention Opened in Do.ton
| Yesterday.
The National Council OF Women of the
| tnited States met in Boston yesterday
IN annual convention. Mrs Mary Lowe
DICKINSON the president, occupied the
| chair. The presentation of reports and
greetings OF delegates from orsaniza-
lions composing the council took I'd tie
| ehtire time until prior TO adjournment for
luncheon.
Among those who took part i'm the pro
gram We're Mrs. Lillian NJ n. Stevens of
| Portland. for the National w e. r. Il
and Mrs Margaret /. Sanders of Chicago.
| fer the Illinois Industrial School Greet
| irgs were briefly presented by Miss Susan
B. Anthony, Rev. Anna II. Shaw Mrs MAY
| wright Sewall OF Indiana ana Mrs Will
ioughby Cummings of Canada.
The report of the Wo.nan's ReDullican
Association of the United States Of which
Al. $. }. Ellen Foster is president. ..as read
10y Mrs. Emily 5. Chase.
woman's WarL fn Politics.
The report of Mrs. J. Ellen Foster. pres
! ident of the Woman's Republican Ass1-
ciaiion Of the United States. in part. is as
follows:
The Woman's Republican Association was
organized TO stimulate, to express and 10
apply the energy Of loyal women who be
ieve that the permanent economic in
dusiral and political welfare of the Amcri-
can people can best he secured through The
dominance of the principles and politics
| of the republican party.
| Re publican women approached the cam
paisn Of 1S'G with the prestige OF enlarged
political rights in the two states OF Colo
! RADIO and Utah. this being the first ma
tional election at which women in those
states were empowered to exercise the fun
! suffrage. which includes voting for Prosi-
| dent, Vice President and member of Con-
! greSS.
In the three states where women vote
| Wyoming. Colorado and Utah, republican
women fully justified the expectations Of
| the party. The women Of Illinois possess
the school suffrage and may also vote for
| members OF the board of trustees OF The
State University. They are systematically
| organized In every congressional district
| and county in the state. under the dlrec-
| tiCn of tho woman's state central COM
| nitise Kansas leads in the number of
clubs. and in well-matured plans and prao-
| teal effort. Municipal suffrage in that
state has developed woman's political in
| stincts. Iowa. Nebraska, Michigan ln-
| diana and Wisconsin Gid good work: ihe
women in those states have but a shadow
| of the elective franchise and gave unselfish
service as well as patriotic enthusiasm. in
| the hour of the countTy'S need. Ohio did
splendid work: indeed. In every western
| state women Were aroused as never be
| fore and their work was recognized aS
| practical and effective.
| In Pennsylvania the association has few
! organizations. though in Philadelphia We
| have som. most valued correspondents. In
| New York and New Jersey especial atien-
| ton was given To the tenement house cam
| vassing: hundreds of New York business
| women being enlisted TO teach women the
\ meaning of the free coinage Of silver 3hd
| how ii would effect the purchasing power
| of their dollars This plan Of campaign
| won votes every day. IL the city of Brook
! lyn. where are many Swedos and Danes,
! night schools were opened for this in-
struction i'm tariff and sound money. In nd
| part Of the country do women evidence
! wider knowledge or a keener intcres' IA
public affairs than in ''so-calcd" conscrya-
! tive New England. The Womans Repuh-
| lican Association received early recoSm-
ton from the republicans of New Eng
land.
| In the quiet assurance of a noble hercdi-
| tary and political environment and lacking
| the incentive of pre- sent political necessity.
| and Icing largely ci gagged in clubs Tor III
| erary art and scientific study, and having
! done splend non-partisan work Tor SQUAD
money for municipal reform with The
! sch, oil suffrage. wo!nen have not largely
| orgarized in republican clubs. In NfEinlA
| in the two conRreS Sional districts Mh'l"
| republican women were most active repuh-
| lcan Congressman were for the first time
elected. In West Virginia and Kentucky
there were many enthusiastic republican
| women workers wEo saw the benefits of
protection to the industries of the ne%
south; their efforts were individual and so
| cial rather than through organizations
strong mindedne.s In Missouri the wo-
mems clubs We're q recognized factor In
the political rex oluticn going on in that
state.
The woman's Republican Association is
quite aware that except in The three states
where worIen vote. and in ll'nois whore
the suffrage for woman is but a fragment
Of the popular frarchisc. wcman's political
work as judged by election returns, is in
direct in results. and impossible to definite
| ly estimate. is much Of mems political
work. The vtters who form clubs. d!stfih-
ute literature, march in torchllght pro-
| cess;onS and sound the rub-a dun-dub OF
| the regulation rally" use extreme ard
| sometimes grotesnue ethodS to influCnr"
voters I'm the feat of the campaign. and
with election day In the near future. W"
| are careful to remind women that their
OWN good judgment ard good taste must
| determine what campaign methods they
shall employ. but that the best work. the
! real purpose of the orRaniZat'o on. is to ell
| courage political study in the home and in
| tclligcnt discussion of Political subjects IN
social circles: this does elevate public SEN
| tiraent and public sentiment is the pow =
| behind the throne in Anne rican politics.
The afternoon was devoted to Mr.. and
| Mrs. c. II. Bond, who gave an Informal re
cepton and tea to the delegates to the
council. Ii was attended by many promi-
nent club women. Mrs. Bond was assisted
i'm receiving her guests by Mrs. Mary Lowe
Dickinson. president of the National Coun-
ell: Mrs. Susan B. Anthony. president Of
the National Womans Suffrage Associa-
tion; Mrs Louise Barnum Robbins, Mrs
Mary A. Davis, president of the National
Free Baptist Womans Missionary Society
and Mrs. Boyse.