The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-18
A POLITICAL LEAGUE.
The Non-Partisan, Non-Suffrage,
Common Sense Studies Carried On
by New York Women Under
Able Instructors.

New York. April 16.-The most intel
ligent and cultivated women of New
York are now distinctly taking the lead
in a line of study and investigation
that ought TO be followed by the women
of every city and village in the country.
| It is a feet that while American men,
as rule, keep track of the politics OF
their nation, American women remain
from first to last in the densest ignor-
ance of matters of state; whereas Eng
| lish women, especially among aristo-
] cratic circles. all know their country's
politics, though they may not be poll
| ticians. Indeed, the woman who does
not keep abreast of the times politically
in England is socially quite -out of it."
Realizing their appalling limitations
/ along these lines. few of New York s
progressive women started league for
the purpose of political education, be-
ginning with a study of their own
special precincts; and if the women of
New York have the courage and per-
sistence to master the detail of the mu-
nicipal affairs of the great metropolis.
surely the women of smaller towns
need not shrink from making the effort
to thoroughly inform themselves upon
their own municipal government.
For the benefit of women in other
ClllcS W VIC may WISH ~ SSldDllSn SlIfll-
lar organizations. a brief outline of the
methods that obtain in New York will
be given.
Like all great movements, the idea
originated amongst a little knot of in
dividuals, met together for a mutual
exchange of information and ideas. The
society now numbers over 500 members,
and has special classes every day in the
week.
The object of the league is political
enlightenment, pure and simple. The
subject of woman's suffrage is never so
much as limited at The matter of sex
is entirely ignored; indeed, the work
done has been found TO be of so high
an order, that men have asked for the
privilege of joining the association, and
have been taken in. The work is abso-
lutely non-partisan, the advantages
and disadvantages of both sides of
every question being clearly set forth;
and if a prominent speaker takes up
one side of any question at issue one
week. he is sure to be followed the next
week by and equally strong man on the
other side.
SCOPE OF THE LEAGUES WORK.
The fundamental idea of the work is
to begin with affairs nearest home.
Each woman shall first inform herself
upon everything connected. with her
ONH dSSeInUlN ulSlIlCl, HOW II 10
bounded, what offices it contains, who
the officers are. what their 1uties and
how fulfilled, the number of churches,
saloons, schools, clubs. recreative
agencies, etc, their conditions and in
f1uences for good and evil. She must
know her own street commissioner.
health commissioner, etc. In fact, each
member of the league is expected to
make herself intelligent upon all forces
for good and evil in her own sDacial
neighborhood. After this comes the
study of the city as a whole, then the
politics of the state, and finally tile
federal government.
The membership fee is 81. which en-
titles one to many free classes and
lectures and to the use of the library.
which contains the best known books
upon social and political subjects. Non
members may also attend the larger
part of the leagues lectures by the
payment of a small admission fee.
Notable among the free privileges for
members are the Friday morning
classes in parliamentary law, conduct
ed by Miss Adele NJ. Fields, and the
Saturday morning addresses by prom
inent men upon the important issues
of the day. The text books used are
Walkers "Briefer Course in Political
Economy" and Perry's Principles of
Political Economy" both standard
books at oxford and Cambridge. The
study of Bryce's Commonwealth" and
Fiske's ''Civil Government of the Unit