The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-21
Eighth Annual Convention OF
the Federation Begins
MRS. WYKER'S ADDRESS
Local Minister objects to Christening
of Boat With Champagne, and
Says Women Should Refuse
to Perform Ceremony.

tials. About 100 club women from all
parts of the state are present.
Mrs II. B. Scott delivered the address
of welcome and was responded to by
Mrs. Henry Miner Of Birmingham. Miss
Chandler of Birmingham sang solo.
The address of the president, Mrs. John
D. Wyker, was the leading feature. Prof.
Clarence Klenk of Huntsville rendered
two violin solos. E. H Allison sang and
Miss Jet, an impersonator from Texas,
recited
Mrs. Milton Humes of Huntsville gave
an extensive report on reform work,
which showed wonders had been accom-
plished for street waits of Alabama by
women's clubs.
The Rev. W. Y. Qusenberry gave some
Of the club women a mild rebuke today
on the question of christening the new
steamer America tomorrow with cham
payne. He said IL the owners of the
boat refused tic have 1t christened with
water the ladies should refuse to christen
1t, as all the saloon men of the city were
Dragging over the fact that the presi-
dent of the Federation would christen
the boat with champagne and that 1t is
the talk of the town.
Mrs. Wyker's address follows:
Mrs. Wyker's Address.
"This being the first time that club
women have appeared in public in the
Decaturs, and as the arrival of our an
niversary inclines us TO look backward,
we will indulge the inclination tonight
nd 4otra Qianpp at
history as a federation. was surprised
to learn recently, in conversation with a
friend of the legal fraternity. that the
Progressive Culture Club was regarded
by him as a band of Women's Rights
women, so 1 would like to tell the gen.
tlemen who have honored us with their
presence tonight something about the
club women of our state.
1.-THE term club woman is subject to
wide difference in Interpretation and def
milton. To many, as in the case of, my
friend it means the woman with mascu-
line tendencies, such as staying out
nights, wanting to vote, to go to war,
and emancipate herself from doing what
she has been brought up to do, and elect
herself to doing all those things she has
a mind to do. Others define her as rest
less woman who cannot be contented
with minding her own business but must
needs gossip over the business of others
with like minded women. Far from hav-
ing masculine tendencies, the club wom-
an Is the most intensely feminine crea-
ture possible; she never clubs at night
and is against war even for men. TIC
the charge that she has tendency to
do what she has mind to do-she must
plead guilty.
Education, art, music. literature, do
nestle science and charities form the
list of the dreadful things the Alabama
club women have mind to study. II
you were to go with me tonight to an in
stitution a few miles from Birmingham
and ask the waits, some of whose fathers
and mothers are serving their time In
the penitentiary, or the boys sentenced
last year to the coal mines from our
county but through the efforts of clut
women paroled by our kind Governor tc
be placed in this institution, or that
other boy taken by our probate judge
and commissioners court from the Nor
gan county infirmary to this school, what
kind of a woman club woman is,
think a chorus of sixty boyish voices
would tell you, 'She is an angel OF
light" But If you were to ask the same
question of some of our prominent cler-
gymen of our state, I am afraid the an
boys are color blind.
When our Federation was first formed
for two years the work was of literary
character only, but from reading books
ourselves grew the desire to give them
to others, and a library of 600 volumes
was placed in the Girls Industrial School,
travelling libraries sent into the country
districts and local ones established in
various towns of the state, our own Co
taco library of the Decaturs being one
of them.
Several scholarships in the Girls In
dustrial School and in the Julia Tutwiler
annex to the State University have been
kept up by different clubs
THE problems which confront us are
very different from those which our
sisters east and west must deal with.
insufficient money for public schools and
lzindergartens make such questions as
compulsory education, schools of manual
training or domestic science. drawing
and music in public schools, outside con-
sideratlon while we hang our heads
when we hear of the number of white
men who continue to make their mark
when they register as voters.
Our new committee on legislation has
done nothing this year. but it will be
heard from next year when the child la
DOT Dill comes Up. In the meantime, you
Will remember that it was reported last
year that 1900 children under the age of
ten are at work in the cotton factories of
our state, thus by a strange coincidence
giving each club member a word
"A physician told the chairman of this
committee that he had cut off 100 little
fingers manned In these factories in one
town. We know that these questions are
difficult of solution; with the mother in
the factory. which is better for the child
labor by her side bent double for fen
hours in the day, or freedom to run wild
in the devils work shop-the street.
"A club woman from a neighborinp
state wrote me last year that 1.-THE club
woman had served her day. am not a
believer In the doctrine 1.-THE hand that
rocks the cradle, is. the land that rules
the world" but l do believe that the
home-maker and home-keepers have
their share of responsibilities In moulding
public sentiment, and while the state an
preparation for the reformatory is insuff-
Client to open its doors to every demand.
and while our state of whose advantages
the politicians remind u.s. when they
boast of their love for her broad rivers,
her mountains with their untold stores of
mineral wealth, her valleys and her
plains, while our fair state has no state
asylum to shelter little girls taken from
the streets or from homes worse than the
streets. think the Alabama club woman
has not served her day."