The San Francisco call., 1896-05-06
Family, Tribe, State and Nation
Are Weighed in the
Balance.
TWO MEN GIVEN A CHANCE.
DR.. Edward AllSworth Ross and Hon.
Taylor Rogers Speak in the
Evening.

A greater crowd filed Native Sons Hail
atyesterdays session of the Woman's Con-
gress than on the opening day. Floor and
galleries were thronged to overfiowing,
and the most lively interest was apparent.
The yellow buttercups and the golden
lupines and poppies of Monday had been
exchanged for a wealth of roses. No color
predominated, but all united to compose
one grand and harmonious symphony of
lovely tints. The bright hues of the roses
were relieved and brought out by great
punches of ferns, while over the scene of
beauty waving palm branches formed a
graceful verdant canopy.
Mrs. William Keith of Berkeley, grad
nate of the University of California, law
school graduate, a native daughter, an en-
thusiastic suffragist and wife of the cele-
brated local artist, was the first speaker of
the morning and discussed leadership
among civilized and parbaric nations in
ancient and modern times. In her able
paper, entitled 1.-The Chief" she said:
There are savages barbarians and civilized
people. The savages do not wear clothes and
they have chiefs; the barbarians have kings,
cities and plenty OF clothes; civilized people
have woman's congresses. Here in San Fran
cisco we of course are the civilized, the Chinese
are the barbarians and the savages-well they
are those who laugh at the woman's congress
andwish 1t would rain so as to drown US ali out.
This paper deals mainly with sayages, ancient
and modern, and have ranged from the glacial
epoch TO the present moment searching for
cniefs.
The first chiefs were accidental military
leaders, assuming a natural authority from
superior ability. Even animals have such
leaders. Writers on sociology divide mankind
as TO culture into three classes-savages, bar
barians and civilized. Among the barDarians
are classed such people the Chinese the
Aztecs, the Turks and other races whom we do
not call civilized, but who have orderly politi-
cal governments ruled over by monarchs.
The highest form of savage government is one
under the rule of despotic chief, with sup
port OF mobiles, slaves and priesthood. Ho-
mer's kings were little more than leaders of
chiefs and his cities little else than walled
fortresses.
ing over hundreds OF thousands of years,
slowly achieved the beginnings OF govern
ment. Beginnings are always the most diff
cult, and hence the savage IS entitled to our
profound gratitude and respect.
Accepting the theory of the ascent of man
long time was required for developing the So
cial feelings, impelling men to associate in de-
fensive groups. Savage society seems to have
progressed through three stages. First, the sup
posed primitive, headless group; second the
feminine clan, and third, the masculine clan.
The first had no leaders worthy of the name,
and though it is supposed that the human race
must have long existed IN this condition yet
we find no traces of it existing among any
savages coming under observation. They could
have had no assemblies and no political func
Iion and each man was his own defender.
But with the supersession of the feminine
clan system protection by the clan was given
10 its members. as well as retaliation for
wrongs done them. Though this form of gov
ernment can scarcely be called such, it pre-
vailed for countless ages, and plentiful traces
of il remain to this day. The basis of this sys-
tenn consisted in the recognition of common
descent in the female line from an original
female ancestor. Instead OF all men being the
husbands of all women, a restriction upon
promiscuous intercourse was gradually m ade
A man must marry out of his clan and he must
become member of his wife's clan. He could
not marry any woman who was related to him
in the female line.
Under this system of society women seem 10
have owned the earth. AT least they owned all
the property. Husbands were often bought,
and traces of this latter custom are plentiful at
the present day. Not only were the women
themselves chiefs; they nominated the male
chiefs and deposed them at will. They did not
hesitate to ''knock Oft the horns" of chief
and relegate him to the ranks of the warriors.
The office OF chAef was at first unstable.
Later 1t became permanent, but the system
was not favorable TO chiefly power. The chief
simply advised or else he issued mandates,
which were needed or not according to the
degree of his influence over his followers. OF
course the chief who gave the most presents
ana 1easts, or IN the case OF female chief the
one who gave the most afternoon teas, was the
one who was the most popular; while stingy
or unpopular chief might suddenly find him
self without followers they having all gone
over in a body to the chief of a neigh boring
village.
Later on the Office of chief became perma-
nent, and subsequently despotic. Chiefs were
sometimes elected and sometimes the Office
was hereditary. There was not much rivalry
for the succession to an Office where there was
so little power. Probably in those times the
Office often sought the man, not the man the
Office. The eldest son of the eldest sister was
often heir.
Paternity was very doubtful. man could
always tell who his mother was, but father
hood was considered of little Importance. In
observing traces of the system among the He
brews 1t has been remarked that the use of
particle in their language to indicate physical
fatherhood tended TO show that the relation
was considered of little Importance and could
not have been the basis of any important social
system or have had much influence over their
polity.
Aristotle mentions that the most warlike ua-
tions, presumably the Thracians, the Lycians.
the Southern Slavonians, the Scythians
and the Teutonic were ruled over
by women. There is no doubt at all but
that in those days women chiefs had sall the