Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-05-18

work in speaking of these great organi-
cations of women said: "Fifty-tive
years ago. when began to speak,
there was not even womans society
in the church, and now the number OF
women who are working together for
themselves and for others number into
the thousands many times over"
One Is reminded of the old couple
from the country no stood for the
first liz. e in the presence OF a railroad
locomotive. AS the great iron horse
stood putting and snorting, the innocent
rustics gaZed upon it., aWestruck
John" said Mary cautiously. that
thing will never move" No" replied
y \. ut surely never will" But even
while they were speaking the brakes
were removed. the steam turned on and
the engine. with it's long train OF cars
following closely behind 1t, moved
ava. AS faster and faster it wound
gracefully over the prairies, wants ng
from the astonished eyes of our country
frie Is. the wife seized her husband by
the arm and cried. oh. John. John,
T. ng will ne stop" And 1t is
altogether probable that 1T will go on,
only stopping long enough to renew Its
Nornout parts, to lay aside outgrown
methods. TO adapt itself to new condi-
tons, and to take aboard those who
wish to travel that way.
Whether the spirit and It's Gull
mination in federation represents an
al advance in progress of the
world, or whether 1t merely represents
Il chase of high tide in this kind of
thing, l.: a IN II which only the flu
ture can settle. In regard to this rapid
advance of the club idea among wom-
en-, this universal acceptance of the
fact that 1t exists End has become a
prominent factor the lives Of SO many
women. there are conflicting IDEAS.
Mrs. Sarah Platt Decker of Denver Is
president of the General Federation of
. W. s a grand woman. broad
in her outlook. clear il her insight
clea. her judgment. definite in her
tn o""',t and purposes. -hrs. Decker
ranks the woman's club movement as
enc of The greatest leticial fluences
OF -. modern times. Sc says that
tt, club is coming for good and to stay.
1t has come to better the home by
| .oadening its life, by fres. ,ning it's
atmosphere. by infusing into the love
and devotion which already exist there
an 'ligent judgment which can
come by study and contact with
others.
On the other hand, Grover Cleve-
land, ex-president of the United States.
has placed upon the entire wolnan's
club movement. as such. an unquali-
tied, laborious and lugubrious censure.
1t Is not because there Is anything
new in Mr.. Cleveand's utterances that
they have been somewhat widely no
ticed and commented upon, for every
thing that women do or ever have done
| is AN occasion for criticism and offense
to some people; it is probably on ac-
count of the prominence of the writer
and because there is somewhat more
than the usual harshness and spleen in
] the spirit and letter of the phraseology
III which women are reminded OF the
| limitations of their sex and the bound
airy line Of their duties. 1t sounds like
stentoriaE voice from the far past
| calling through megaphone. There is
/ noise enough, all right, but the people
away to pc in the least affected. The
first question suggested to the average
| club woman by Mr.. Clevelands article
is, who revealed to him what is the
sphere OF woman's appointed minis
trationS'?
/ Mr. Cleveland generously admits tina,
II woman wishes to engage in philan-
thropc work or social life she may
probably be trusted to do 80. but woe
to that woman who Graves and works
for intellectual life and development.
Such an one is a perversion of God.
gift to humanity. She is responsible
for married happiness in the home, anc
IS intiicting an injury upon domestic
life.
We will chcerfully Join hands will
any one who declares that what tn,
world most CT all needs is better moth