The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-18
NOT TALKING VOTE
MATERNITY Is GOOD ENOUGH FOR
THESE MOTHERS.
rational Congress of Mothers Assemblies In
Washington City. Organized for the
Avowed Object OF Elevating the Lace
and Purifying Society by Formative
Rather Than Corrective Means-"Ihe
Child" Is Proclaimed the Natchworo Oh
the Organization, and Child-Cuiture its
Aim-Received by rIrs. Cleveland.

Aim-Received by 1Irs. Cleveland.
Washington, Feb. 1.-THE opening
meeting of the first National Congress OF
Mothers was held here today in the ban
ouet hall of the Arlington MOTEL winch
was thronged with women. Mrs. Hearst
wife of the late Senator Hearst. one of
the vice presidents. called the meeting 10
order and introduced the president, Mrs.
Theodore W. Birney, Of Washington, VINO
delivered the address Of welcome She
stated the purpose of the congress to be,
IN effect. the consideration of subjects
bearing upon the better and broader
spiritual. physical and mental training OF
the young, such as the value OF kinder
carten work and the extension OF It's
principles TO more advanced studies,
love of humanity and OF country, and or
kindred matters.
"The age in which we live" said Mrs.
Birney, 'is an age Of moyements-a time
of specialized work Every conceivable
object, from the clothing Of the Hotten-
tots TO the study Of occultisn, has been
subject
often of organization. 1t has seemed TO
as good and fitting that the highest and
hottest of all questions, the child ques-
ticn-child-culture, should be especially
considered by-a mothers congress. Let
mothers. fathers. nurses, educators,
ministers, legislators, and, miShtieSt OF
all in its swift, far-reaching influence,
the press. make ''The Child the watch
word of the day and hour"
The response TO Mrs. Birney's address
of welcome was made on behalf Of the
delegates from other cities by Mrs. Ma
~ LOWE Dickinson OF -Sew York, the
president Of the National Council or Wo-
men. n the course Of her remarks she
said:
LAS mothers, and especially, who
would fam see better things in the fu-
cure that is to be the inheritance of our
children, we rejoice in the fact that there
never before was a time when at the
heart of every movement, large orsmall,
lay such considerations for the welfare
OF human beings as today. Never be-
fore was 50 much strength, time and
money expended for the education of
the illiterate Never before were there
such wise and wonderful projects for
preventing pauperism and disease. Amid
the maze of manifold theories and
schemes for human betterment, the idea
has been growing that the answer 10
the crowdng problems of the race lies
in the conditions and possible develop
ment of the child. Yet it has remained
for this new society to take the child
and set him in the midst" making him
who is already the center Of love the
center of strong endeavor. the key 10 the
closed gates of our highest progress.
the heart and soul of our nope, that the
world, becoming as a child, may yet en-
ter the kingdom of God
Mrs. Cleveland. by appointment, re-
ceived the members of the congress and
their friends at the White House after
the morning session. There was vast
gathering at the White House and it is
estimated that at least 800 people were
tn the line that greeted Mrs. Cleveland.
At times the crowd was so great that
seine OF the opal glasses in the great
screen in the corridor were smashed.
The banquet hall having been found
inadequate to accommodate the large at
tendance at the gathering, the Afternoon
and night session today were held in
the First Baptist church. The seating
capacity of this building was taxed dur
ing the afternoon session.
TIE program included papers and ad-
dresses as follows: Mother and Child
OF the Primitive World" Frank Hamil-
ION Cushing, Of Washington; Mothers
of the Submerged World and Day
Nurseries" Mrs. Lucy 5. cambridge
New York City; ''What the Kindergar-
ten Means 10 Mothers" Miss Amele
Hoffer. Chicago; Parental Reverence as
Taught in the Hebrew Home" Mrs. Re
bekah Cohut. New York City.
Tonight there were addresses by Mr..
". +. Crafts. of Washington. on Moth
ers ana Schools" and by Rev. w. A.
Bartlett. Of Lowell, Mass. on The Val
ue of Music in the Development of Char
ecter"