The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-09
WoMAN,s view OF LINCOLN.
The Society Tor Political Study Discusses tn
Great war President.

Great war President.
Yesterdays meeting Of the Society for Politi
cal Study was characterized by tho utmost har.
mony. The atmosphere was almost that Of q
Don't Worry Circle. 1t was held in the Tuxedo,
Fifty.ninth street and Madison avenue. and the
officers. who were elected a week ago, were
installed with due pomp and srcechifying,
1t is an open secret that the new Presi
dent. Mrs. GaYncy. wns blackballed re-
Gently by Sorosis, and it has been said
that sentiment had much to do with ~electinR
her to her present office. the members Of the
society resontinR tho action of 5o1osis, for Mrs,
Gaffney is one of the most popular members
She presided most acceptably yesterday. Her
gown and bonnet were faultless, and she sent
tho guests and members home not only in love
with her but with themselves, which is more to
tho point in presiding over a woman's organi'
cation.
Abraham Lincoln was the subject Of discus,
sion. and even the Southern members agreed
that he was q great man. Mrs. j. c. Morton
was the speaker of the day. When she had com.
pleted her remarks Mrs. Gaffney said: THE
speaker OF the day has done one thing which we
might. all emulate; she has Kept within the
Then Mrs. Gaffnoy called Mrs. John A. Wise.
e virsinian. to I'll the chair, Miss n aSrFFiette A;
said she, 4" has been made in the. paper of
tho day to the fact that Abraham Lin.
the people. II he had had his way = the e'S Women n
would have been tpe people. II any of us are
fbis. TIM taat g ws wl,t tDse Sfsfe 81 t ,he dsS sid 1es IN IN
look at the great men who have been on the side
Of the women. among whom there never has
been and never will be any greater than Lin
coln.'
Mrs. Osborne. a guest from Illinois, said: I'VE
feel In Illinois that Lincoln was q vital part
Of our state. The most beautiful thing that
he ever did was to forosee what was coming.
He realized that perfect peace. such as exists
to-day, would como between the North and
South. ! believe that women's. patriotic 80.
cieties have done much to bring about this har-
monious feeling. All foreign countries look on
Lincoln as tho greatest man ever born in
America; We need a great man to-day-a man
~ suppose that many in this room knew Mr..
Devereux Blake. Il saw a great deal of him
ing IN washington then. Many steadfastly re.
fused, to- visit or, receive Mr.. and Mrs.
Lincoln. 1t is needless to say that these
Els memory is as fresh as though he
died yesterday. One thing struck me in Lin;
patient endurance stamped on his couutcnancc.
Some of his pictures show this, and such picture
him a look Of intense sternncss .' He carried the
sorrows of the nation in his heart. and they
showed on his face: He was one of the sublimest
Mr.. Lincoln's greatness. :" said the Rev, An.
toinette Brown Blackwell. I" consisted in doing
JUST NnaJ was necessary dt inc TlRnl tllne.. Ills
opportunity was his greatness. I think that a
woman OF to-day could be just as great II she
had Abraham Lincoln's opportunity. As to the
mans, education, we sometimes think that It ia
the school that educates. No: it is the individ.
ual who educates himself"
How true" remarked Mrs. Ritter; when
wc speak Of self-cducation we speak of all edu.
cation. When we try to select a big college to
send our boys to we forget that it is the boy who
receives. and not the college that bestows."
I'VE all have heard that the watchword OF
Lincoln was that the Union must be preserved"
mi liz NAN Nrrnll "a - L. tho IA
being prcservedi Is not there danger Of this
question OF capital and labor disrupting the
Union 7 This silver question is not a question
OF free silver. but of classes and masses. We
women can and should do much to obliterate
this feeling"
Mrs. Gaffney here announced that the subject
at the next meeting would be William III. Sew
ard. Mrs: William L. Wakeman will be the
speaker of the day.