Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-04-01

| at is easy to show what this building
is not for. Negatively, it will stand for
more, if this plan is carried out, than
any building that was ever hut on our
free soil 1t will stand AS a slight and a
scorning to all the noble army of work
ers, the doors o. deeds worth while. The
women who are by force Of necessity, or
brains, teachers, physicians. artists.
farmers, LAWYERS, authors, architects,
musicians, ministers and philanthropists.
"A hall of tame for Frances Willard
lane AID ams and Clara Barton. for the
nurses who have Just gone to Japan,
and the women who have achieved sue.
cess in business, for Susan b. Anthony
and Mrs Leland stanford? O, no. not
for these mere workers. Think of it.
Contemplate it without blush il you
can. 1t is publ shed to the world that
there is a set OF women in the United
States who are willing not only to &C
knowledge themselves as the leaders of
society in their respective cities but TO
exhibit themselves as such. Shades of
great women gone before. Look down
in pity on this degeneracy. Imagine the
tranquil face of Lucy Stone-sweetest,
noblest, brayest, wisest, most steadfast
of them all-if this intelligence is waited
to her higher sphere There is Harriet
Beecher Stowe. our own countrywoman.
and the writer of the greatest novel in
the world and Harriet Hosner, the
sculptor 10 ST. Louis woman. by the
way); Lucretia Mott. the Friends preach
er; Daniel Boone's Rebecca, the pioneer
woman of the Louisiana Purchase terri.
tory, and scores OF Others as useful, as
honorable and as famous, all without
the pale
There is one new and unique qualifi-
cation for admittance to this soon-to-
be-famous hall of fame. The originals
of the pictured inmates may be alive.
They may judge of themselves whether
they really are 'ultra-fashibnable and
leaders of their set This is great ad
vantage, for how any one else could give
a satisfactory and unbiased opinion Is
more than | can guess. There is one
rich woman of social distinction who
may be permitted to have her framed
photograph hung ia the exclusive COM
pany, notwithstanding the fat that She
has done beautiful thing That Is
Mrs, lack Gardner, of Boston, who has
built tho wonderful Italian Palace and
filed it with art treasures from all oyel
the world and invited all the world to
see and study them But maybe she
would not care tor the distinction-who
knows? | hope there will be many a
woman in every city in the Union who
will scoin the questionable honor if
proffered her.
"Thank heaven that Kansas women,
regardless OF social standing, wealth
and fashionable attire, can 60 to their
own building and be as good as any
body. The hostess who will presto
over our state building is admitted glad
lv to any social set in Kansas, but that
is not the reason she was chosen to act
in this capacity for us at St. Louis. 1t
is because she had done things, becaus'
she is interested in humanity, and espec-
tally in the progress, the enlightenment
and culture of women Nothing but
this could have secured such position
for the proud state of Kansas, and no
other qualifications should have put any
woman in prominence at worlds fair
in America in this day and age-especial-
" not i'll the position of president OF the
board of lady managers nor as hostess
OF the Woman's building.
"The most disgracelul feature of the
whole shallow and disgraceiul plot, it
seems to me, is the fact that it was sug
gested by man who wants to EXHIBIT
the collection OF pictures in other cities
after the fair is over, and use the whole
scheme as advertising for a private en-
terprise. 1t Is almost beyond belief tina l.
enough women to cons itute board OF
managers could have been found who
would fall into such trap. The club
women of the country may not be able
to stop the silly performance, but they
can rise up in their might and protest,
and thus prevent American womanhood
from becoming the laugning-stock of the
world"