The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-08

a blacksmith should not know about
The Village Blacksmith. We must
not get away too much from books.
On the latter subject she is splendid
ly informed too, having been a mem
Der of the Wisconsin state library
| commission twenty-five years pridhr
to about three years ago, since when
| she has been devoting her time to
| federated club work exclusively. For
eight years she headed the circulation
department of the Milwaukee library
| and was at the head OF the travelling
| library department there when that
was a new thing. The library, to
compete with the saloon, has to be
| splendidly lighted and attractively
| furnished, was one statement con-
tanning much food for thought.
Popular Government.
We are getting away as fast as
possible from the idea Of graft in
politics, and the commission plan is
doing much to help. This plan
originated in Galveston, at the time
Of the big flood. she related in inter
esting detail, and pointed out the
| numerous chances which the COM
mission form Of government gives
for progression.
Importance of Recreation.
Il consider public recreation prob
lem on of the most important of the
day, as largely moulding the charac-
ter of the people of a community,
said Miss Stearns. In a later inter-
view on this subject with a Forum
representative she went into more de-
tail, giving it as her opinion that
every community should have five
days for work, one day for recrea-
ton, and one day for community"
worship She deplores wittily but
none the less earnestly, the forms OF
dancing so popular in our country to-
day, branding the mule balk", the
bunny hug, the dog walk, the
dog trot" and others equally ridi-
culous, as an insult to the animals
for which they are named. Miss
Stearns sees a great deal to commend
in the folk dancing that is forming
so large a part now Of the recreation
at various community social centers
in Chicago and other large cities,
recreations in which fathers delight
to dance with their young daughters,
and even husbands with their own
wives, as she puts it. She condemns
the spirit that has made home a
place to go after everything else is
locked up. and the doors of the last
of popular song is also scathingly
scored by Miss Stearns, who is a
strong advocate of real community
singing as one of the best forms of
public recreation devised. In order
to bring out the best in its people
every community should encourage
such recreations, she holds. relating
their great success wherever tried.
Our Boys and Girls.
Miss Stearns was honor guest and
spoke Saturday afternoon at the
first meeting for the fall OF the Far
go Votes For Women league, held at
the home of Mrs. Elizabeth barrow
O'Neil. Nearly seventy women were
present, and drew much help from
her splendid talk on What Our Boys
and Girls Ought to Read. which she
presented instead of the suffrage ad-
dress that had been announced.
Miss Stearns holds that immoral
writings are the bane of the age,
their influence in corrupting youth
being beyond computation. pure
literature is as desirable as pure
food. Again we cannot afford to
have the mothers of the future
brought up on the obscene and sens
ual literature found in the under
ground travelling libraries Of many
schools. was one OF her statements,
and she went further, stating that
they cause divorces by the wholesale.
She also excoTiated the fiashy, i'm
moral magazines, and impressed
strongly upon the mothers present
the desirability Of supervising the
reading of their children.
Much Of Miss Stearns' federation
work at present is getting together
libraries for the soldiers.
The reports to have been given
Saturday by Mrs. II. L. Bolley and
Mrs. ]. A. Pierce on the state fedora
tion and the state suffrage meetings,
were postponed to a Votes for Wo-
men league business meeting next
Friday, again with Mrs. G'NeiI.
War Time Refreshments.
War time refreshments were served
at the meeting which Miss Stearns
addressed Saturday afternoon, and
consisted of tea and cornbread in