Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-29
1t Matters N6w
What Women
Think
BY ADA PATTERSON.

1T doesn't matter what you think"
These words, spoken by a man to a
woman, are among my earliest recol-
lections. I did not know why what
the woman thought was Of no con-
sequence. Measured by all standard
of looks, of brains, of age, OF position,
she attained the same height as the
man. Now I know that in all essen
tial points she overtopped him. That
what she thought didn't matter was a
mere accident of sex. She was
woman.
l was child when I first heard
these words. am woman and have
again and again listened to them. But
l am hearing them less often of late,
and particularly since the biennial
convention of the General Federation
of Women's Clubs was held last
month in New York. Mrs. Josiah
Evans Cowles, the newly elected
president of the general federation,
said that after the biennial conven-
ton met in California, a man close to
the administration said II am going
back to tell the president that this is
something we must reckon with The
women are getting together"
The representatives of 2,500O00
women, and of 5000 women's clubs.
allied themselves during their last
convention to the International Coun-
Gil of Women, representing 100000.
That means that 72,500,000 women are
getting together"
1t is beginning to matter a great
deal what women think. California
has struck the keynote in the motto
of its woman clubdom. "In union is
more strength" Frequently in the
deliberations of the large and digni-
fed body of women assembled to dis
cuss the vital topics Of the day and
to crystalline their opinions of them
at the biennial, one heard the phrase,
Organized womanhood."
You can get anything you want
if you organize, then agitate," was the
advice of leader of modern thought
Labor thought so and is coming near
to realizing the prophecy.
Strange how curiously united they
were. Differ as to means they did,
now and then, only at last to agree.
The western woman, alert, quick of =
movement, wearing a hat Of MANY
angles, business-like clothes, chosen
with an eye chiefly to service, of
speech as direct as the glance of her
bright eye, forceful as the breeze that
blows across the wide prairies and
down the canyons of her home re-
gion; the southern woman, drawing
a little as to speech and dragging a
bit as to the lacy, chiffony clothes,
and the big-brimmed picture hats of
her; the New England woman, mar
row of face, spare of person, deep OF
conviction; the New York woman,
best poised and best dressed, but
somewhat lacking in authority, in
other directions, reached the end by
different means, but the end was the
same.
What do women wantl They want
to conserve child life. They want the
best possible conditions provided for
the environment and education of
their children. There is never dis
senting woman's voice about that
They are securing these ends by
means of the Children's bureau,
which they established. ..-
They want clean and wholesome
food for themselves and families
They are securing that through the
pure food law, which they passed,
They want cleaner cities. They are
getting them, by the vote where they
have it, and by their>united influence
where they have not the ballot. They
want a single standard Of morals and
they will get it, by the slow changing,
irresistible force Of public opinion.
Women want better homes, better
lives, better health, better children.
They are getting them, for they have
organized. The more they organize
the sooner they will get them.
They want peace. The Interna.
tional Council Of Women may not be
able to secure instant cessation Of
war. But peace secured, you NAV be
sure It will be kept. If all the women
OF all the world forbid war there will
be no more war.
Women to greater and greater ex-
tent make public opinion. and public
opinion is all-powerful. What women
think the world will think. Ii matters
what women think.