The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-13
CIVITAS CLUB STIRS
UP EMMA GOLDMAN
Anarchist Finds Questions Of
Brooklyn Women Show
Talk Was Vain.
NO THRILLS FOR HEARERS

The Civitas Club Of Brooklyn heard
Emma Goldman yesterday and nothing
happened. 1t was n large audience OF
prosperous. we'll dressed. conservative
looking women that faced the anarchist.
Almost every member Of the organization
turned out-those who objected to invlt-
Ing her as we'll as those who proposed
her-and most OF the members brought
guests. They came with a sense OF
playing with something dangerous. and
went away with a mild feeling of dis
appointment. Without knowing exactly
whether the fault was In Emma Gold
man or in themselves. they weren't
nearly as shocked as they had hoped to
be.
Miss Goldman. regaling herself on pink
ice cream and fancy cakes. served after
her speech in the meeting room at ia
P%ierrepont street. said this was not BY
any means her first experience In 'ad-
dressing todles OF conservative women"
| Such clubs often invited her. she said,
| in various cities. She never knew how
| her sentiments affected the members.
81 do not see the faces of the
| audience when I speak" she explained.
"My sight 10 turned inward"
Hard to Impress Ideas.
Judging from the tone Of some OF the
| replies TO questions from women before
| she left the platform she felt that get
| ting her theories 10 them was rather
d!scourasing.
Evidently I have talked here In vain"
she exclaimed once to a woman VINO
| asked how she thought criminal tenden-
cies could he kept in check without law.
For one hour ! have explained an
archism. explained how In a society
where children were taught from the be-
ginning self-reliance and responsibility,
where all gave according to their ability
and received according to their need. life
would be worth while. instead of being
the drab thing II IL now to the masses vi
humanity. | nave tried to explain no"
there would he no incentive to- crime 81
such a society. ard this woman asks
How We could get along without police
men"
/, was a radical speech Miss Goldman
made, but go many of the radical utter
ances were quotations from Tolstoy
Emerson. Oscar Wilde. lbsen and othe'
authors read in the best circles that thu
Ciyi,as club. which the president. Mrs
Edwin II. Ouin. said afterwara was
"dlstinctly a hlghhrow organization
the club got a decided impression tina
ana rchism was very respectable.
n Christ Were In " hite House.
N.,b> ,b.y cot their worst shocl
when Miss Goldman cried
~ you placed Jesus Christ IN IN
Government at Washington to-day
either He'd he swamped by " or lie {
tear the fabric down"
There were some head shakinrs NJ M
smiley little remarks she mad q tI'
rich. bu, although there were severa
women in the audience whose husbands
nossess some millions OF dollars-one Al
much as $50. O0O .0O0-the meeting con
,irued TO he almost painfully tame.
Only once was there applause IL wal
when In respouse TO a question from MIS-
Frank cothreu Miss Goldman said sh'
had no interest in woman's night Tor M
vote because she didn't think they c"ul'
accomplish anything with It. smiles Az
a long. loud burst ~ handclappin,
greeted THIS.
Mrs Ouln declared after the meetlni
that they all felt well rewarded FOR hav
ing asked Miss Goldman 10 speak.
'The reports Of objections among IN
members were really greatly 'Naegcr
a,.s" sh. said. The Civi,as club j. al
intelligent body OF womcn-no "A ric'
club. but a h.ghbrpw cluh-and "
wanted to understand anarchism. No'
We do