The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-29
SWoMEN,s TUBS As FA 4

mo more important factors in the
Shaping and molding 4 OF present.day
Thought and activity exist than the
iWomen's clubs that, under one and an.
otherename. are engaged industriously
n doing the kind. of work for which
I women have especial aptitude. The
( question asFto whether Women are not
taking more active interest in culture
IN the. broadest sense than are men
b may be answered in part by compari.
I son OF the motives that bring the sexes
Z respectivelySinto Fellowship gathering.
The men'sJclubs fill aysphere, but for
1 the most part they can hardly be ac-
counted uplifting Influences In society.
They selhomtstand for any5end higher
Z than 6socialbility. or the promotion Of
( come Interest held in common by
their members. This Is not the case
with the clubs among women. These
are almost wholly bent a'unon doing
something for the advancement Of art
interest, practical education, benevo-
lent enterprise. social uplii!. commun-
ity, reform, literary promotion or any
one OF the subjects embraced in the
Z general economy Of living. The end
OF the woman's clubs Is to bring sentl.
i ment to bear and to center influence
for the, attainment OF some beneficial
end whereby society or some element
oftsociety. may be benefited. II. is not
necessary to assume that the propa-
\ gand1s OF -women's clubs are always
Il Wise. It Is not necessary that they
should invariably be, successful. Wo.
men are ready, in adjustment. and
when upon the wrong track, they can
\ quickly acknowledge error and change
their tactics. and they seldom are
oyerhorne by encouragement.
These are all practical facts in rela-
ton the spirit and purposes OF the
& clubs maintained by women that bear
saliently upon the present.day pro-
(. blems OF society. In other times cul.
turedEand earnest women did their
I work through salons. and only priv.
( ileged few could unite In the quicken
4 ing and forceful conferences that often
Z originated from these frequently bril-.
\ liant assemblages. With the broaden.
i Ing OF the field Of culture for the fe-
male sex and the widening Of the
b scope Of influence women came out
from the salon and formed the more
Z democratic clubs. Yet these clubs
carry with them the traditions OF the
assemblies, OF picked women OF the
= centers OF the world. While at times
I salon gatherings were marked by the
element of pleasure rather than profit,
still the fact remains that select gath.
4 erlngs of this sort were the progeni.
tors OF the modern clubs.
I, The, women OF power and influence
! today, the women whose position in so.
ciety affords them the leisure and the
y means +tnt enter into active endeavors
j for the benefit OF others or for the
Z broadening 1of their own outlook, are
i doing q. great work OF social elevation
Y and must be reckoned among the truly
4 conservative forces of the country.
Maryland is among the, states whlc!.
foster women's clubs. and here, as
y elsewhere, the club idea has SO broad
!; ehad that the Federation OF Women's
(. Clubs is upon a purely democratic
+ basis. No section of the sex, no neccs.
ISlt0us selementsso OF the population, no
Z Condition of society but receives from
! the federated women's clubs, through
i some Of their affiliated bodies. the con.
sheraton that cannot otherwise be
derived. u. "a gs0
" The incalculable power Of the feder-
I atongo women's clubs Of the states
when banded together over the coun.
q try has, not been enough appreciated
II outside of the circles of women, even
Il the women themselves have ade-
quately gagged their power. No cam.
4 paign upon which the women Of these
4 clubs might enter would fail of sue.
4 cess. The power they could bring 10
bear for the correction OF any abuse.
for; the furtherance Of any Interest,
for the. creation of any reform, would
L be tremendous. The. evolution OF the
\ Clubs has not yet advanced to the