The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-05-14

idly she pictured the trials and dis
comforts endured by some women on
their farm homes, and illustrated the
advisability OF having rural social
centers for the farmer women by
telling of communities which had
such rural social centers. She srig
gested that the rest room of a city
should I've used as a common meeting
center for city and country women,
and the acquaintance would develop
Iuntil the farmer women would desire
to form social clubs similar to those
of the city woman. These new clubs
rapidly became social centers among
the farmer women. and would result
in the beautifying OF homes. and the
better caring for children. During the
programs, which are always fea-
ture OF any club. the children are al
ways asked to take part. which re-
suits in the giving OF general pleas
ure and results I'm much good. News
paper publicity was q desirable thing
for the clubs. as IL would interest
women everywhere to read accounts
of the doings of different clubs. She
then told in detail OF the good work
that could be accomplished by wom-
ems clubs among the rural commu-
mites. The movement for general
betterment should be united. coun-
try and town working together. and
there should be a place whore coun-
try and town people could meet on a
common footing.
Several Song Selections.
, Miss Mildred Oleson then sang two
vocal selections. The Land OF the
Sky Blue Water" by Cadman. and
Song OF Sunshine" by Thomas. Mrs.
Catherin Ewertsen playing the piano
accompaniment. Miss Oleson was en-
Enthusiastically applauded.
; The last speaker Of the evening
was Mrs. C.. l.. Atwood OF st. Cloud.
president OF the Minnesota Fedora
ton OF Womens' clubs, who gave an
address on Twentieth Century Eth
les"
Mrs. Atwood. in opening her ad-
dress. called attention TO the changes
that characterize the social efforts of
today, and stated that despite the
views of some pessimists, who held
that there had been no moral ad
vance since by-gone ages and that be-
meath the veneer of civilization still
. lived the savage. we had advanced
morally, as we'll as I'm other things.
Nowhere else was this fact so evil
dent as I'm the attitude of society to-
ward the delinquents. One has but
to consider the terrible treatment &C
corded to prisoners In the past, with
the treatment Of the present to realize
this. There has, happily. come a high
, er ideal in this regard, proving tnat
: there is. divine spark in everyone.
Minnesota's institutions are very good
examples of the advancement of the
movement to reach the delinquents I'm
helpful way. and make them better
, men and women while I'm the care Of
the state. instead OF turning them
loose on society at the end of their
terms, hardened. and as bad. II not
worse. as when they entered. There
I are four state institutions I'm Minneso-
/ Ia being located at Redwing. Sank Cen
ter. st. Cloud, and saltwater. and in
each one the forward movement is
, strongly I'm evidence The greatest
legislative work accomplished by
r women was that for bill for re-
formatory for women. and they have
, succeeded in having the bill enacted
, into a state law. and we were now
to have the reformatory. This state
ment by Mrs. Atwood was received
j with applause from all parts OF the
, house.
/ Women Prisoners at saltwater.
She then went on TO tell how the
|. women prisoners at the state peni-
: Tertiary at saltwater numbered thir
\ ty-one. and were housed i'm one
room. where they lived always. sleep
| ing and waking. and how there was
1 no place else to put them. They could
not go cut into the fresh spring sun
shine. but must remain within those
!. four dreary walls, and, regardless of
| the natures OF their crimes. they
y were all put I'm together. I'VE have
! always striyed for equal opportuni-
3 ties with the men," said Mrs. At
, | wood. and we struggled for twenty
I years to give the delinquent women
{ a reformatory. where they might
|. have an opportunity to be reformed. -
3 She then told of the indeterminate
!. sentence how man may hope TO
l shorten the term to which he is SEN
D fenced by good behavior. and how he
is now paid small wage amounting
9 from about 10 or is cents a day to
e $3.50 day for skilled labor In the
: moulding room OF the prison. This is
I all thought TO aid the criminals, and
( to help them to a better start in life
5 when they are again free. Education
I is teaching self government and self
E control, and state institutions are
D now trying to teach this by honor
3 paroles Another thing We should no
e tice as an evidence OF the moral ad :
2 vancement, was the changed attitude
e of women toward the woman delin-
: quent. Everywhere they were study
ing the question as to how best to
deal with the problem. Mrs. Atwood
D quoted an apt little verse.
Indeed. wonder what God would say
! "How very like the flower the weed.
. How very like the weed the flower,
D Should we cast the weed away?"
I'll The Moral Welfare.
3 Mrs. Atwood called attention TO
the many recent movements toward
3 the moral welfare Of the country. the
3 mothers pension. the curfew law, the
) nine hour day law. and the mini
. mum wage. More and more the
country is getting this humane leg