Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1910-07-16
REPORT OF FIRST NATIONAL CONVENTION
OF The AMERICAN WOMAN'S LEAGUE.
MRS. c. C. STEVENS, LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE.


mans League primarily with the idea
of securing benefits. This is well,
and that expectation is being met
and will be met increasingly. But
no woman can pursue the objects of
the League without bestowing as well
as receiving benefits. The acquisi-
tive soul loses its power of acquisi-
tiveness when it ceases to give out;
just as a stream degenerates into
noxiOus, noisome stagnant pool when
it boards all its waters instead Of
lending them laughing along to bless
the meadows. Service is the key
note Of joys, Of sweetness, of light, of
Divinity!
And this brings me to the second
step in your name scale (2) Ameri-
can Womanhood The women of all
nations love, and are mothers, but
| like to believe that American wo-
manhood is the cap and corner stone
of a loving motherhood, which chief
glory it is to serve her day and
generation Go look again at the
master plastic creations of Zolnay
and the inspired and inspiring can
vases of OFT. In both you will find
subtly, though firmly expressed the
very thing I am trying to frame in
speech-typical American woman
hood-loftiness, ideality, purpose,
efficiency, wide-eyed purity, and
lastly, a robust physical life which
lacks the feline grace of the extreme
Latinistic type, but which is the ex-
preston of character. Here, then, is
your ideal.
But Organized American Woman
hood is the last word in beautiful
efficiency. And for this the Ameri-
can Woman's Leauge must stand.
| give it to you as the message of
the publishers here gathered and
here represented to-day-let your
aim be beautiful efficiency. What
ten women working singly cannot
do, five women working in orgaiza-
ton can. That pile of rusty mineral
lying beside the mine is iron. That
rhythmical, beautiful efficient mass
of twentieth century mechanism,
which rolls out your Woman's Daily
at the rate of 100000 copies Per
hour, is iron. The difference between
the two is that one is unorganized
iron and the other is organized iron.
The lesson is obvious.
Il plead with you that, personally
and collectively, you stand, now and
for always, for womanhood, for
American ,Womanhood, for Organi-
zed American Womanhood; and that
with this invincible combination you
throw the weight of your world-co
quering influence in the scales
against unclean journalism, against
degradingly sensational journalism,
against journalism whose genius and
expression are inimical to the
very thing-beautiful efficiency-for
which you have raised aloft your BAN
ners. And as bid you fight against
these forces, so would | sound a trum-
pet call to summon you to the sup
port of those periodicals which avow
one or more of the threefold pur-
poses Of giving information, enter
tainment, or uplift, What cannot
be accomplished when Organized
Womanhood takes its
st and for the dissemination of all
that is best in American journalism"
After Mr.. Esenwein had concluded
his address, Mr.. Lewis came forward.
Of course he was given great ova-
ton. AS founder of the American
Womans League, he was greeted
with cheering and great applause.
Women rose in their seasts and
waved their handkerchiefs, and
made demonstration that showed
their confidence in him and the or
5anization which is now being COM
Dlete under his direction. 1t was an
occasion long to be remembered,
while the speeches of all who spoke
at the Convention were good to every
rho ea0Tle memhor the words Of