The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-10

Excitement over the constitutional
amendments ran so high at the De-
cember meeting of the city federation
of club al Unity church Thursday that
it was impossible to get the attention
or interest of the delegates for any
other subject letter was read by
Mrs. Clement Smith, the president,
from Mrs. Thorpe, police matron, ask
ing the aid of the federation for her
annual Christmas treat for the little
children of the poor" In former years
the federation has helped Mrs. Thorpe,
the clubs usually assessing their MEM
bers ten cents each for this laudable
purpose. Thursday the club women
We're inclined to be ''picky' about the
matter. Some of them objected be-
cause Mrs. Thorpe spoke of the as
sessment as something the federation
had pledged itself to. One woman,
who is interested in the Provident as
ISOLATION. showed some jealousy for
that organization of Mrs. Thorpe's eff
forts and said the Provident associa-
| ton looked after needy cases, and
there was really no call for the fedora
ton to help Mrs. Thorpe this year.
One woman, however, it is believed.
voiced the sentiments of the majority
of the club women who have good
hearts and true if they are a little
misty on parliamentary practice, when
she said that although the Provident
association looked after the strict
necessities of the poor at Christmas
time. Mrs Thorpe's Christmas treat
was intended to carry a little joy into
the lives of the children and the fed
Grafton ought to be glad to help with
the work. The matter was finally left
in the hands of the individual clubs
They may help or not as they like.
Probably they viii all help. if they did
fuss a little because assistance seemed
to be demanded of them The sum OF
ten cents is very little. There is not a
woman in the federation who can not
afford to give it and if all comply with
Mrs. Thorpe's request it will mean a.
sum of something over sixty dollars
for her Christmas treat.
Mrs. Thorpe said in her letter that
there arc only about forty cOIored
children on her list for Christmas be-
cause as a rule the employers of col
ored men and women remember their
children at Christmas and they fare
better than many of the white child
rem. Her charges are selected from
the most desolate cases of neglected
childhood in town. She owned that
some of the parents were shiftIess and
lazy but thought the children ought
not to suffer on that account 1t is
hard to understand how the club
women could have failed to be moved
by her plea which was direct and
touching. But no doubt they will re-
spond to it heartily when they think
it over. Thursday was their day to
haggle and bubble anyway
Another thing, Mrs. H. o. Garvey
wasn't at the meeting, having gone to
Mission Center to read j paper before
the farmers institute, and Mrs. Garvey
is usually the one to champion such
causes in the federation. Any call for
help from any charity receives
prompt response from her and she is
usually the first on her feet with a
motion that the federation do what
ever is asked of IL in this way. There
is something contagious about good
viii and her enthusiasm usually carries
everything before it.
The trustees of Unity church, where
the federation has held its meetings
for a good many years. have raised
the price of the rental for the meet
ings and the hall committee has been
looking around for something cheap.
er. They haven't succeeded in finding
it, but the First Baptist church win
rent their parlors for the same price
and it may be decided to make the
change. Thursday the church was far
from comfortable in the matter Of
heat and when darkness came on be-
fore the meeting was over there was
some trouble in getting light. The