The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-08-02

(Boston Transcript. }

(Boston Transcript
Greenacre, Eliot, Me. July 26.-On Sat-
urday evening, Mrs. May Wright SeWau,
principal of the Girls Classical School OF
indianapolis and vice president OF the
International Council of Women, gave
beautiful worded, finished lecture on Tie
Evolution of the Idea of Organization
as Factor in Contemporary Social
Life" The Army and the church were
the earliest agents of civilization, through
which the idea of organization was mani
fest. The present century has witnessed
the organization of industry, and OF the
fruit of industry, labor and capital. The
ameliorating organizations Tor reforming
and spiritualizing society are numberless.
Mrs, Sewall limited her theme to these,
or rather to such of these as had been
formed by women in the United States.
The first wonen's organizations in the
United States were altruistic. The first
national organization of woman was
formed by the free for the help Of the en-
shaved. After more than score of years,
in 1S4S the National Woman's Suffrage
association was formed under the OBJ
noxious name of the Woman's Rights
society. During the intervening half
century nearly hundred national Or
CARNATIONS have been effected-religious,
philanthropic, educational, reformatory
and social. At first these brought together
people of one mind, one step, one tenden-
cy, afforded congenial companionshlp,
and multiplied the power and influence
of the individual.
But the organization of likes deepened
the chasms between likes and unliSes and
multiplied them indefinitely. Some of
the chasms deepened and widened by re-
ligious organizations were there and here
bridged by educational organizations,
such as literary. art and musical societies.
But the philanthrophical and reformatory
societies advocating diverse methods of
work created many more breaches than the
educational organizations could mend.
In 1888 convention of women not
limited to any special reform was held IN
Washington, d. G.
The result of a years correspondence
was that seven nationalities and 81 or
ganized bodies of our own nation were
represented. Out of this grew the
Council idea' as a distinct contribu.
ton to the theory of organization with
local, state, national and international ap-
plication. The idea of the council is to
bring together not individuals but or
ganized bodies of Individuals; bring in
relation not the like but the unlike. Ideas
not numbers are represented. Local and
national councils are formed respectively
by local and national organizations. The
International coun Gil is formed by the in
irrational counc lis. In Canada the
ouncil idea has made much greater pro-
gress, soathat hardly city or large town
is without it's council. In indianapolis
for example, the city government had
volunteered to consult with the Woman's
Council by a permanent committee on
city legislation. The wish of the women
on a number of purely practical questions
had been needed. There is now national
council comprising Is national organiza-
tions; there are only seven local and two
state councils. National councils exist
already in Canada, Great Britain, Bel
GUM, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden,
: Finland and France The initiative has
been taken in Italy, Switzerland, Spain
and Greece. The international council is
composed of these national councils. Its
purpose is to create international
sympathy and intelligence, from which
international arbitration will result. The
second quinquennial session of the inter
national council will be held at London
in the summer of 1898. The motto of the
councils is LEAD, Kindly Light