The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-29
ADDRESS BY MRS. DECKER
.REA SONS Why WOMEN HAVE
HITHERTO BEENSAVERsE 10
EEpERAI IoN.

Y ltEH9gto NtsiilN iSt1E7 10y
HITHERTO BEENsAv VERSE 10
EEnERA ATOM.
President 81 General Federation Of
Women,s Clubs Tells Extent and
1 Purpose Of Organization Clubs No
Enemy % the Home
An address by Mrs Sarah Plat
Decker, president Of the General Fed
Grafton of Women's Clubs, was the
interesting feature oiFederatIcn Day
exercises at the Anphitheater Wed.
nesday afternoon. Although she had
spoken a number Of times informally
lat the woinan's Clubs during her visit
Ito ohautauqua, this was Mrs. Deck
er's first public appearance on the
Amphitheater platform, and while
she made plea to The audience not
TO be regarded as talent" and dis
ayowed any claims as a public speak
er, preferring to be regarded as "a
plain old mother" her address was a
brilliant one, covering succinctly the
aspects Of federation work and illum'
mated with clever stories and quick
wit.
The stage was prettily decorated
with plants and flowers and at the
front was hung the shield of the feder.
alton the shield or the federation
bearing its motto. Unity in Diver.
sity." Seated with Mrs Decker on
the stage were Mrs B. II. Vincent
president Of the Woman's Club of
Chautauqua, Mrs. William Orr, Mrs.
Buckwater and other officers of the
general federation, and prominent
club women. Mrs. Decker was intro.
duced by President Vincent, whose
remarks were happily in line with
her own thoughts. He referred to the
cynical attitude towards women's
clubs Of those of his own sex who are
accustomed to decry the movement
with highsoundlng phrases about wo-
mans sphere, through the fear of in.
yasIon Of that Intellectual suprenl-
acy which man has long maintained
and in the pressure Of economic con,
ditions maintains now with some un.
certainty. While equally unwise, he
said, would be a too exuberant atti.
tude towards the question, believing
that with the woman's club at work
in the world the millennium is at our
doors, it Is impossible not to recog
nize the good it has already accom-.
plished.
Mrs. peckers Address.
81 must thank Dr.. Vincent" said
Mrs. Decker in opening, "for putting
the matter to you In this fashion.
hadn't talked to him about It and
II really was afraid that perhaps he
didn't approve of US. But l am de
lighted to find that be is a good clut
woman"
She explained that the general fed
Grafton is composed of perhaps 500.
600 woman, with federation in ev
cry State but one, and in some feder
atoms q membership OF 10000. "Er
discussing the advantage of fedora
tion," she said, 81 always recall an
incident Of my girlhood in New Eng
land. We had two neighbors, maid
en- sisters who lived together and
whom l used often to visit. was q
growing girl with keen interest In
the larder, and the daily conversation
that heard naturally impressed me
1t would go something like thus:
Gam, here is the butcher. Do we
want some meat today%
"Well, no, Jane, It is hardly worth
while
ga little later: Ann, mere is the
baker, shall We get some bread?
"'Well, no, Jane, It is hardly worth
while And so on Finally they died
and the doctor pronounced their death
due to slow starvation. Because moth
ing was worth while 1t is that phrase
which l have adopted for my talk tt
you, is the federation worth while?'
Federation, said Mrs. Decker
simply means getting together. L
the English had refused to federate
at Runnymede when would they have
had their magma charta, the great
charter? If those who had sailed into
unknown seas had refused to FEEDER
ate, where would We be to-day? i
Washington, Adams Jefferson, Lee
had refused to federate where woult
be our historical trumphs and the in
dependence that gives us the right t.
/ Rheumatism