The San Francisco call., 1898-04-29
Mrs. Swifts Lecture the
 Only Topic Dis cuSSed.
The Four Hundred Object to Criticism, but Will
 Not Reply.
University Scored While Three of the Professors Wives
 Listened.
Oakland ofice San Francisco Call,

sos Broadway, April 2S.
 Ladies from this side of the bay will attend the concerts of Melba, minstrel shows and pantomimes, but they do not show any interest in a Woman's Con- gress. which, though perhaps not of such high order as Melba, is certainly supe- rior to a minstrel show or pantomime."
 Tn this strain did Mrs. John F. Swift of San Francisco, one of the most prominent active women in this State, speak to the ladies of the Ebell Society at their fashionable luncheon given last Tusday afternoon.
 Since the delivery of Mrs. Swift's speech the EbelIs four hundred have talked of little else. They do not think they de- serve much that was said to them, but they consider that as Mrs. Swift was their guest they have no right to criticize her utterance, and although scores of la dies have expressed themselves very pro nouncedly on the matter not one would talk until given assurance that her iden- tIty would be kept secret.
 The main purpose of Mrs. Swift s visit was to interest the ladies of this city in the WomaRs $ Congress, which conVenes next week. AS soon Is she was invited to speak Mrs. Swift launched forth into an expression of her opinion regarding the alleged apathy of Oakland ladies toward the congress. Her words were not con- fined 10 Oakland, but very denunciatory reference was made to the university. Mrs. Swift said that Stanford is run by a woman and consequently 1t was natural that women should be recognized at that institution. Because of this Stanford pro- fessors figure prominently on the pro- ErammeS of the congress. The UniVer- Sity of California shows no sympathy with women's work, and not one of her professors has been asked to speak. On one occasion, said Mrs. Swift, a U. C. professor was asked to address the con- gress, and as the time approached he CourteOUsly informed the directors that unless he could have one whole day ne rf..fV ..l r.a1- lrTsr rfat nf1l Hgent women were cut off with from two to ten minutes this request of the pro- lessor was denied, and Berkeley has since been severed from the congress.
 It appeared from the statement of Mrs. Swift that there is a deficit every year at the conclusion of the congress, arg the lady directors have to make 1t goOu. If Oakland would only take 2 membership of a few hundred in the congress and pay dollar apiece, the deficit would not eX- lst, and the congress would be more sue cessful. And many other things in a sim liar strain said the guest As Mrs. Swift Is president of the State Suffrage AssU. citation and was formerly president of the Century Club her standing is such that her words carry weight.
 Now the ladies of Oakland do not be- ueNe they deserve any such criticism. They declare that with their Ebell SOci- ety and the Starr King Fraternity. two very hOurishing institutions, there is not any particular need for a Womans Con- gress. They say conditions have changed in the last i've years since the congress was inaugurated, but in spite of all they assert that their interest in the congress is IS great as ever, although they do not see why they should be called on to be- come paying members in order to show their interest. They feel particularly hurt at the references to the university. more so from the fact that the wives of three professors = Mesdames Bernard Moses, Jaffa and Slate-were guests at the luncheon. Of course Mrs. Swift did not know that any professors wives were present; neither did she know that other guests were present from Elmira, N. Y, Boston, Denver, Dorchester, San Fran cisco and Berkeley. It is a custom of the Ebell to permit the members to bring any guests with them that they please, and this accounts for the extensive at tendance al last Tuesdays luncheon. It will be many weeks before the Ebell has made up it's mind as to how much of Mrs Swift $ criticisms was just and how much unjust.