The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-27
Opening of the National Feder-
alton of WOmen's Clubs
At Louisville, Ky-Mrs. HenrO-
tins Address.
WHAT THE CLUBS DO.
Lift Women Out of Narrow
Personal Thoughts.
Put Them In Touch With the
Worlds Progress.

Louisville. May 27.-Today the third
biennial meeting of the General Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs of the United
States opened in this city Mrs.
Charles Henrotin of Chicago is the ma
tionaI president In her address today
she said.
one Of the forces powerfully affect
ing the civilization of the twentieth
century is the woman question. for
of necessity the emancipation of one
half Of the community especially
pledged by tradition and instinct to
maintain the cause of law and order,
to promote the peaceful arts and to
protect childhood, must ultimately i'm
0uence all social questions. all cOGn-
tries and all causes viii feel its effects
1t has been reserved to the tWenti-
eth century to WitI~s the birth and
to the General Federation of Women's
Clubs, pledged through organization
and by educational methods to raise
the moral, social and economic stand
ard of life of the average woman This
educational movement among women
was inaugurated about the middle Of
the century, for then women began 20
recognize how lily fitted they were.
either in mind or body, to cope success
fully with new industrial conditions.
1t affected the women i'm the home as
forced by economic conditions into the
competitive labor market.
The woman's club movement has
been one Of the educational fctors of the
century and it has been valuable as it
has enabled women who could not leave
home to proceed with their education
through classes and in the department
club to transmit into action the kuoWl-
edge they had acquired. The club cali
endars now. embrace ciVics, household
economies, education. sociology, lit
erature. art and science.
To women who live i'm the cities. the
seeming monOtOny of life in the c0un-
try places is dimcult to apprehend.. A
city woman needs her club. but to the
country woman it is essen tial. for life
with her seems in e groove and ia dam
ger of drOpping into the personal ON all
questions because she is not i'm touch
with the activities which are the power
Of life. The club takes the interest 0Ut-
side Of the narrow individual lifo and
brings 1t into unison with the comr1u-
nifty life, and through the state aGd
general federation the ccuuuui
comes into unity with the national Iie
.The general federation of WOman's
clubs is the latest development OF the
movement of voluntary association
which characterizes This century; that
voluntary sUbOrdiEatiOn of the indiVid-
ual for the good of the whole, that free
dom under the law which is the highest
development of the personality.
The federation stands emphatically
as protest against materialism- 1T
is a greater organization. having no
money compensation, no permanent
abiding place nor platform. This last
fact lays it open to the charge Of be-
ing indefinite; but why should the fed
Grafton adopt g definite program. and
thus become self-limited? Why not
leave the organization free to embrace
any work which viii meet the needs
of the hour and the aspirations of the
future2
The general federation also stands
not for the aristocracy of the intellect
and ethics but for the republic of in
tellect and ethics. its educational work
is to raise the average standard of life
and to broaden the social aims of the
community. for the higher social life
is the cross of all civilization And it
arbitrary OF antagOnIstic means. Tn
this great democracy it is what the
individual freely wills that must con
quer on the higher plane of politics. OF
education, of art, and of religion, and
to the uOn-a ggTessiVe and educational
methods the federation stands pledged
by its motto. Unity in Diversity
1T is animated by a profound con-
victiou that all creation grOaneth and
travaileth together to attain that uni-
ty, thus exemplifying FrOebeIs grand
thought: All is unity. all rests i'm
unity. all strives for and lives up to
unity
IN word. the federation is the
spontaneous expression of the activity
THE ATTENDANCE.
It is estimated that ZOO visitors are in
attendance on the federation
The meeting was called to order by
Mrs c. p. Barnes, president Of the Lou
isvflIe WOman's club, and after @ short
Ger of Providence. an eloquent address
of welcome was delivered by Mrs. Pat
ty SempIy, first vice president Of the
Louisville club