The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23

ORGANIZATIONS for Purpose and the
Work Accomplished.
Vcrl IniI


The capacity of the modern woman to
rival and at times to excel the modern
man in organization for the betterment of
mankind-especially the moral and physical
betterment-iS destined to constitute one of
the brightest lights by which the later
nineteenth century shall make its way into
history. The past few years have been pc
culiarly rich in Illustrations of this capac-
ity-a capacity not newly acquired, but re-
Gently developed because of opportunity
and spirit engendered by urgent needs.
The modern woman starts a club, then
a half dozen branches; then some more
clubs, and finally a federation. The club
next raises funds, hires counsel and takes
action on its own account. This is well
illustrated by the health protective move
ment, which has done so much to clean
the streets and improve municipal health
in the past twenty years From a small
group of women in New York and sec
ond group in Brooklyn, with probably not
fifty members in either, it has grown into
a movement with tens of thousands of
members. 1t makes war upon malodorous
factories, filthy markets, reckless hawkers
and peddlers and has already become
power in its own field. Not only has it been
of substantial benefit to the great cities.
1t has worked a peaceful revolution as
in Westchester county and in Queens coun-
ty there are now faultless roads, neat and
attractive streets, clean alleys and lanes,
neat and shady Sidewalks pretty yards
and gardens, ana a general picture of UNI
precedented color and cleanliness. The
death rate is lowered, and infant life par
before.
The women's patriotic declarations have.
although but in their infancy, erected
statues, memorials and monuments, estab-
Hshed scholarships endowed chairs, and
contributed to college funds They have, in
short, done far more for the development
of patriotism and public spirit than was
dreamed to be possible through such agita-
ton before they came into being.
Similar valuable work has been done by
the kindergarten associations, public edu-
cation societies. alumnea associations and
literary clubs. A French critic, lately a Wis
itor to this country, said that the difference
between the mems clubs and the WomenS
clubs was that the former spent most of
their income upon the larder and the wine
cellar and the latter upon the library and
course but it has its foundation in fact.
merely because majority of mems clubs
are social in their aims, while most of the
womens organizations are founded with
serious or philanthropic purpose.
1t was through the women's clubs, in
1894, that the famous anti-Tammany cru
SADIE was started and carried to success
full termination. In the great struggle at
the polls next November one OF the chief
foes that Tammany fears is similar con-
federated and determined effort on the part
of the women of the greater New York.
The formation at the present time of two
new corporate bodies-the New York City
Council of Womens Clubs, which will in
clude all of the societies of the greater
New York and the Long Island Council of
Women'S Clubs, which will be a close sec
ond to it-are most important local events
They will bring together into military form
at least fifty thousand welI-educated, we'll
bred, religious, patriotic and phianthropic
women, whose united moral power will be
as great as that of any political organiza-
ton in the same district. Already women's
politicaI-study clubs begin to deter political
parties from nominating men with bad rep
utations and thus indirectly elevate the
standards of public life. They have a clear
and well-defined mission, in no sense de-
rogatory of the gentlest womanhood and
proof against every poisoned shaft of vul-
gar ridcule.