Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-09

DISCUSSION OF CleVelandS recent az
| tack on womens clubs, does not end.
! From Elnora Monroe Babcock, super
| nterdent Of press work for .the Ma
tional American Suffrage Association,
of ,DunlSirk. N. Y, comes the following
request to this paper:
will you kindly give space in your
columns for the enclosed reply to the
attack Of Grover Cleveland In the
| Ladies' Home Journal upon club wo-
men? 1nasmuch as this article is
being, widely quoted from by the press
trust YOU will give the defense
chance to be heard. Trusting you VIII
grant this favor for the benefit of your
many readers Interested in the work
of club women. ] am, etc"
The enclosed reply. signed consists
of the following:
Eek president Cleveland has writ
ten an article on 'Womans Mission
and Woman's Clubs which is so ex-
tremely reactionary in tone that 1T Will
make the average reader smile
"Nr Cleveland Is an honest and
courageous man, but he has always
had a streak of narrowness and this.
shows itself especially on the woman
question. When some democratic wo-
men years ago organized club TO
work for The success of that party. and
wanted to name 1t the Frances
Cleveland Club, Mr.. Cleveland's wrath
was almost comic, as was his pompous
announcement to these well-meaning
democratic ladies' that he considered 1t
most unbecoming for a wor1an's name
to be brought before the public except
as an adjunct to her husbands.
"Mr. Cleveland now attacks the wo-
mans clul, movement in general. II
should be boldly declared he says that
the best and safest club for woman
to patroniae is her home. If she joins
even one club. she is in danger. Mem
bership In one such organization In
duces liberation and defense of club
ideas In general The club woman
should remember that she may be d.
rectly responsible for marred happi-
ness In other households and that as
an alder and abetter OF woman's clubs
she must bear her share OF liability
for the injury they may inflict upon the
domestic life Of our land
"Mr. Cleveland thinks women join
clubs largely In order to punish their
husbands for neglecting them, but as
agencies for retaliation or mans pun
ishment, woman's clubs are horribly
misplaced and miserably vicious.
"The great majority Of married wo-
men are on good terms with their hus-
bands. and have no wish to punish them.
The United States now has thou
sands OF womens clubs. with hundreds
OF thousands OF members 1t is absurd
to suppose that any considerable por-
ton Of these women Joined the CLUBS
for the sake Of wreaking vengeance on
their husbands. Women are merely
learning the lesson men learned Ions
ago, that organized effort Is more
effective than isolated endeavors, ana
that whatever they want, whether II
be amusement. instruction. or the ac-
scomplishment OF charitable and benev-
client work, they can attain to 1t Dest
by getting together Let any unpre-
JUDGED person read the long list OF
practical good works that have been
accomplished by the womens clubs OF
our country. to say nothing OIL the
broadening of women's own minds ana
the Frightening of their lives. ana ne
must be convinced that the club move
ment has been an enormous benefit
with some incidental evils. and not
as Mr.. Cleveland thinks. an enormous
evil with some incidental good.
"The incidental evils certainly exist.
There is no doubt that some women
Join too many clubs, and devote too
much time to them. Mr.. Cleveland
seems to think this has something to
do with woman suffrage. but he offers
no proof to show that excessive In
diligence In clubs Is more common IN
the equal suffrage states than IN THESE
where women do not VOTE
II dMrs. Julia Ward Howe, the presi-
dent of one of the pioneer women's
clubs, and also an early advocate OF
equal suffrage, while she heartily APP
proves Of the club movement In gen.
eraI. nevertheless warns women not to-
let themselves be dubbed to DEATH
What Mr.. Cleveland calls the club
habit is quite as common among wo-
men who oppose suffrage as among
those who favor IT.. II not more 80.
One prominent member Of the Massa-
chusetts association opposed to the
further extension OF suffrage to Wom-
en-, Mrs. Kate Gannett Wells, Is popu-
larly reported to be an officer In four
teen different women's clubs. Any
good thing may be carried to excess;
but that does not prove that 1t is In
itself bad.
"Mr. Cleveland says, Any discon-
tent on the part Of woman with her
ordained lot, or restless desire on
her part to be and to do something
not within the sphere of her appoint-
ed ministratons. can not appear 9th
erwise than as perversions of gift
of God to the human race Mr..
Cleveland regards man as the human
race, and woman merely as gift to
1t. Her appointed sphere is to min
lister to man, and II she wants to do
anything else in addition, 1t Is rest
lessness and rebellion.
"Mr. Cleveland insists over and
over again on Gods intentions as to
woman's mission, and finds women's
clubs opposed to the divine purpose.
But women do not believe that Mr..
Cleveland has had any special reve-
lation as to the divine purpose. They
think that some of the women who
have rejoiced in the club movement
such as Frances Willard for in
stance-were quite as likely as lie to
guess correctly at the secret of Gods
"CherbulIez puts into the mouth Of
~ kh> IN