The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-01
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN.
The executive committee of the National
Council of Women. which meets in this city
to-day represents one of the organizations
which made the nineteenth century one OF
remarkable progress in the way of recog-
nizing and developing the influence OF
women in social, political, economic and
reform movements. In fact, about all OF
the progress women have achieved in this
respect was during the second half of the
last century. At it's beginning they were
not recognized as a factor in public move
ments, and married women especially were
under various legal disabilities that were
inherited from feudal times.
At present women are a recognized power
in social and economic reforms, in civic
progress, and in most of the movements
for the betterment Of society. Their ac-
tivity is represented by numerous organiza-
tons. Not to speak Of church and mis-
sionary societies, which are very numerous,
nor of the Women's Christian Temperance
Union, which represents a branch of mod
Woman's Suffrage Association, the Wom-
ans Relief Corps and the women's Fedora
ton of Clubs, all of which are national in
their scope. He would be a rash and fool
ish man who should deny that so many.
intelligent women, organized and working
on parallel lines to common ends, do not
constitute a social factor of real force and
utility. Recent history proves conclusively
that they do, and their influence is steadily
increasing.
The organization whose executive COM
mittee meets here to-day is a national one.
At it's second biennial session, held in Phil
adelphia in 1894, there were @25 delegates
present froms thirty-seven States, and 500
other women. AS now organized, the Ma
tional Council represents all womens clubs
of whatever kind that have affiliated with
it through State Federations, embracing
an aggregate membership of about two mill
lions Besides a large number of literary
clubs, civic Improvement clubs. etc., the
Federation embraces societies for almost
every good purpose that women can labor
for, and it is affiliated with the Interna-
| tional Council in Europe, which is working
| on the same lines
1t may interest the women who will be
here this Week from all parts of the country
TO know that Indiana was the first State in
the Union TO pass laws removing the legal
disabilities from women regarding the
holding of property. This action was due
mainly to the persistent efforts of Robert
Dale owen, who, as a member of the con-
stitutional convention of 1850 and later, as
a member OF the Legislature, labored to
that end until he created a public senti-
ment that brought it about. The women
of Indiana recognized Mr. Owens services
in their behalf by presenting him. in 1851,
with a silver service. In accepting it he
| said:
In after days Ii may need some such me-
| mortal as the rich and graceful gift that
/ now stands before me to remind a more
| enlightened generation that time was when
the law took from wives their property and
/ from parents the right to convey what
/ they would to a child. That exertions of
mine may have contributed, in manner how
i humble soever, to remedy injustice thus
/ Migrant Will be to me pleasant thought
| In that hour, the last of earth'S pilgrimage,
/ when all things, good or evil, put on their
| true garb, and when the deeds of a past
life, standing forth, as before Gods throne
| they might, unmasked, unveiled receive
| Judgment from a heart soon to be stirred
no more forever by the fears or the prompt
| lngS or censure or of praise.
The action of the Indiana Legislature in
this matter was commended by London of
that day, but it was not till 1870, nearly
twenty years later, that Parliament passed
a law similar to that of Indiana
From the present era of full recognition
of women's legal rights and their activity
| in civic and social reform movements it is
a long call back to the period, only little
more than fifty years ago, when they were
still subject to the legal disabilities of the
middle ages.