Evening star., 1896-02-19
WITH DOORS CLOSED
The D. A. R. Deliberate Without
the Reporters.
FAIR SENTINEIS At THE ENTRANCE
Differences Of Opinion as to Ex-
cluding the Press.
THE PROCEEDINGS TODAY

The continental congress of the Daughters
of the American Revolution was continued
this morning at the Church of Our Father
Outside the wind blew in blasts, but in
SIDE the feeling was almost as gusty and
uncertain as the efforts of old Boreas him.
self.
That all was not peace and harmony in
the society goes without saying. The con-
crosses of past years have not been devoid
of sensational incidents. While the Daush-
ters are one in their patriotism. they are
divided on almost every other subject that
comes before them. The congress opeEed
yesterday morning under the most delight
full auspices. but it was not long before the
little rift within the lutte started discord.
The first question on Which the ladies spit
was the proposition 10 hold the business
meetings OF the wee k behind closed doors.
1t was brought up On a resolution to adopt
the program as Ibrnitted, excluding, how
ever, the word 'eyec cltive" applied to
the sessions this morning and tomorrow.
The resolution, was supported by Mrs. Don
aid Mclean of New York, and on vote
was adopt Il b. an overwhelming majority,
the delee ates protesting against the s. q
60 on lhat they We're going to do any
tni,g ,. .i1ic, they objected to having made
public
Reconsidered.
Later III the ditSiAOoitp ooi.IA6 thC az
s, nee of Mrs Mclean, some of the ladies
Tho are sensitive as to what the papers
say about them went to the president
<, neral and argued with her, with the re-
alt that the matter was brought up as
rew business, and a motion to exclude the
reporters this morning was carried. 1t was
decided that the daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution should he admitted, even
though they were not delegates to the
l,t hh MON
it is to report the proceedings were given
to understand that they were not wanted.
This morning it was evident that large
proportion of the delegates we're not IN
sympathy with this action of the congress-
and threats were freely made that if there
was any attempt to hold tie session to-
morrow morning behind closed doors 1t
would precipitate one OF the HVeilest flghts
the society has ever known,
OEe of the most prominent delegates to
the congress, in conversation with Star
reporter this morning, characterized the
performance as an outraS.:. 1t is q tacit
admission that the COZ gre: } is go ng to do
things that We are asfa,.tei to have the
public know about. i h1r llv think that is
the case, brt, as l have told some of the
delegates, if we object II the neWspaDerS
SAYING that We do such things the proper
course for us to pursue IS not TO do them:
/ am sure the papers have always treated
US fairly. The reports have never been
ccla"ef!. and l take ii that the duty of
reporter Is 10 write tttIHSS dS titcS az tb-
ally are, not as he thinks they ought to
he. If the members of convention be-
have in an ;ndacoroUs or "ndigrl tl9d man
ner It is hardly fair to blame the papers
fer saying So
Reporters Excluded.
At the entrance to the church Il couple of
young lady ushers were stationed this
morning. and every lady who applied for
admission was requested to show her
badge. "Are YOU a Daughter?" they were
asked. They all said they We're. though
good many OF them looked as though they
were grandmotha"s as well. In the case
of The Star reporter the question was un-
necessary; he might have been son, but
never q daughter.
.'Yon cant come in here said ore Of
the fair doorkeepers. "Rs presentatives cf
the press are to he rig'dly excluded. That
is the order OF the president general"
Well will ycu please ask the pres dent
general or some one of the other officers
general whether any information will he
given ont later in the day as to what has
reen done today.
A few minutes after she came back with
the announcement that the president gen.
eral had said that no one but Daughters
would be admitted, and that absolutely
nothing was to be printed about the con-
gress today.
Reading Reports.
The morning session was given UP to the
reading of reports from the different COM
mittees, showing the growth and condition
of the society during the past year. The
reports were naturally of no particular in
terest, except to the delegates Tomorrow
morning. however. the annual election of
officers IS to be held. and this is expected
to bring about the iiveliest scenes OF the
congress number of the ladies' said this
morning that if there was any motion to
hold the election in secret they would op-
pose it hammer and tonss, ana they gave
the impression that some fur would be
made to fly before they got through.
Trouble Over the Concert.
The concert last evening, arranged by the
national hymn committee of 1896. appears
to have given rise to a good deal of feel
ing on the part of some, If not all of the
New York delegation. The concert included
the songs and hymns accepted for COM
petition by the d. A. r. committees since
the congress of 1891. The New York ladies,
at considerable expense, brought on 9
professional singer of high standing, Mr..
Archie Crawford, to sing 1.-The Song of
Freedom which is known as the Buff
falo song. Today the ladies are claiming
that he was frozen OUT by the committee,
who favored a Connecticut hymn whic h
they wanted adopted, and that he was only
New York delegates consider it as a person
al affront, and they were in anything but
a good humor about 1t this morning.
Extending the OrEnnixat ton.
The session of the continental congress
yesterday afternoon was devoted to the
presentation Of reports by the national
officers. Mrs. Charles Sweet Johnson, vice
president in charge of the organization, de-
tailed the work done during the last year,
looking to the enlargement of the scope of
the society, and to a growth in the number
of chapters and members. She said:
when one year ago the congress did me
the honor of electing me to the high Office
of vice president general in charge of Or
ganiZaticn there were in existence 141 Or
ganiZed chapters, now there are 22S an in
crease of 81 during the year. During the
same period state regents and 49, chap
ter regents have been appointed and con-
firmed, making a present total of Al state
regents and 81 chapter regents. OF the
state regents appointed four Connecticut,
Louisiana, Massachusetts, and West Vir-
ginia) We're to fill vacancies, and three In
dian terr. tory, North Dakota and Utah)
were original appointments. 1t was my
hope. and 1t has been my earnest endeavor
to perfect organizations in the four re-
naming states and territories ALASKA,
Arizona Idaho and Nevada) in which no
organization has heretofore existed, but
in this / have not succeeded, owing to my
inability to find suitable persons who were
willing to undertake the work. I am, how
ever, able to report the very gratifying
fact that We now have chapter regents in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in Geneva SwitZ-
erland, and but for the non-receipt Of a let
l-I-