The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-16
WOMEN ELECT OFFICERS
MRS. GAFFNEY NOW PRESIDENT OF
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL.
Miss Anthony Seventy-Nine Years Old
and still a "POIiticaI SIave"-
Mrs. SewaIPs Views.


Council of Women held it's triennial election
of officers to-day. Preceding that event the
delegates held a closed business session, in
which they made nominations and discussed
minor matters. 1t was Miss Susan B.
Anthonys seventy-ninth birthday, and she
was reminded of the fact by floral tributes.
The president of the Council of Jewish
Women presented a handsomely engrossed
list of the years additions to the members
of the suffrage association to Miss Anthony.
The storm had the effect of reducing the at
| tendance, but of the fifty-six votes which
| constituted the total delegate vote there
were forty-seven present. When the cleo
| ton for president of the council opened the
nominations stood: Rev. Anna Garlin Spen-
| Ger, Of Rhode Island, the administration
candidate to succeed Mrs. SeWall, &c; Mrs.
| Gaffney, New York city, IS; Mrs. Kate
| Waller Barrett, of this city, 2; Rev. Anna
II. Shaw Pennsylvania, l. Mrs. Gaffney
withdrew in Mrs. Spencers favor but the
! latter announced that unless the presidency
was relieved of much of the work that be-
| longs to the committees she would not ac-
| cept and finally it was decided that Mrs.
Fannie Humphrey Gatfney, of New York
city, should have the office. Other officers
elected We're: Vice president at large, Mrs.
Maria Purdy Peck of Iowa; corresponding
secretary, Mrs Kate Waller Barrett, Dis
tr1ct of Columbia; treasurer, Mrs. Hannah
q: Stomson, president of the Women's Jew
iSh Council, Chicago; first recording secre-
tary, Rev. Anna q. Spencer Rhode Island
second recording secretary, Mrs. Emeline B.
Wells, of Salt Lake City.
The afternoon meeting was the most large
ly attended as yet, and was devoted to con-
sideration OF the important questions of ar
btration and disarmament All of the sneak
ers took ground in favor of arbitration, and
most Of them were for speedy disarmament.
Some expressed in no uncertain terms their
opposition to increased army in this
country and their disapproVal of the Span
ish-American war. Rev. Anna Howard
Shaw presided. Rev. Amanda Deyo, of
Phladel pnla, president of the Universal
Peace Union delivered an address on 1.-The
Relauons Between the Council and Peace
and Arbitration" The workings of civiliza-
now near we are to universal peace. At the
coming Paris congress the women Of the
world have determined they will ask the ma
uonS Tor nothing less than disarmament.
There have been divisions among us for CEN
turtles, but at last we have come together.
There was considerable discussion on the
pating including Mrs Margaret Dye Ellis
OF New Jersey, Mrs. Mary A. Moody of In
diana, Mrs. BelVa A. Lockwood of this city,
and Mrs. Elizabeth b. Grannis Of New York,
the latter declaring that the Spanish war
was simply matter of brute force and set
tied only which country had the most money
and the ability TO defeat the other The
missionaries say the open doors of all ma
lions have been ready to welcome US, but
mothers
be ready to accept our gospel now?
The remainder of the afternoon was con-
sumed in discussion along the same general
lines, the topic being the attitude of the
women toward the Cars peace conference.
Much OF 1t hung upon d petition presented
| by Rev. Amanda Deyo expressing the hearty
sympathy Of the undersigned sovereign
citizens" of the United States with the
| Cars noble effort for the cause of God and
humanity. Rev. Anna Spencer, of Provi-
dence, r. l., thought there had been times
IA hon hsa1 10 M ~
| good in conflict. She had never had, she
declared, so deep a sorrow in connection
| with her own country as in the events of
| the past few months. She could not see
| how any human being could contemplate
| with pride the rise of the war spirit in this
| country. She believed arbitration measures
| for settling difficulties must for years pre-
| cede universal disarmament.
Miss Susan B. Anthony objected to the
phrase sovereign citizens" in Rev. Deyos
| absurd she said. 1--WE are not SOVEREIGN
| offensive are political slaves"
| Further discussion was INDUCED in by
| Anna Shaw and Mrs. May Wright Sewall,
| who declared that women were born as SOW
| ereign citizens and that no man could take
this sovereignty from them. 1t was sug-
| Cars motive i'll proposing disarmament was
not altogether a disinterested one and was
| made for selfish purposes. The petition Of
| fered by Rev. Deyo will go to the committee
| on resolutions
At to-nights session a number of inter-
esting reports We're read. That on the Ma
| tional Woman's Christian Temperance
| Union by Lillian NJ Stevens the president,
| of Maine, asserted that the canteen system
| of the army had been abolished largely
| through the efforts Of the association. She
| eulogized the late Frances f. Willard and
| read telegram announcing the passage by
| the Illinois State Senate Of a bill author
izing the placing Of statue to her in the
| national capitol. A petition was adopted
| requesting the Illinois House OF Representa-
| tives to take favorable action on the bill.
| HOLSTER. told
| the work of the supreme hive Ladies of
| the Maccabees OF the World, and Minnie J.
| Snow, of Utah, spoke of the Young Ladies
! National Mutual Improvement Associa ton.
| Mrs. Mary c.. Osgood. of New Hampshire,
| reported for the National Free Baptists'
| Womans Missionary Society, and Miss
| Fanchon e. Maddix. of New York, for the
| National Association of Women Stenog-
| raphers The evening closed with an adj
| dress on christianity as Related to So
| GEOLOGY" by Mrs May Perkins Davis.