Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-09
FOR CLUB WOMEN.
Frank Criticism from a Western
Sister.
Club Women of the West Our Superiors-
Plans for the Biennial in Denver Fitch
burg Woman Explains Its Position
Other Club Notes.

There will be debate at the Worces-
ter Woman's Club at the meeting Wed
nesday afternoon, and much interest is
felt in the event, as this is the first de-
bate In the history of the club. The
subject is: Resolved, that a college
education gives our boys and girls the
best possible preparation for the duties
and responsibilities of life" The lead
ers are: Affirmative. Mrs. Mary E.
whiting, Mrs. Carrie S. Ward; negative,
Mrs Emma F. Foster, Miss Ellen A.
Kimball-
The resolution will be decided upon
the merits of the arguments as well as
upon the merits of the question, and the
following ladies have kindly consented
to serve as judges: Mrs. t. C. Menden-
hall, Mrs T. E. futile, Mrs. C. F. Car
roll
We take pleasure in printing the fol-
lowing letter from a western lady,
whose correspondence has appeared in
the Spy from time to time. Mrs. Wilder
enjoys the advantage of having lived in
both the east and the west, therefore,
her impressions of club women and the
club spirit is of interest. Eastern club
women are, as it is, ready to acknowl-
edge that western club women are enor-
mously clever, but it may be good for
our natural pride of spirit to be told,
rs Mrs. Wilder tells US, that we are no
where compared with our sisters of the
prairies and Rocky Mountains
Il have been mucL. amused over the
change in my views regarding the intel
ligence of the east and the west A few
years ago. came from great national
federation in New England to our state
federation of clubs, of which [ had long
been an officer. | went east with the
sure faith that eastern women We're far
superior to the women of the west
saw in the national federation that the
west held the power-but / did not be-
heve 1t really, actually. 1 came to our
own western culture clubs-600 of our
bright women-I was convinced.
NOW, again, at Denver and at Colora-
40 Springs. l have met the women
Hgdln. l spoke one Sunday in a church
where also spoke a Boston woman and
woman from China. l spoke an
other sunday with a Pennsylvania Wo-
IMAM. L listened closely each time
met IN committee every day with 10
representative women from different
parts OF the United States-W
Ton, u. C Philadelphia, New England,
chicago, and l noticed where the
culture and power was most to be found
l was in large session every morning for
over a week with women from Oregon,
California, all the way to Massachu-
sets. The clear-headed, cultured, best
business women, most unselish. most
gust We're not the eastern women. Moth
ing against the women of my dear. dear
New England; but, oh! they want all
10 rnr.l6 70 II
and they don't know.
They think they only have been
abroad. They only are graduates of
colleges (when we have scores of wo-
men in our little city who are gradu-
ates; my dearest elderly friend, so
years old is a graduate from the Oldest
and best of New England 'seminaries).
why! we western women had all the
culture of the east before we came west.
and do those eastern people think we
stop suddenly in our love Of culture and
knowledge? We have the latest maya
zines On my table are two dailies 1
read last eVening-your Spy and the
Topeka Capital We have over 80 peri
edicals: What eastern woman reads
the American Journal of Sociology,
published by the University Of Chicago?
read 1t last evening; l read this morn
ing, after breakfast, Table Talk a fine
magazine which has come to our home
ever since the editor heard my address
at the worlds fair, and paid me enough
for it to pay my expenses to Chicago
and while there. The Atlantic lays (sic)
one English history and one American
consulted last evening-my Dante
books, which look over now and then
The fasteners are like hens, if an egg
is laid-lots of cackling,
read all your club notes-(and / am
getting so tired of so much newspaper
notoriety). Our clubs are older more
original and just as good work done
Our churches and our church work are
according to our means, just as good.
Our schools are getting abroad. And
our politics!-Fll not say any more. but
] do wish you could see a convention or
our women.
Yes, l do want to say that woman's
suffrage is a detriment to Colorado.
| was told that in some towns quar-
rels in all the neighborhoods; women
angry at next neighbors because the
women voted against my husband"
my SON. In conventions, women get
mad and call men liars. / am not a
suffragist, you see. The more [ see of
women in public life-anywhere from
telegraph operator to board of charities
the less 1 believe in it.
Sincerely.
(Mrs) c. F. Wilder"
1t is to be hoped that some of our
capable and charming Worcester women
may nave chance to become more in
tisnately acquainted with the club
women of the west At the next bi-en-
NAL convention of the general federation
of women's clubs, which opens in Den
YER June /, it is proposed to have no
essays or set speeches, but subjects will
be introduced by competent speakers in
brief remarks, and then submitted to the
audience for debate.
Board and council meetings will oc-
cupy the sessions Tuesday, May 81. The
governor of the state the mayor of the
city, the president of the Denver Wo-
mans Club, Mrs. S. S. Pratt and the
chairman of state correspondence, Mrs.
e. NJ Ashley, will make addresses of
welcome on Wednesday, to which Mrs.
Henrotin will respond. Education un-
der four heads, ethical. manual, uni
versity extension, and education per
st. will be considered the same day.
Mrs. Mary e. Mumford of Philadelphia,
Mrs. Ottley of Georgia, who presented
so well written a paper on University
extension on wcman's clubs" at the
Nashville council meeting, and Mrs.
Coray Of Utah will speak on their spe-
cialties
Mrs. Cornelius Stevenson of Philadel-
phia will have charge of the Thursday
meeting during the discussion of civic
q ceo0ia