Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-02-18
CONGRESS OF MOTHERS
Opened at the. Arlington, Washington, D
c., Under Favorable Circumstances
Presidents Welcome Address.

Washing ton, Feb. 1.-THE session of
the National Congress of Mothers, which
has attracted such wide attention all
over the United States, was opened at the
Arlington hotel at 10 o'clock this morn
ing.
Rev. W. H, Milburn, of Washington,
the blind chaplain of the United States
senate, delivered the opening prayer.
Mrs. Theodore Birney, president of the
congress, made the address of welcome.
Speaking of the objects of the congress,
she said Ii was the culture and advance
ment of children and mothers. The child
question was the one most worthy of
attention, and as this was the woman's
era, when so much arose to distract wo-
men from the care of their children, this
congress had taken upon itself to try to
point out the way in which children
should be brought up. The desire was
that the coming generation of mothers
should have college educatio and a
general knowledge of the need of child
hood, in. order that they might be better
able to direct the footsteps of the young.
In closing, Mrs, gBirney said: This is no
sex movement, but one in which sons and
daughters, fathers and mothers should be
interested alike, ta
Mrs Mary Lou Dickinson, of New York
City, responded -'l
She spoke of the good results of kinder
garten work. Mrs. Dickinson also refer
red to the great wrong often committed
sumo all the responsibility of rearing the
children, when 1t was equally as impor-
tant to teach child the ways of the
world.
After Mrs Dickinson's address. the
meeting adjourned until 2:30 this after
noon.
Many distinguished women occupied
seats upon the platform, among them be-
ing Mrs. Adelaie Stevenson, wife of the
vice-president; Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst,
L A
Mclean, Mrs. James e. McGil1 Mrs.
Mary A. Mumford, Miss Emma Morton,
Mrs A. A. Birney and Mrs. H. w. Fuller.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The crowd of 1900 received by Mrs.
Cleveland grew considerably before the
hour arrived for the afternoon session
and the large banquet hall of the Arling-
ton was found to be much too small.
Arrangements were quickly made for
holding the second session in the First
Baptist church, corner of Sixteenth and
o streets. tfsea
This edifice also proved inadequate to
accommodate the increased number and
many were unable to gain admission.
The afternoon session began at 2:30
o'clock, the time being taken up exclu-
sively with the delivery of addresses. The
first was by Frank Hamilton Gushing
of Washington, d. c., as to Mother and
Child of the Primitive World"
MT. SuSIlilS 10 piOlCSoOi III TIC pu-
reau of enthnology of 1.-The Smithsonian
institute, and his address related to the
respect for motherhood among the Zuni
Indians, whom he described as probably
the best representatives now living of
the civilization that existed, some thous-
and years ago. Other speakers were
Mrs Lucy Bainbridge, of New York city;
Miss Amelia Heffer of Chicago, and Mrs.
An overwhelming congregation listened
An overfiowing congregation listened
nff hot1 t1stya n
Mrs. Wilbur f. Crafts, superintendent
of the Sunday school department of the
worlds Women's Christian Temperance
Union, and president of the International
Primary Union of Sunday School Teach
ers. presented the subject of Mothers
and Schools" Rev. w. A. Bartlett, of
Lowell, Mass, spoke ON 1.-THE Value of
Music In the Development of Charac-
ter"
Tomorrow mornings session will be
commenced by devotional exercises, coz
Quoted by Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth,
of New York city. g%H