Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-14
AMONG THE CLUB WOMEN
Remarkable Statistics Regarding the
Women's Congress at Rome.
"sTRAwsv AT BOSTON BIENNIAL
where Some of strongest women on
General Federation Executive
Board stand on Important
Question.

Here is what the Gazette di venezla got
out Of the congress Of women held re-
Gently at Rome, and the report has been
going the round of the press as a Stats
tical summary Of the convention;
There were assembled" the paper says,
ga congress members, 446 Of whom de-
lvercd speeches, The one who did not was
the representative OF the Deaf and Dumb
Institute Of London. In all, 62S speeches
were made, most of which were lmpro-
vised.
of the women. twenty-six were married,
twenty-eight widows and 500 spinsters. To
ascertain the ages OF the fair members
seems to have been an impossible task, for
the compiler contents himself with stating
mat only W were under 20 and 31S were
over 60.
II says ruthlessly that 113 women wore
spectacIes, 10Y eyeglasses and 1874 made use
OF reading glasses. Twelve women sported
the latest creations in the now fashionable
bell shape hats. twonty-elght wore rococo
bonnets, 3S7 juvenile hats and thirty-nine
grandmothers caps.
There were also to be seen, adds the in
discreet reporter, seven wigs. four sets NJ
raise teeth and eighteen snuff boxes in
continuous use. During the congress the
members dispatched S.112 kilograms. with
a total Of more than 100000 words. and thew
also sent off 10000 picture post cards"
While the press reports were a trifle dis
appointing to the serious minded women
over the world who would like to have
known something more about what trans
pred at that meeting in Rome-who some
OF these women were, why they assembled
and what they said in some Of those 44s
speeches-they must realize that 1t would be
quite unreasonable to expect one CORE
spondent or even a liberal detail of re-
porters to collect all the above data and
get anything else out Of the convention, too.
How the leaders stand.
although the General Federation Of
omen Clubs excludes all political and
religious organizations from membership
ana mas never made any pronouncemen
In taVor OF woman suffrage, It is a fact
that its official board grows more and more
strongly tinctuTed with suffrage every
year.
Mrs. Decker, who has just completed her
Two terms of presidency, was a voter from
Colorado and has been president Of the
state Board of Charities and Corrections of
Colorado, an office filled by appointment
by the governor. She was the Only woman
ever invited by a president of the United
to sit in a conference Of the gov.
ernors Of the various states 20 d,scuss
matters Of general interest to the states
Inc new president, Mrs. Philip N. Moore
or ST Louis, has never taken any active
part In the suffrage movement, but when
the National Woman Suffrage association
met at Baltimore two years ago she SPOKE
on college night, which stamps her as a
suffragist.
Mrs. May Alden Ward. the defeated can.
nldate Tor the same office. has been many
times asked by the suffragists to appear
Tor them' but has always refused. although
this played no specific part in her defeat
which was on other grounds.
Among the new officers Mrs. Frank Sbisk
Of Cheyenne. Wyo., the secretary, ia a
voter; Mrs. Evans, a director, is president
the Oregon Equal Suffrage association.
Mrs. Rudolph Blankenburg of philadelphia
The auditor, has for years been the head
front of suffrage work in Pennsyl-
'anla; Mrs. w. A. Johnson, a director
formerly president of the Kansas Suf-
rage association, and Mrs. John sherman
1t chicago, second vice president. has long !
oeen active in suffrage work in Illinois.
Ihe word suffrage does not occur in the
of the organization nor have
ne suffrage leagues ever been definitely
ma formally excluded from membership.
when the federation was organized
'ears ago by Sorosis 1t was so Thoroughly
understood that no suffrage leagues need
lpply that the National Council Of Women
vas organized Immediately afterward that !,
I might include the National Suffrage as
During the last year for the first time,
hree suffrage leagues were admitted into
he General Federation. Nc commotlon
made over IT.; the board simply read
is constitution and said that while "polit-
car' clubs could not be admitted suffrage
eagues weren't political; political meant
democratic or republican or socialist clubs.
AS the federation is the largest and most
organization of women IN the
United States, representing 100000, many
II them of wealth and prominence, his
reading OF their constitution is signif-
cant. The greatest applause Of the entire
invention at Boston was heard when Prof.
lueblin of Chicago university declared for
uffrage in his speech.