The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-16
THE CAUSE OF WOMAN.
,vrBICby DELEGATES TO THE IN
uB,.TIONiL COUNCIL IN LONDON.

uor the Council Began and Grew-The
prorrnmme of Its MeetinRs-Some Re-
cent judicial Decisions Affecting Women
rh. Sew York school Bill-womsn
u,,c Been II Factor In Recent Elections.
s,ingnishrd party of women will leave
o.. Emitted states Tor England early in June.
,,,., noted among them will be Susan H.. An
,hoov, in her NO'h year, making her second
.'"n ,h,,aI; Mrs. May Wright Sewall. ex-
,].nsiioDt 81 the National Council Of Women
..nInr. ~ the leading educators OF the day
ono Few Anna Howard Shaw. the well-known
,.o,nror and the only ordained
r]inistcr in the Methodist denomina-
,ion accompanied by her private Sec
,.,orv for ten years. Miss Lucy f..
,ntbory; Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery. who has
hoon corresponding Secretary OF the National
woman Suffrage Association for twenty years,
,rl Mrs. fannie Humphreys Gaffney. President
.,.,nel Council OF Women. Besides these
,n.re wtl tie n largo number OF women emf
,er, In the literature. the reforms. the phi
ior,hrorir, and the various public enterprises
~ our country The destination OF oil these
Americans l. London. and the object the Inter-
,,,ional Council Of Women. which will hold its
.sconj quiuIucnuial session from June % to
July
This will I've undoubtedly the most impor-
,,,t coryurntinn of women ever held. not ex-
con,inr that wonderful Congress OF Women
during the Columbian Exposition. 1t will
assemble in the largest city on the globe
rrominrnt women from every civilized coun-
FRY will take rart in its proceedings. and its
,rocramme will include every branch OF the
sreat work Of the world with which women
are directly connected.
What is this lntcrnational Council? 1t Is a
federation Of the National Councils OF Women
IN yariou. countries. and its object is to provide
a means Of communication between these
widely separated organizations and to bring
them together IN conference every five years.
sorganiled in the interest Of no one propa-
randa, and every one OF the councils compos-
ing it has an equal share in its deliberations
and an equal voice in its government. We
may be pardonrd a certain amount Of pride in
the fact that this Internationa Council was
formed in the United States and originated with
American women.
A number Of years ago. in 1888. to be OK
not. whom Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan
Il. Anthony were in England. they agreed with
the very progressive womcn of that country to
hold an international Woman Suffrage Con-
vcntion. in 1883. in Washington city. to cele-
bra'e the fortieth anniversary of the first
Noman's Rights Convention. which was held
in lS4S in Seneca Falls. n. Y. Before the
preparations scarcely were under way it was
deemed advisable to broaden the scope OF this
proposed meeting so IA to include all Or
CARNATIONS Of women. whether or not
they stood for suffrage. and to give 1t
The comprehensive name Of Internationa
Woman's Council. This proved to be SO great
Il success. and women were present from so
many different countries that the idea preached
by Mrs. ScwalI. to make it a permanent organi-
cation, was eagerly accepted. The first officers
were: President Mrs; Millicent Garrett Faw-
ee't, England: Vice President, Clara Barton
S~ecretary. Mrs. Foster Avery, United States.
,s The h ari' a 6uiiG @pGGn ia re, gsst hm; IVA Vas id to h, have n'
England waived their rights in favor OF Chi
Cdgo because OF the Worlds Fair. The Inter
national Council became a part OF the great
n mSp,at i r9 We're rep 9t snas year The en Wo nn,rts
Council OF the United states. Mrs. Mary Wright
sewail. President, made itself responsible Tor
from foreign countries. As a. result OF the
enthusiasm created at this time a number
Nationai Councils among their own people.
which became auxiliary to the International
The %o1irers elected in Chicago were the
Mrs SewQll, United States, Nice-President
Baroness G,rip"nbcrE. Finland. Treasurer; Miss
rotary; Nine: Nar.a Martiin. France. Record iHH
Secretary. Upon these women has devolved
the thmense task Of arranging for the ap,
women feel that the next presidency should
cone to the United States.
The affiliated council, are those Of America.
Italy. New Zealand. New South Wales. DC. and
the addresses will be in English, French or
for r ,''r' Il n.oi It IS u" diyi / ed'' into i i've ' see:
lions educational professional. Legislative and
ln,ustrial, POLITICAL and social. and these are
Gus branches may be- presented by specialists.
there Will be two public mass meetings in
Queens Hall. one TO consider international ar
dThe other sessions will be held in Westminster
uoWh Hali. s., Martins and the Convocation
lilli 81 Church House. Westminster.
An Interesting feature of the Council will be
the social entertainments. Among these may
t tS mTenti1med a Tsception At Stafford House
land; one at Surrey House. by Lady, Batter,
tGhss B / 6ES5d eT party n1yyoant , FHlh am Palace, by
,teight"li; and a party by Lady and Mrs. Leo.
Ioli de ltothSchild, at Gunnersbury Park. II
woull De dlfflcult to imagine ten days more re.
peiS win historical. intellectual and social en-
Ioyment.
The new legislation Of each year shows
general tendency in favor o! women. At leas
sixteen states during the past twelve month";
nave enacted laws regarding property. bust
Ioco, dlct. ScnOOlS, marriage
oiVorce. 8c. all making conditions somewha
nr'er Tor women. 1t is only within the las
MY years that the links in the old common
ID" nave begun to fall apart. and the chains
nave heen partly lifted which have held woman
d IegsI captive for centuries. Much yet re-
mains to be done before she can stand a fire.,
woman IN the eyes Of the law. BY no means
nave al III" disabilities been removed, a.
nmmaa" seem 10 think, but even had the las
o onr been wiped out. the chance OF woman L
DU,''a Justice would not be equal to that o
aaSlns 80 l9hT a. she has no power TO elect tn,
Hmn'r> OF me law or to demand a jury of he
i""ta y letter Just received from a woman
ever says II | could but describe some o
NV Eases WITHIN my personal knowledge wher,
rU'HcI!. III th"lr attempt to secure justice from
sme courts, not only have been frustrated b,
neS IeshI hindrancc, but have been brow
naa,eh. l%laullc,. impcached "a to character. |
Iev,.s 20 me there would be Il revolt by all en-
igitened people"
ihe great majority OF women are not SO sit
ua,ru as 10 i""l the weight Of he law. A shor
my hGp. AZ one OF the clubs composed OF tn,
t%%."i'u women. the protected and pampered
,mea' seemed 10 he II general sentiment tina
wwudheh hhi. sufficient rights. Finally a laL!
"raiHlG u widow veil exclaimed In a chokinI