Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21
Taft's Election Predicted.

dent was Mrs. May Wright Sewall. the
recording secretary Mrs. ]. c. Crolly,
Jennie June: Mrs. Mary B. Temple was
the corresponding secretary. Mrs. Phoebe
A. Hearst was the treasurer and Mrs.
Kate Tannatt Woods the auditor. In
1882. at the first biennial convention OF
the General Federation, Mrs. Charlotte
Emerson Brown was reelected president
Successive presidents have been MIS-
Ellen NJ. Henrotin of Illinois, Mrs. Re-
becca Douglass Lowe of Georgia, Mrs
Dimies T. S. Denison of New York and
Mrs. Sarah S. Platt Decker, the present
president, who is serving her second term
of two years.
The committees appointed at the first
biennial convention bore the names OF
the departments under which individual
clubs worked or studied in their early
years. These pertained to the home to
literature and to mutual and self inn
provements. Gradually, as the federation
grew it's interests grew in number and
broadened in their scope. When the
fourth biennial convention was held, at
Denver in 1898 three new departments
were added one on civics one on indus
trial affairs and the other on Libraries. At
Milwaukee,, where the fifth biennial was
held. the subject of forestry had its first
hearing and committee was appointed
to serve i'll it's interests. The matter of
civil service reform was also presented
at this meeting for consideration. When
the many thousand women that conf
Angeles for the sixth biennial, civil serv-
ice reform became department. and
Mrs. A. O. Granger of Georgia entered
the first plea for the child labOrer. At
the seventh biennial convention held in
ST. Louis, the first pure food committee
was appointed and the executive board
established the bureau of information.
When the binennial convention was held
at St. Paul two years later, that is, i'll
1906 this bureau was made regular de-
ma RI
interests of child labor was appointed.
What Federation Stands For.
No better definition, it is felt by all
club women. has ever been given of the
club movement than that which w. l..
BOdine. superintendent of compuso DRY ed
ucation in Chicago, offers. TIE says:
"Women's clubs are the natural product
of a progressive sex living in a progress
sive age. They stand for the home, for
the school. for art and literature and
music; for domestic science and for the
intellectual advancement of the American
woman who presides over the American
home. They are not theoretical, they are
practical: they act. they do things for the
good of society, for the good of the COM
munity and of the country. The greater
woman means tie better nation
The Gen ,ral Federation is not a reform
movement per Sc. Mrs. Decker, its presi-
dent, says. Il is broadly sympathetic
1t is not phlanthropic. distinctively.
Neither is it purely sociological. 1t is in
no sense political. yet its influence and
power are to be seen in every state legis-
lature. 1t has no bureau of publicity. yet
| through its rlemt ership of clubs and fed
erations and through allegiance to it's
motto Unity in Diversity" it has been
more far-reaching in disseminating knowl-
edge and arousing public sentiment than
any other body of workers. Forty-six
state declarations, comprising five thou
sand clubs. hold membership in the gener-
al federation, and. besides these, 500 or
more clubs have Il direct membership in
the organization.
These figures mean that three-quarters
of a million women are engaged In max
ing the General Federation a mighty fac
tor in the civilization of the country. They
are an army of builders, ready, alert, sys-
tematic and scientific. The federation is
a potent force in this generation that will
transmit to the next a Vigor and strength
which have never been given by any race
OF women to their inheritors.