The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-04

view OF woman ; pfOSTe-S III 1880 San
Ia Claus" she says, has been bringing
more things in his cloudy sleigh to
womankind than ever before. In edu-
cation there are now nearly four hum
dred colleges and other institutions. be-
slowing degrees upon their graduates
which are dedicated to women alone or
to the sexes studying together in the
same class room. There are more
schools than there We're a year ago ana
nearly every school shows an Increase
of at least ten per cent. upon its record
Normal schools and high schools have
been started in communities where such
a thing was impossible ten years ago
and are thronged with students. There
has been Il similar development in the
professional schools for women through
out the country. The New York Wo-
mans Medical college graduated one OF
the largest classes in its history. ana
the University Woman's Law school
graduated the largest class in its his
tory in the domain of Jurisprudence.
The medical and dental schools OF Phil
adelphia We're equally successful. while
in the West the advance rose up in
many cases to nearly 100 per cent. In
1875, even in 1880, II was the rarest thing
in the world to find any woman with
n collegiate degree mentioned in the
daily press To-day ii is almost impos-
paper without finding references to wo-
men NJ. D.s. LII. B.s. Reverends. ID.
D.s, and similar titles of authority and
respect.
"The same laws of development apply
to men and women alike, Just as the
male college system has given birth To
college papers, college clubs, creek let
ter societies. alumni associations. post
10
college music and literature. so female
college life. though in it's infancy, has
already evolved the same series or Sc
uuels. There are now some seven or
eight hundred alunmae associations in
the land, there are college memorial
societies. alunmnac libraries, alumnae
clubs and alumnae publications, and the
alumnae have done something which
never occurred to the alumni. lhey
have aid societies which help along poor
students, where in the male colleges,
this noble but infreQuent charity is ad-
mnistered by the faculty or trustees.
They have also auxiliary SocietieS
which canvas for bright students and
raise funds for the alma mater, anu
most important of all they have formed
out West one or more declarations OF
alumnae associations for the simple OBJ
iect of furthering the cause or hiSh
scientific education. In music. ntera-
ture, and journalism they have made an
admirable record in the past Twelve
months The interesting collections
formed for the Atlanta Exposition are
unimpe ,chable witnesses of What mas
been tcomplished. Hundreds OF Wo-
men have succeeded as composers, nun
dreds as authors. and hundreds as
members of the great American press.
1t cannot be said that any have attained
the rank which is marked by genius
rather than talent or that they have yet
performed work which will give them
a high place i'm the literature of the fu-
ture. neither can it be said of the many
bright men who have come forward
into popularity in 1895. but in every IN
stance their work has been character
lied by care, fidelity. accuracy. con-
science. and ambition. These. rather
than genius, are the corner stones upon
which all progress must be based.
IL
'In invention and discovery the
sex have made more progress
in the past year than ever
before. They have several hun
dred patents to their credit in TINS
country, and very respectable number
in England and the Continent They
have grown so numerous that they have
formed an International Association of
Women Inventors, and promise to be an
important factor in the mechanical eVo-
luton of modern society. In the world
of morals and reform women have never
been before so busy. What with the
Kings Daughters, the Women's Christ
ian Temperance Union, the universal
Peace Union, the American Purity AL
lance, the League for the Promotion of
Social Purity. the White Cross Society.
the British Women'S- association. the
American Sabbath Alliance, and over
hundred smaller organizations, they
have built up an organized power for
right doing and right living which will
be an invaluable weapon against the
armies of vice and sim In missionary
work both home and foreign, they have
toiled with praiseworthy patience and
enthusiasm. Despite the hard times,
which have crippled their resources; de-
spite war in the Far East: and mas
sacre in Moslem lands, they have in
creased the missionary regiments and
brigades, have augmented their pecu-
mary siDews of war. and are carrying
on a sublime conflict which even If ii
does not carry Christianity as might be
desired. does carry knowledge, higher
ideals, and a better civilization.
IL
"Tf the year 1895 has been marked by
q wonderful degree of general progress.
1t has been more than marked by great
events. These began with the twenty
seventh annual convention of the Ma
tional Woman's Suffrage association In
Atlanta. Ga. 1t was well attended and
well conducted. 1t showed the organi-
Zation to be complete in every part of
the United States and to have follow
ing direct and indirect of more than
three millions of American citizens. This
+, IS a very different spectacle from the
poor little meeting Elizabeth Cady
ny,tf lp1 oil Col
lowers might have been counted upon
the fingers of two hands. This was fol-
lowed by very notable gathering
in Washington, the triennial meeting of
the National Council of women The
magnificent Organiza tion. now the lar
gest by far upon the American con-
tinent represents a federation of all the
associations of women which look to-
ward broadening of their spheres of
action. On its roster are those who wish
to increase the educational facilities of
the sex, and those who wish to resuce
and reclaim the unfortunate and fallen;I 4
those who demand equal pay for equal
work in all the industries and profess 1
sions, and those who believe in increas-
ing the scope of our public school sys-
TEN by making industrial and technical
education an integral portion of it's cur
riculum; those who wish to convert the
heathen: and those who wish to convert
the darker and more terrible heather of
our own great cities; those who believe
In the patriotism and conservation of
colonial and Revolutionary memories.
ana those who wish to amelorate the
penalogic methods of the present age 1t
is a mosaic such as the world has never
before seen. but of that mosaic every
fragment is living, active, benevo-
lent, and thoughtful congeries of in
dividuals. 1t represented some twenty
large organizations. including the Ma
tional Women's Christian Temperance