Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-23
An Extremely Lively Session of
the Congress Today.
Kisses AND APPLAUSE MINGLED
The Fight Over District Delegates
and Mrs. Boynton.
THE END is NOT YET

American Revolution were begun this MORN
ing at $3.50 O'Clock. The meeting was opened
with prayer. and then the audience sang
"Hail Columbia"
There was quite a large attendance cf
delegates on the floor of the house and the
galleries were wen filled with ladies who
were interested in the proceedings Of the
congress. The meeting was called to order
by Mrs. Stranahan and the minutes OF yes
terday were read by the recording secretary
general, Miss Eugenia Washington, after
which she read to the congress a number
OF teiegrans OF congratulation and good
wishes from various organizatio through
out the country.
Then the fun began without a minutes
delay. The trouble which was hinted at
yesterday in a resolution to appoint a con-
gressional committee to inquire into the
rights OF three degates from the District Of
columbia TO occupy seats in the congress
rose to the surface. Again IL came in the
form OF a question OF privilege from Mrs.
L. III. Alexander, who asked that the reso-
luton to appoint the committee be taken
from the table, where IL was laid yesterday.
Rights Of District Dclegates.
A numbr of ladies tried to get the floor to
discuss the matte. but the regular order Of
the Gay as laid down in the program was
called for. Mr.. Alexander insisted that q
question Of privilege took precedence OF the
regular order of the day, and Miss Hayes
| insisted that il did not, and all he other
delegates. with a very few exceptions, In
| sisted one way or the other, and there vas
every prospect of a row on. but the cooler
| spirits soon managed to calm things under
the soothing words of Ms. Lockwood. An
effort was made to discuss the question at
| issue, and this went on to some extent,
when one delegate found that the question
had not been taken from the table vet but
the discussion went on just the same.
The question was one that was evidently
| Of more interest to the congress than any
outsider could be expected to un nierstand
! II involved the legality of an election by
the society at large OF the District Of Co
lumbia. by which three delegates we-e sent
to the congress. Mrs. Wysong Mrs Treck-
inridge and Mrs Powell
| The resolution was finally raised from the
| table and thereupon some more Of the dele
gates entered all at once upon the discus
| sion, which had more than a little ginger"
| in ii. The resolution then came up for ac-
| tion. 1t was to the effect that the president
| general should appoint a committee TO ex-
anime into the claims Of the three delegates
and settle this tempest in a teapot at the
very earliest moment possible.
| Then the question came up as 20 the right
OF Mrs. Stranahan TO appoint the commit
| tee. inasmuch as the resolution said that
| this should be done by the President gen.
| eral, Mrs. Stevenson. Several speakers took
| the ground that the lady filling the chair
was the president general of the society for
| the time being. Mrs. Stranahan decided
| that the wording OF the resolutions should
4 De maze DN the presiding of1cer. 1hel one
4 Of the delegates rose TO ask who would ap-
point the committee.
Ladies' said Mrs Stranahan, .rt is pre-
| sumed that the chair is properly Sled"
| Ihis was the signal of loud and continued
applause. and then Mrs. Stranaian went on
to compliment the society able boly
/ and one that represented the very best Of
the intelligence and social life of the country
ana she urged upon them to follow psrlia-
mentary usage and courtesy. The resolution
was then taken up and passed.
! Mrs. Stranahan then announced TIE COM
mittee as follows: Mrs Shepherd Of Illi-
nois and Mrs. Alexander and Mrs. Draper
/ of the District Of Columbia.
/ This. you see is very fair said MrS.
Stranahan for two Of the members repre-
| sent the opposing faction. But IL is fair,
| though il runs the risk of going too far"
| That depends" said Mrs. Alexander; we
can be fair, for the two OF us from the Dis
| trict Of Columbia are on opposite sides"
4 Scene of Confusion.
Then Mrs. w. ID. Cabell of this city asked
that before the regular order was taken Up
she be given opportunity to make a few
| remarks. There were loud cries Of mo,
no." Mrs. Stranahan started TO put a mo-
tion TO grant the privilege to Mrs Cabell.
Then there was hubbub that the speakers
gavel could not subdue. The yeas and nays
were called for but no human being could
| ever have told which had the majority. Mrs.
Stranahan certainly could not and she
called for a rising vote.
All tfllS time Mrs. taDell was standing In
the aisle in front of the platform waiting
! for a chance to speak. but woman could
have raised her voice above the commotion
that prevailed IN that usually quiet church.
/ The vote was called for amid cries Of
| "onder." regular order of the day." mo.
no. yes, yes give Justice"
| There were more who to their feet
in favor of letting Mrs. Ca5ell share in the
| courtesy of the house than there were who
opposed it, This was all the courtesy Mrs
Cabell received at the hands of The patriotic
Daughters of the Revolution. Amid confu-
sion that was made up in about equal parts
of Kisses and cheers Mrs. Cabell started TO
! speak. Sometimes she could be heard and
sometimes she could not.
Mrs. Cabell said that by sitting idle and
taking no action upon an important matter
they were countenancing a grievoJs wrorg z.
They were casting implied insult upon
that noble body Of women, the continental
congress of the Daughters OF the American
Revolution OF the year 1885. In front Of
them on the platform was a handsome
picture of Mrs. Harrison. their first Iresi-
dent general, while hidden away in one
corner of the church. where the convention
| evidently intended to place her, sat q
woman, Mrs. II. Y. Boynton Of .he District
of Columbia, who was a year ago elected
vice president general Of the sociey y and
who had been Illegally ousted from that
office.
why" asked Mrs CabeIl, ''wny, / ask
again. has that honored woman not teen
given a seat of honor upon the ilatform
| where she should be? j ask that commit
tee be appointed from the congress TO in
yestigate into this whole matter"
| This was a part of what Mrs Cabell said
The mcst of her remarks could not be heard
more than ten feet away, owing to the ef-
forts of the delegates TO drown her voice.
| 4 Beautiful Fight.
| There were cries for the regular order Of
the day, and for pretty much everything
else that is known in the calendar OF par
liamentary methods The readers Of The
Star may be at a loss TO learn from this
report of the proceedings just what the
! fight was all about This is quite possible.
The Star reporter. who was present all
| through the session, had not the slightest
I idea But il was certainly a beautiful
fight while it lasted. The fact that the
gathering is known a congress may &C.
! count for il. 1t really seeemd as though
the delezates We're trying 10 emulate the
Congress at the other end Of the avenue IN
the way of making trouble.
A number OF other ladies' We're given n
| chance TO speak while Mrs Cabell was SIN
on her feet. Most OF them discussed the
right of Mrs. Cabeil TO speak, and urged
Z the society to proceed with the regular
program Of the day, and motions 10 this
| effect were made and lost, not by a vote,
but lost in the confusion.
| All this time Mrs. Caben was waiting for
I a chance to go on with her charges and her
| reques: that a committee be appoin:e ed TO