The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-11-18

how this new civic spirit can bene-
fit Marion. Mrs. Leeka speaks righ.
out in meeting" but no one need take
exception to her remarks unless they
feel these remarks apply to them. If
they do, II is time to get in touch
with the new civic spirit 1t is car
rying city after city, and II is leav-
ing happiness, health and higher and
nobler ideals In its trail. Marion
would do well to join in.)
The subject is such broad one,
and includes so many phases and
lines of work. that It is impossible to
touch on all of them even briefly
within the limits of club paper, so
4 shall look at II from a woman's
standpoint. and in its relation to
womans work.
In this relation the woman's clubs
stand first. leading the way in the
great work now being done by women
along all lines of civic reform and
social progress. The platform adopted
at a recent national convention says
I'VE have pledged ourselves to use
our united strength to obtain better
homes. better schools, better sur
roundings, better citizenship. and
DetteT luWS 10 WOTk iOBtliltI lOi tiNi'
health and civic righteousness; to
preserve our heritage, the forests and
natural beauties of the land; to pro-
cure for our children an education
that fits them for life-the training
of the hand and heart, as well as the
head to prevent the children NOT
our own being deprived of the birth
right OF natural childhood; to obtain
right conditions and proper safe
guards for the woman who tolls"
Pure Food Laws.
Quite comprehensive list. Is II
not? Yet every day shows some work
accomplished along some of these
lines. Perhaps In no way is more ef-
fective work being done by women
than by their efforts in behalf of pure
food laws and their enforcement.
The last report showed that in about
thirty states the women's clubs had
been promoting this important meas
ure. In states where there were no
pure food laws, or only INADEQUATE
ones, they have worked for the pass
age of good laws, or amendments To
make the old ones more effective. To
educate Is no less important than to
legislate and the field of woman's
work has included both efforts. Often
the emphasis is placed upon secur-
ing clean food and clean markets,
for which housekeepers have the
most powerful weapons-that of the
quiet boycott OF places that are un-
sanitary. This weapon is so effective
that in a city in Indiana, 1t was said
by the state Food Commissioner that
1Axr .fN n m "a a gG =
ing and the circulation of a paper by
which the signers agreed to pat
ronize only the shops bearing the
seal of the board of health, THE
shopkeepers almost wore themselves
out cleaning house, and believe are
still at It,"
That this crusade in behalf of pure
food Is vital, not only to the home, but
also to the community and the ma
.tion, Is conceded. Since the time OF
our forefathers, conditions have
changed. Then the food was OBJ
tained mostly from their own farms
and gardens, where they could see
that proper cleanliness was OBJ
served; but what a change has taker
place since then; our vegetables come
perhaps, from Florida; our meat, pos
sibly, from Chicago. AS some on'
has appropriately said. ''rhe roat
from the Kitchens . door to the
orchard and vegetable garden, once
so short, has become long and event
full"
Open Air School.
So, since this Is true, 1t behoove
us to keep the road as uneventful a.
possible. 1t may take a DR.. Wiley o.
an Upton Sinclair occasionally L
keep the road clear. The way of tn
reformer-like that of the trans
gressor-is hard. But the motive
that actuate our civic reformers iii
them so far above the petty criti
cism OF the multitude, that 1t serve
only as a sort of applause, making
them realize that their work mus
ne effective, or 1t would bring fort
no condemnation.
Better schools Is another line alon
which the women are working J.
every state. Their aim Is that ever
child shall have equal educatlona
opportunities That there shall b
strong and we'll enforced child labo
laws in every state; well equipped an
well-cared- for school-houses. eXpel
maid supervisors OF all school work
training for the hand; (somethin
that our Marion schools lack0 an
neral instruction In all pupli
schools. The open-air schools 10
anaemic and tubercular childre
(Which have been advocated by ou
DIR. Hartman) have been successful
tried In many cities. In lFlorida, Ala
hama. Georgia, Mississippi Mort
Carolina and South Carolina. ker
lucky, Nebraska and oklahom'
much work has already been dor
along these lines.
In California the efforts OF wome
include almost all lines OF civic III
nrovement--the establishment
libraries and reading rooms; the PR
motion of the work of the juveni
court. and of probation officersi sal
station committees? public pia'
grounds, free markets; the organic
tion OF crusades for pure milk al
against bili-boards. the fostering
an interest in Arbor day. and the u
stitution of lecture courses on pra
tieal civic questions 1t seems IN
woman has developed civic CO.
science that gives her family her CT
and herself no peace.