The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-09

IN. PAUL June e.--It We're use
less to attempt q general re-
port of the biennial. In the
first place, the stay at-hofne
would not care for the pro-
ceedings in detail, in the second
place the editorial blue pencil would
relentIessly cut out the greater part
of it, and IN the third place, the re-
porter would run out Of adJectlves
long before the report was written.
Being my first attendance upon this
meeting, I cannot describe it by COM
parison with others. In the words or
the circus poster, It is ''stupendous
AGGREGATION" of the brightest and
finest women of America The woman
with flashing jewels and she of the
modest cotton shirt waist and time
honored black skirt, sit side by side
without the slightest thought that cir
cumstances have fixed a gulf between
them. The woman of pronounced SUI
frage views, and the most conservative
woman put their heads together ia for
getfulnesz of any variance OF bel1ef,
write the General Federation down
as at once the greatest elevating and
at the same time the greatest leveling
force. ever exerted upon the lives Of
women 1t is a common arena where
all earnest women may meet in sister
hood, where they work and speak for
the less fortunate and where, while
helping others, they are helping them
selves fmmeasurably. The Armory
seats 1000 people. It has been crowd
ed to It's limits each evening and COM
fortably filled at each day session. Up
and down the aisles OF the front part
of the house are the ranks Of blue ana
silver banners marking seats Of the
various state delegations to which the
blue and silver badge admits. From
$50 a. m. to $50 p. m. each day these
have been filed with enthusiastic woms
en-. intent upon the business of the oc~
cesion.
It were useless and tedious to de-
tail all the programmes here I viii
merely remark upon few of the more
notable things we have heard
Tt was Jane Adams who drew the
largest orowd-5. 600 people inside
2, 200 outside Her address was inter
esting but not so much so as Miss
Adams herself. Had she merely
stood upon the stage and let the people
look at her, the light which radiates
from her face, the beauty Of her SOUL
would have held them.
Cynthia Westover Alden. the noted
Sunshine Lady was also a delight
to the audience, and here again it was
personality which charmed.
Under the report OF the civic com
mittee. the address of DR.. Justus
Ohaye, commissioner of health of St
Paul was a. notable one. detailing. as
IL did the work that this remarkable
man has done in making this one of
the cleanest and heaIthiest cities of. the
world. The most scholarly address of
the meeting was given by Prof. s. II.
Clark Of the University Of Chicago,
on 1.-THE Spirit of Literature"
Another very fine address on What
We Should Demand of the Novel," was
given by Rev. Florence Buck of Ken
os1a, Wis
one OF the best numbers. both In
point Of argument, and Of gracious
presence was Character Building in
Home and School, by Mrs. Sara E.
Tfyre, of Cleveland. And no more eff
fective programme was given than that
under the auspices Of the Industrial
committee, when Mrs. Rheta Chfide
Dow the chairman, introduced repre-
ssntauves Of the working girls, who
told their own story in their own way
Under the grouping of Women IN
Professions" a delightful programme
gave US the scholarly president of
Mount Holyoke college, Miss Mary
WoOuey, the club woman and iOurnal-
ist Mrs. May Alden Ward. the calm
and logical physician, DR.. Sarah ken
dali; the gracious and winning Mrs
Bartlett Crane, minister; the witty law
ger, Mrs. Phillip Carpenter, and the
beautiful actress, Miss Amelia. Binp-
ham, who threw into her appeal for the
women Of the stage all the maEnetisu
and FIRE which has rendered her emit
nent in her profession.
The evening with woman. composers
was declared one OF the most brilliant