Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-18
WOMAN II CLUB AND CHARITY

Commenting upon the recent meeting OF
the social science department of the Wom-
ans club, when the labels of the Con-
sumers' league and trades unions was the
subject under discussion, and representa-
tives of several labor organizations guests
the Western Laborer of February 10 said
To say that we enjoyed the proceedings
of the session would but family express
our appreciation OF the meeting which was
as much of surprise to some prominent
labor men" who attended as IL was to
ourselves. The minutes Of the previous
meeting were read. which at once gave us
an inkling of the business transacted and
better or more accurate and Intelligent
record we have never listened to from any
secretary Of trade union, and the ease
and conposure with which the president
ana secretary performed their duties would
be creditable to the officers of any union
Commenting upon the meeting Of the
Union Labor league Wednesday evening.
when Miss Mary Mcdowell was the
speaker. and the general discussion that
followed the address. a prominent club
woman, one largely instrumental in bring
ing the labor men" and the union labels
before the club at the recent meeting OF
the social science department. remarked to
another interested woman: al was so sur
prised and gratified at that meeting
Wednesday evening. The mems talk was
all so sane and their argument so logical.
There was no excitement or violent talk.
They all seemed agreed that there should
be no Ill feeling between employers and the
employed. and that when trouble arose it
should be adjusted by arbitration"
A better illustration could not be found
OF the reason for the existence of the Con-
sumers' league. and. II might be added, for
the wisdom of the club women continuing
to support that organization and its white
label for time at least. Both the above
comments were made in all seriousness by
representative members of two OF the most
potent forces of the day. organized labor
and organized womanhood. and yet each to
the members of the other organization is
equally ridiculous. They point to one
great amazing fact-the ignorance of each
organization of the other. AS men are de-
luded with the idea that women's clubs are
hysterical and unbuslnesslike. the ma
jority Of women hold labor unions synony
nous with mobs and violence. Both ideas
are equally wide of the mark. Is there any
thing to occasion surprise in the fact
that college-bred woman should be able
to present minutes that should 'at once
give an inkling of the business transacted"
at a previous meeting and that they should
be accurate and intelligent" or that an
other woman of culture and broad expert
ence should be able to preside with ease
and composure that would be creditable to
the officers of a labor union? On the
other hand is it reasonable to suppose that
organized labor could have attained it's
present strength. with it's splendid record
for bettered labor conditions and legisla-
tion, II its leaders had not been sane and
logical. level-headed and forbearing? There
Ia a great revelation in store for these men
and women in organization. Each has been
negligent of the interests of the other. and
both have suffered for it. 1t is a fact that
there have been riots caused by labor
unions and that many a club meeting has
been rife with gossip, but is IL fair that the
labor union should be judged by the mob
leaders or the club movement by the incon-
sistencies of its inexperienced members?
The ruffian and the disorderly element Of
strike is as representative OF the labor
union as the frivolous gossiping, hysterical,
shallow Drained woman is of the womans
club. Both organizations have been judged
largely by the regrettable element Of their
membership and one has suffered no more
than the other The flaw hunter and the
press have made the most of every oppor-
tunity to criticise and rdicule, and unfor-
tunately they have been taken too seri-
ously by many.