Rock Island Argus., 1914-11-14
Miss Drake Guest
of Civic Department
of Won1d,1's s Club

CagO. ana VINO id5L spring ran ioi "'
derman In the First ward of that city
in opposition to the notorious "Bath
house John" was yesterday the CUES
of the civic department of the Rocf
Island Woman's club. The meeting
was held in the lecture nail OF Denk
mann Memorial library in order thai
lantern slides might be shown to the
best advantage. Miss Drake, bright
woman and easy talker. devoted the
first part of the afternoon to showing
pictures which sne herself had taken
of scenes in Spain and Portugal and
by means of them the condition oil
women in those countries. She had
a beautiful set of pictures which por-
trayed to splendid advantage the wo-
men and their modes of living, their
work and interests. The Spanish wo-
men, Miss Drake said, were of the
finest types in the world and although
denied the privilege of education to
large extent were extremely bright
clever and womanly women. The stand
ard of education especially in Spain
is very low; in fact there is no stand
ard for in the schools which are al
ways crowded and poor, each teacher
arranges her own course of instruction
with results that can easily be imag-
ined. There are no Woman's clubs in
the country-they are too busy with
other things to unite for their mutual
benefit and the nearest thing that
comes to such an organization is
club of working girls who united to
assist each other in saving their small
pittance. The women are the burden
bearers of the southern countries and
it is no uncommon sight, she said, to
see women carrying great loads on
their heads evidently with perfect
ease. Live chickens, baskets of fruit,
fish, coal and wood and even sew
ing machine are some of the bur
dens she saw them balance on their
heads. The pictures Miss Drake
showed were beautifully clear and
true to nature, and were of variety
enough to entertain for more than an
hour.
The latter half of the afternoon Miss
Drake occupied in speaking of women
and citizenship. She began by review
ing the condition of woman and her
status as it existed in Greece and
italy in the early history of the world, |
when woman was held as necessary
evil, given no rights of citizenship nor
power. She followed woman |
through the glory of Rome when she |
vas held under perpetual guardian
ship with no rights of government or |
property, up to the time of the French |
evolutionary to the Scandinavian |
where woman was held as !
more nearly the equal of men and |
,ould be the guardian of her children
md have a voice in the disposal of
property. England imported all the
avs pertaining to women that existed
n these other countries and made
rom them a set of rules to govern
Ter and her rights. These laws in
urn were transplanted to America
nd to some extent still exist here es-
'ecially in those states which were
part of the Louisiana Pur
hase. The supreme court of the Unit
d States decided in 1872 that women
we're both persons and citizens but
hat they did not have the right to
ote according to the constitution of
he United States. The higher educa-
On of women and the consequent
laces they are called upon to fill in
ublic life has caused an awakening.
hey feel that they have power to
lake life better; that with the power
the ballot they can do something
'orth while; they see the problems
men and are anxious to learn them
nd solve them. Miss Drake said she
links the women of Illinois have
ute as much suffrage as they need at
resent, that it is best not to have too
luch at first or until the women have
armed their new power-to take it
ep by step and perfect it as they CO.
quail suffrage must come by degrees
trough the ultimate revision of the 5
and elimination of the i
ord male" from it. 1t is not fair q
} the women of the country to expect '
them SO much at the very outset t
their enfranchisement. They have S
uch to learn and should move slow c
,. Miss Drake told at some length of il
le work the women of Chicago are Il
ping and somewhat of the means G
hich they employ to do it, 4
At the business session of the de- v
lrtment Mrs. J. r. Tuckis, chairman
the committee having in charge the t
Christmas tree, reported II
Il
d time. An effort will be made to n
i've the choirs of the city sing carols O
I'd hymns and it is the intention of I
e committee to devote four nights b
the celebration around the tree The il
ee will be erected in Market square, O
III be brilliantly lighted and trim T.
ed and make a thing of great beau e
. The Boy Scouts will be solicited IL
give their services in patrolling the a
cinity of the tree and protecting it a
e four days in which it will stand in h
e square. The pupils will be solicit
to aid in the enterprise and donate
nds for establishing it. In addition
Mrs. Tuckis the members of the COM
ttee are Mrs. Elmore Stafford and -
rs. w. NJ. Walker.
=== ==-============I ei
isonic temple. Miss Irma Kohn al
II give Personal art notes from the