The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-01-06
''MOTHER LAKE"
ON The LYCEUM
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Truth, Honor and Loyalty Her
Synonyms For Right Living.

Mrs. Leonora NJ. Lake has rightfully
been termed Mother Lake" Her
greatest plea, among many others, has
been for the rights of the child. She
is all hat the term mother" implies.
In summing up the attributes thai
make an ideal human life Leonora
M. Lake uses these words love and
service" and they express as no other
words could the keynote of her char
acter, for her heart is filled with love
for God and humanity.
Asked once how she came to adopt
these lofty sentiments as her life's
guide, she replied, 81 didn't; they adopt
ed me-" From earliest girlhood an i'm
polling desire to help those in need, to
defend the weak against their Oppres-
sors, to encourage the depressed, to
remove temptation from the faltering
and to relieve the burdens of the sor-
rowing has been the motive power be-
hind her manifold activities.
Truth, honor and loyalty are to her
synonyms for right living.
Widowed and without means early in
life, with three small children to care
for, she became one of the great army
of bread winners. Don to find her soul
in revolt and protest against the cruel
tv of child labor and the discrimina-
ton made against women in the mat
ter of wages. The organization OF
working people known as the Knights
of Labor was then just beginning to
be known. Their platform appealed to
her in its entirety. but especially that
plank which read, I'VE demand equal
pay for equal work" She lost nc time
in becoming a member of that organi-
zation and for six years investigated
the conditions under which women and
children worked. assuring herself of
each fact and making it beyond the
possibility of dispute. Then from the
platform and with her pen she made
her findings public and so brought
about an amelioration of the her ex
listing conditions.
She drafted the PENNSYLVANIA factory
inspection law. which passed the sen
ate of that state without the altera-
ton of q single word. In the lower
house, however, it would have met its
Waterloo had not the women's clubs
of Philadelphia come to its rescue.
thus securing its passage. although
somewhat mutilated.
During her nation wide investiga-
ton of and crusade against labor con
ditions she found so much of poverty
and hardship. so much wreck and ruin
of the home and family life. due to the
use of alcohol in various forms that it
made her a pronounced advocate OF
temperance. Fol eleven years she and
the late Miss Frances E. Willard were
devoted friends and co-workers.
From her force. vigor and good
voice and convincing arguments on the
temperance platform it was only nat
ural that the Chautauqua and Lyeeum
appeal to her as a means by
which to convey her hearts message
to the greatest number of people. and
here for many years she has plead elo
quently. sincerely and vigorously foi
the development of Christian charac
ter. the sacredness of the home. the
sanctity of marriage. the ideal life of
the family. the divine rights of the
child, the kingship of man. the glory
of wonanhood. the preservation OF
youth from danger and temptation. A
wide range? Yes. but not too wide for
her big mother heart to cover.