New-York tribune., 1905-04-14
THE COUNCIL OF WOMEN.
Officers Elected - Strong Anti-
POtggGnly Resolutions Adopted.
IFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU.l


Washington April ls.-The National Council Of
Women opened this mornings session by electing
olncers for the next three years Mrs Mary Wood
SWlTt was reelected national president. She is
nluns out the unexpired term Of Mrs. Tod Hemuth,
VINO resigned about a year ago In accepting the
presidency, Mrs. Swift said that she had expected
10 go home free from bondage. but would do the
best she could for the council Mrs Kate Waller
Borrett. OF Alexandria Va. reelected national
senior vice-presdent. Mrs. Belinda S. Bailey. OF
CaiIorniao was chosen corresponding secretary:
Mrs. Frances z. Burns. OF Michigan, first recording
secretary. and Mrs. Isabella Qunlan second record
ing secretary.
The anti-pOlygamy resolutions produced some ex-
coemenr determined effort was made to keep
them back but. in answer TO demands from all
parts OF the hall Miss Sadie American delegate
from the Society OF Jewish Women said that as the
resolutions were the business programme for the
morning Mrs. Elizabeth Granns. as chairman OF
the committee on resolutions should present them
MIS- Grannis was not ready to do So and endeav-
ored 70 prevent immediate action The demand be-
came insistent however The council took a vote
ana Mrs- Grannis finally yielded These resolutions
strongly oppose ''the seating or the holding Of q
seat In our National Congress by any man who NAV
pracuss or subscribe to poygamy." and they were
SO heartily Endorsed that when the vote was taken
mere were only three who protested
Mrs. Pauline Stfnem- objected to the resolutions
She saio she was not in favor Of prosecuting any
one foF his religion. She also called attention to
Ihe TWO Mormon organizations that are members
OF the National Council and have done their part
IN Its good work. To adopt the resolutions. she
to leave the council
Mrs. Manchester said she was president OF the
executive council when the two Mormon organza-
lions OF women came to the council. She did not
know just how they got in. but they did When
delegates from these Mormon organizations ap-
peared and they asked as to how they got in
the reply was that they "rich" and would
help the council
ton OF politics in the resolutions. She said that
as women were not voters in the majority OF the
States, she cid not believe they had right to
dictate to the voters, to Congress to the State
legislatures.
Mrs. Sewau objected to hurting the feelings Of
any one OF the aflliated organizations I'VE did
not ACCEPT these societies MormOns.' she added.
'They came In as literary and phlanthroDic soc-
eties."
At to-nights sessions Mrs. May Wright SewalI
addressed the council on '"The Spirit OF Interna-
tiOnalism." and Mrs. Wiloughby Cummings spoke
OF Our International Relations"
When Edwin Markham appeared the platform
last night to read his poem. ''The Man With the
Hoe he explained that the poem was never in
tended TO represent the laboring class. a body
but that part Of It which has been the object OF
industrial oppression
As soon as he retired the Rev. Anna Howard
Shaw took his place. and by way OF preface TO her
address said: There Is shape which is more
terrible than The Man With the Hoe and that
IS the wife Of the with the hoe" In dis
cussing the right of women to equality with man,
she said: women beginning TO decide for
themselves and to decide what God called them
into being for They will longer take the word
OF any one. They believe open sesame be
tween the heart Of woman and the motherhood of
out the help OF any middlemen. Last year, IN
Berlin II was shown that they are thinking and
feeling their way toward the light They took up
a new propaganda, that OF political and civil
Women to Miss AnthOny's position. In church.
society, education, home government, they
are asking nothing more We desire to
secure the same rights given IN any country,
and here especially, for there is not country in
Europe which does not give greater credit to its
women AS for me, would rather be a free woman
IN hell than bond slave in Heaveni 1t Is said that
women should more children, but say that
YOU must first make your country Mt TO rear chill
dren IN. The idea that. no matter what an intel!i-
gent woman may do for the race, the degraded
mother is greater Is a lot OF sentimental gush It's
sIl fornmyrot Motherhood is nObie-quite noble
az fatherhood II motherhood is ignoble, it is quite
fOrohle fatherhOod To make either noble there
and tails are full already. The inmates are there
bacaiIge we have talked about the responsibilities Of
oorherhood and forgotten about the responsibilities
OF fatherhood Children are not so bad as the man
need 10 make this world safe for children To 90 so
1vo must give them social heredity, so that they
,fIl he horn IN safe conditions and protected until
grown This cannot be until women nave rights IN
mothers as well city fathers We desire suffrage
as a means 10 an END. -, -. -, -. -
,-an 10 sneak ffty-fve years ago. there was not
were dfty-aeven national organizations OF women
nth he National Council.