The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-07
Topeka Women Consider the
Proposition Briefly.
No Formal Action to Carry Out
Project.
MR.. GLEED'S ADDRESS.
Talks Entertainingly OF Over
Education Idea.
Memorial for the Late Judge s.
A. kingman.

Inc especial interest which the To-
peka federation of women's clubs takes
in Greater Washburn and the commun-
Sly of interests which might naturally
be presumed to exist between these To-
cal factors in intellectual progress was
evidenced in the October meeting of
the federation in Washburn chapel yes
terday. The occasion was the regular
quarterly meeting of the federation but
contrary to the usual custom it was
held in Washburn hall instead of at
Unity church where most of the meet
1ngs are held. The topic of the after
noon was THE Club Women and the
University" and the principal speaker
was Mr.. j. Willis Gleed, whose address
was an answer to a magazine article
recently published criticising the over
education of the women OF the west
srn United States. President Norman
Riass of Washburn. who was also ask
ed to speak did not wander far in his
Few remarks from his master passion,
the upbuilding of a great university IN
Topeka. and took no pains to conceal
the fact that his idea of the proper re-
aationship of the club woman TO the
university is one of practical service
from the former to the latter. Among
other objects suggested by DR.. Plass
for the Topeka federations immediate
efforts were a girls gymnasium at
Washburn and new books for the Car
ceived without enthusiasm by some of
the club women, judging by the gossip
heard over the tea and waters during
the social hour following the pro-
Eramme. Just why would be hard to
explain, since his remarks were quite
TO the point of the afternoon topic, but
If the glittering generality would have
been referred Dy some OF his hearers
to definite suggestion of practical
means of usefulness from the Topeka
clubwoman to the Topeka university it
IS not the first time that solicited add
vice has been resented.
1t may be that the clubwomen are
interested in the university only for
programme purposes and that DR..
Plass would have made more of hit
If he had talked of the relationship
between them only generally and had
filled in with a boost for the proposed
federation club house instead of the
Washburn gym and library.
That project, by the way, of the club
house, was discussed but briefly at the
meeting although it had been expected
that considerable attention would be
paid to it and possibly some definite
movement made toward carrying out
the plan proposed by Mrs Noble Prem
tbs. hostess of the Kansas building at
the Worlds fair, who wants the To-
peka federation to secure the building
and move it to Topeka for club
house. Mrs. G. o. Knowles. a member
of. the club house committee, and
putative mother or at least god
mother of all club house schemes
since a club house is a project as dear
to her as Greater Washburn is to DR..
Plass-spoke briefly on the subject of
Mrs. Prentis' plan and seemed to IA
vor it Mrs. Knowles has just return
ed from St. Louis, having made a trip
with the club house project especially
in mind. She said the committee had
been assured that the plan of moving
the building and re-erecting it in To-
pekea was feasible and that the ex-
pense would probably be less than
that of a new building. She said the
Kansas Worlds fair commission was
not unfavorable to the idea of such a
disposition of the building and would
consider an offer from the federation.
And here ended the discussion. for
yesterday at least.
Mrs. Knowles, as president of the
Ceramic Art club also addressed the
federation on the subject of an arts
and crafts exhibition which she de-
sires the local club women to under
take when the Kansas State Fedora
ton of clubs comes here for its an
nual meeting the second week in May,
in case the invitation of the Topeka
federation to hold the meeting here is
accepted. The Ceramic Art club
which is all pulled up over the success
of it's exhibit at the st. Louis fair, viii
display its work in any case and Mrs
Knowles thought the federation ought
60 make this display the nucleus for
a creditable showing of local work in
arts and crafts.
Mrs. Margaret Hill McCarter read
a memorial to the late Judge Samuel
Kingman to whom the federation was
bound by ties of personal friendl1ness
and gratitude as we'll as on account or
the prominence in club work of MIS-
Kingman and their daughter MISS
Lucy Kingman. The federation voted
to adopt the memorial and sent copies
TO Mrs. and Miss Kingman.
Mr. GIeed's address was the best
the federation has had an opportunity
clever entertaining and sensible
throughout. Taking as his text the
aforementioned article which sought
TO excite pity for the educated
mother whose college education has
not saved her from mental work in
her own home in the care of house
and family Mr. Gleed showed how
happy and blessed the American wom-
an was under such circumstances.
Even granting, he argued, that her
lot was sometimes cruelty hard, was
her education not always help rather
than a hindrance, a source of comfort
and inspiration raising her above her
daily cares and troubles, elevating her
necessary and often painful service for
her family and her nome to plane
impossible to the sodden mind of the
unintellectual worker? Instead of re-
garding as a cause of shame the writ
er's charge that it is only in the
United States that one finds women
of college education who do their own
housework and can take their hands
out of the dishwater to help their
daughters at the piano or lay aside
their mending to assist their sons in
the study of geometry and physics,
Mr.. GIeed was inclined to point with
pride He denied that there is any
great inequality in the condition of
men and women of the same class in
the western United States and was
inclined to think that household
drudgery was not more wearying or
distasteful than the drudgery of Of
fee or shop. He did not think Ameri-
can women would relish pity from