The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-28
they DON'T LIKElT
Topeka Club Women Resent
Grover CIeveland's Attack.
Mrs. Noble Prentis Says That He
Is Ignorant.
DO A GREAT WORK.
Has Found No Untidy Homes of
Club Women.
just the Spirit of Some Men
Says Mrs. Monroe.

The club women of Topeka are some
what excited over the bitter attack
made on their organizations in the cur
rent number OF the Ladies' Home Jour
nal
The article is over the signature of
former President Grover Cleveland, and
IS an onslaught against club and suf-
frage movement in the United States.
The relation of women to home, social
and public life is discussed in a vigor-
Gus way, to use a very conservative
term. and in rendering his verdict the
| famous Democrat declares that ''the
best and safest club for woman to
paronize is her home.'
What Cleveland Said.
A fragment of Mr.. Cleveland's article
follows:
| 4 am persuaded that without exag-
| geration of statement we may assume
/ that there are wOman's clubs whose Cb-
/ jects and intents are not only harmful,
4 but harmful in way that directly
menaceS the integrity of our homes and
1 the benign disposition and character OF
our WifehoOd and motherhood; that
| there are others harmless in intent, but
whose tendency is toward waste of time
! ana perVerS1On of effort, IS well as to-
| ward the formation of the club habit,
and the liberation or active patronage
| of less innocent organizations; that
! there are also associations of women
I whose purposes of charity RELIGIOUS en-
| terprise or intellectual improvement are
altogether laudable and worthy Leav-
/ ing this latter class out of account, and
1 treating the subject on the theory that
only the other organizations mentioned
are under consideration, believe that
/ it should be boldly declared that the
/ best and safest club for a woman to
patrOnize is her home. American wives
and American mothers, as surely as
I he, hot ,l,1+- IN. se
hand that rules the world, have. through
their nurture of children and their in
| fluence over men, the destinies of our
/ nation in their keeping to a greater eX-
I tent than any other single agency. It
| is surely not soft-hearted sentimental
| ism which insists that in a country
/ where the people rule. a decisive share
in securing the perpetuity of its institu-
/ tions falls upon the mothers who devote
| themselves to teaching their children,
who are to become rulers lessons of
morality and patriotism and disinterest-
Ted citizenship. Such thoughts suggest
I how supremely great is the stake of our
| country in Woman'S unperverted stead
/ fastness and enjOin the necessity IF its
protection against all risks and all
| temptations.
Il am in favor of according to women
/ the utmost social enjoyment and I am
profoundly thankful that this, in gen
/ erous and sufficient measure, is within
/ their reach without encountering the
| temptations or untOward influences so
| often found in the surroundings of wo-
mans clubs"
The club women of Topeka are in
! censed over what they deem a slander
/ on their sacred cause" and make spi~-
| tied replies though some of them ad-
| yOcate that because of Cleveland'S ig-
norance, and the gossip concerning his
| own family Vagaries and mistakes, he
should not be deigned either notice or
| reply
To the latter idea the Women's Press
| club in session here on Wednesday, be-
/ came converts A resolution was pre-
sented condemning Cleveland severely,
! but upon the motions and arguments of
Mrs. Noble Prentis and Mrs. w. A.
| McCarter, the proposition was laid on
the table to wilt like a fallen leaf. Ed
ward Box, editor of the Ladies' Home
Journal, was also scored in the propOs-
ed resolution. That a publication sup
posed to be so generally devoted to wo-
| mems interests should have given space
/ to what was generally termed by those
who discussed it, SILLY nonsense and
''bosh,'' was also considered to be a
source of grievance.
/ A few terse expressions from Topeka
/ club Wones are given:
Ignorant Says Mrs Prentis.
! Mrs. Noble Prentis, former president
of the state federation: 1T is not
worth considering. I think that above
| everything else Mr.. Cleveland betrayed
/ a most convicting ignorance concerning
/ women's clubs. Why should he be
| Judge of women's affairs? I will admit
| that some women act silly over club,
! church and kindred organizations. They
| go too far and make a ridiculous ap-
/ pearance. But it is wonderful end
! that Women's clubs have accomplished.
It is a beautiful work. have gone
| into the homes of hundreds of club Wo-
men of Kansas and have yet to find
one untidy and not we'll kept. The
friendships which club women make
nc
legacy to their children. a precious
thing. No, can say but one tnlng
and that is, that Mr.. Cleveland betray-
ed nothing but ignorance, and that his
silly charges are entirely unworthy OF
notice"
just Like Some Men.
Mrs Lee Monroe, formerly secretary
of the Topeka federation, a member of
the Sorosis and other clubs:
Mr. Cleveland just showed the
says, and I shall say to you women
what you shall do That is The atti-
tude he assumes. His own life is too
fall of bad rumOrS for him to order
He does not know what he is talking
about-he is ignorant of what WO-
mems clubs are doing for progress.
| think that the Press club made a mis-
| take by not adopting resolutions of
| censure."
In Poor Taste.
Mrs. A. H. Horton. member Of the
executive board of the Topeka Fedora
ton:
"T consider CleveIand's attack IN
necessarily abusive. It was absolutely
unbecoming on his part, and in verv,
very poor taste. His statements are
exaggerated to a frightful degree, ana
! he shows base ignorance of what he
was writing about
Too Busy With Other Subjects.
Mrs. H. o. Garvey, former president
of the Topeka Federation.
II wonder if he knows anything