Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-08
BOSTON STORE.

bership that applied any political or sec
tartan test to members From the first its
aim has been altruistic, but during the first
few years its chief energy was required to
perfect the organization that 1t might be
made an effective working force and 10
overcome the obstacles incidental to such
an organization. And apace with the
growth of the General Federation was the
development of the State Federation and
the club
Organization meant the extension of ben
efts and the standing committees resulted
as the medium for accomplishing this ex-
tension. 1t is interesting to note that these
original committees were chiefly for the ex-
tension of interest in art, music literature
and education-subjects tending to self-lm-
provement-and it was here in these first
/ efforts to extend these pri' ieges to the
less fortunate that the club woman first
learned to what extent the altruistic work
OF any community is handicapped by the
laws that govern it., the lack of laws or the
J lack of their enforcement.
"MOtherinE'' the World.
| Undaunted. however, and with all the op-
timistic faith of the inexperienced but well
meaning woman, they set about the many
ways that women know of attaining their
l cAuEs luulittNig- mere the real Gnllknlen~
ment and education commenced but, re-
fusing to accept anything an unalterable
| condition. they looked about for a remedy,
, which they have decided consists largely
in adequate laws backed up by public opin-
ion. Then came the sealon Of education by
| agitation and the subsequent discovery that
promises came easier than results also that
| while art and music and literature are
most desirable, there we're many things
| that a large share of society required first,
| II not more, and for the first time some of
the worlds great problems began to loom
| up before them in their real magnitude.
| Born Of her maternal instinct and her ex-
periepce came recognition Of the fact that
the whole world needed mothering" and
| undismayed the club woman turned her at.
tention to the children only to find that
there were millions of uDfortunates barred
from her assistance by laws the inconsist-
ency of which is so largely responsible for
existing conditions Save the children;
hold onto their parents and change the
laws" said the club woman, and without
further delay all OF clubdom set to work
There was so much educating to do and
the agitation, which had never abated. was
redoubled. and In another season the yards
and yards OF petitions from unorganized
women that had annually filled the Iegis-
lator's waste basket were replaced by bills
asking the creation of library commissions
OF appropriations for circulating and main
tanning the libraries that the clubs had
gotten together; for industrial schools and
for other things that would lend a foot
held for wOmans influence. And along with
these bills came the requests Of the State
Federation" which meant the women Of FRS
Intelligence. opportunity and social posi-
ton. and then the results began TO come
Thinking men were not slow TO respond q
these demands and the many who had beeI
deferred from taking the initiative pushed
thoee measures, relying upon the women
| ORGANIZATIONS for the agitation that Ah0ul'