Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 4.djvu/1147

 the influence of its president, Miss Frances E. Willard, established a department of franchise, but it was many years afterwards before the idea of the ballot was received with favor by any large number of its members. The sentiment is not now unanimous, but considered as a body there are no more active workers for woman suffrage. The National Council of Women has no platform, but its leaders and also those of the International Council are prominent advocates of the franchise. These are now found in greater or less numbers in all the organizations but not one of them includes the suffrage among the specific objects for which it works. As these broaden the associations frequently find it necessary to appeal to Legislative bodies, and the result is usually a significant lesson in the disadvantage of being without political influence. The Federation of Clubs, organized in 1890, in its endeavor to secure the passage of bills for various purposes, has applied to more Legislatures, during the past few years, than has the Suffrage Association. It is indeed a most interesting study to watch the evolution of the so-called women's clubs. Formed at first merely for a superficial literary culture, they widened by degrees into a study of practical matters related to law and economics. From these it was but a step into civics, where they are to-day, struggling to improve municipal, and in directly national conditions and gradually having revealed to them the narrow limitations of woman's power in public affairs.

With the exception possibly of the church missionary societies and the various lodges, there is not one of these associations of women which does not depend in a greater or less measure on City Councils, State Legislatures or the National Congress for assistance in securing its objects. No other means could be so effective in convincing women that politics, which they have heretofore believed did not directly concern them, in reality touches them at every point. They are learning that the mere personal influence which usually was sufficient to gain their ends in the household, society and the church — the three spheres of action to which they were confined in the past — must be supplemented by political influence now that they have entered the field of public work. Women have been so long flattered by the power which they have possessed over men in social life that they are sur-