The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
4 SERIOUS BAND or STUDENTS.
Growth and Work of the League for Politi-
cal Education.

cal EuucatlOn.
To begin as a committee with six members.
and in FIVE years to become a society with 800
members. is a pretty good record. 1t is one. at
least. OF which the League for Political Educa-
ton is very proud. The league is not eXclu-
sively for women, but it has been planned and
carried on by them. and nine-tenths OF its
members are women.
Although tho league has ten times the num-
Der OF members which certain women's organ
izations have. the general public hears COM
paratively little about 1t. There is too much
peace and harmony in the league to admit OF
it's being picturesque. Apparently the league
doesn't indulge in pyrOtcchnical squabbles.
1t breakfasts not-oticially neutrality-suspicious.
does 1t lunch or dine. AS for reading papers
about things. such lapscs into the ways OF
women's clubs are rarely absurd enough, when
the league has them, to be worth recording.
So the society has gone on growing In knowl-
edge, SO to speak. without attracting very
much attention.
1t got enough attention at the outset OF its
career. however. to last a good long time. That
was before it became a league at all. 1t was
known then as the Voluntary Committee. and
it created a stir which has not yet subsidized.
The Voluntary Committee and the league into
which it grew owe their formation to Mrs.
Henry NJ. Sanders perhaps more than to any
other one person. Mrs. Sanders is the wife of
the Rev. Henry NJ. Sanders. the pastor of the
Madison Avenue Baptist Church. She has a
charming house in Fifth avenue and a wide
circle of friends who-well, who had never been
heard Of in connection with the woman's suf-
frage movement prior to the famous year of the
Constitutional Convention. 1894.
Everybody remembers how the wonder grew
when woman's suffrage became the topic of
the hour in fashionable drawing rooms that
spring; how parlor meetings. attended by
scores of well-known men and women, were
held daily and almost nightly i'll houses where
Mrs. Grundy had hitherto frowned on anything
OF the sort; how. finally. the ants, led by Mrs.
Arthur NJ. Dodge. set up a rival campaign and
defeated the labors of the Voluntary Committee.
That Voluntary Committee was formed in the
autumn of 1893. and the six original mem bers
were Mrs. Sanders. DR.. Mary Putnam jacob.
Mrs. Robert Able. Mrs. C. A. Runkel. Mrs. Ben
Ali Haggin and Miss Adele NJ. Fielde. In the
November following the defeat OF their efforts
in behalf OF woman's suffrage the committee
met again at Mrs. Sauders's house and decided
to study up on questions of government and
sociological conditions. Fnrthermorc. they
DR.. jacob named. should be absolutely non
partisan. 1t SHOULD have no oficia! tenets of
any kind. not even on the question Of suffrage.
1t was to exist simply for educational purposes.
In January. lSt2, the pew orEaniZ3ti9n took
| rooms IN the berkeley LSceutn, ana lutTt IL
has ever, since continued q pursue the even
tenor Of its way Last year It had a member
classes every day of the week. There are three
classes every week in parliamentary procedure.
some man who is an authority. either in prac-
tice or in theory. on the questions studied w
members So has Carl Schurz. the late Col.
Waring. Charles J. bonapartGi, eX;MinIster
SStbewiHrts 1 Il: e M9&sa m}tb,, cE IGGim B 5%S gNW2n amen,
Prof. George Gunton. Justice William Jerome.
Edmond Kelly, Herbert WEIGH. George Haven
Of other well Unknown men, The most success
full course given blythe league was one by John
lecturcd forty-eight times last winter to audi
ences which sometimes numbered 500,
III H p ar my yw ths Ie" az mare rs no! s G2ns soIi 70 G t%ky
Monday morning. the, city government class
visits some municipal institution or DEPART
During the year Just past this class has been
personally conducted by Miss FieI,le, TO nolic;S
the exchanges. the Municipal Assembly. Chi
natown., Five Points; Little Italy and various
other interesting features Of the
bly, district work. There Is a Chairman
IN each district. and he or she is assisted 10y
district Agood deal of the WORK is simply in
the line Of investigation. Members ARE askc,
number and location of saloons: the schools
and other educational n Influences: the nupihcr
OF cluDs lOr bNNS anu y ! Us WV, " I,'l'"l 'H'7
their personnel. and methods; he theatres anc
other sources. ot recreation: in short, al. M
influences which enter into the making OF tho
tone of the district.
The present officers of the league are: Pres
ident. Mrs. II. NJ. Sanders; NIcc-Presidents
Mrs, Robert Able. Miss L, y. Bangs. Mrs
Winthrop Cowdin. Mrs. Ben Ali HAggin. Mr.
Hamilton Wright Mabie. Mrs. WI: L., Moyn"
Mr.. Alfred Bishop Mason, Miss Helen Mellow
DID, and Dr.. ". ii. Toiman: Trcasurer, Mis-
Laura V. Day: Corresponding Secretary. Dr
Mary Putnam jacob, and Recording Secretary
Miss Ficldc.