Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-19
MOTHERS CONGRESS.
A SUCCESS MUCH GREATER THAN
WAS ANTICIPATED.
MANY INTERESTING ADDRESSES.
The Love OF "a Mother-Dietetfcs--
Moral Responsibility of Woman
SchocI-work for Children.

holding its first session in this city, has
outgrown the expectations of its most
sanguine promoters in the number of
delegates in attendance, the Importance
| of its discussion, and the interest mani
tested in its proceedings. Some Of the
lady promoters of the congress. who re-
| Gently estimated a probable attendance
| of 200 or 300 ladies', were overwhelmed
by the presence of 1.00 or more at the
| first session, with constant accessions.
| This necessitated a sudden and COM
plete remodelling of the plans for hous-
| ing the convention and conducting the
| exercises.
Besides the regular sessions of the
congress to-day, several meetings were
held this morning before the regular
session, at which different members Of
the congress presided. In the banquet
hall of the Arlington Hotel, Mrs. Henry
| j. Finley, chairman of the Press Com
mittee. presided over a conference, at
which DR.. Ada l.. Thomas made
short address entitled Accidents: What
| to Do Before the Doctor Comes" At
the conclusion of DR.. Thomass address.
Mrs. Hornpenn, Mrs. Heyelsberger and
| Miss Alice Fletcher, of the Anthropologi-
| cal Society. gave short and interesting
| talks on Fear How 10 Overcome 1t in
| Children"
At the First Baptist church. Miss New
ton, of Chicago presided over con-
| ference at the same hour as that held
at the Arlington Hotel. Miss jeanette
Richards read a paper on the "Neces-
sity of Schools for Trained Nurses"
which was followed by an address on
| "Punshments." by Mrs. Putnam.
Notwithstanding the early hour at
which the conferences were held, A.
NJ, both the banquet hall of the
Arlington Hotel and the First Baptist
| church were crowded TO their utmost
capacity. Long before the time set for
the opening of the morning session, 1890
| A. NJ. there was not an available seat
| I'm the church, and when Mrs. Birney
called the regular meeting to order
Mrs. Maud Balington Booth. Of New
York city. made the devotional address.
The audience joined in singing, Nearer
| Ny God, to Thee" after which Mrs.
| Booth read few verses from the Bible.
| During the course of her remarks she
said "It is a great comfort and great
strength to feel that we have the right
TO turn and claim the great, strong hand
of God. II seems that those persons
who stand to-day in the position of
mothers should feel grateful for the light
and teaching which God has brought to
our eyes"
MOTHERS LOVE.
| In speaking of mothers love. Mrs.
Booth compared ii TO Divine love-the
strongest love imaginable. A true wo-
man. continued Mrs. Booth. should have
| this wonderful mothers love. whether
j IL rtt,gr Of hnr
experiences in the different prisons, she
said that it made no difference how low
a criminal had fallen, or what crime he
had committed, there were times during
| his Incarceration when he still showed
some traces of his mothers training.
One of the greatest errors ever COM
mltted by any Legislature, continued
| Mrs. Booth, and one that is very black
spot on the name Of New York State. was
| TO deprive the convicts at Sing Sing Of
work.
Referring to the advancement of wo-
man. she said that, should a woman
engage in the different meetings being
| held at the present time, 1t was no ex-
cuse whatever for her to neglect her
| children. A woman who neglects her
babe for the public will find i'm the near
future the great mistake she has made,
and that her work has been to no pur-
| pose.
| At the conclusion of Mrs. Booths adj
dress Mrs Birney announced an over
flow meeting downstairs, for the benefit
| of a large number Of visitors, who were
unable to gain admission. Mrs. Louise
| T. Hogan. of Germantown, Pa, next ad-
dressed the congress. on "Dietetics." In
conclusion, Mrs. Hogan said Few
| seem conscious that there is such thing
| as physical morality. Mems habitual
words and acts imply that they are at
| liberty TO treat their bodies as they
please. The fact is, all breaches of the law
| of health are physical sins. When this
| Is generally seen, then, and perhaps not
| till then. will the physical training OF the
| Young receive all the attention II de-
| serves" Mrs. Alice Lee Moque, OF
| Washington, read paper on marriage
| in entering which estate she said. men
| and women are often Influenced by trifies
| light as air A girl ought, before allow
ing herself to love. to consider the
health. mental constitution, position In
| life. and means Of support OF the man
she may wed. Also. she must consider
herself. The first consideration is health.
Woman ought first to be emancipated
from doctors. Mother-love ought to be
exercised before maternity is entered OH;
afterward. IL is too late to remedy many
Ills Right thinking and right living
ought TO complement each other in the
man and woman who take upon them
selves the duties of matrimony.
WOMAN IN HEREDITY.
Mrs. Helen H. Gardner, of Boston, read
| paper on "The Moral Responsibility oil
Woman In Heredity." She said: sell
abnegation. subserviency 10 man, whether
he be father. lover, or husband is the
most dangerous theory that can be taught
TO her whose character shall mould the
next generation. She has no right 10
transmit a nature and a character That IL
subseryient, subject, inefficient. unde-
veloped-in short a slavish character,
which is either bindly obedient or blindly
rebellious, and is, therefore, In either
case. set. as is a time-lock, to prey or 10
be preyed upon by society in the future.
Subject mothers never will produce
race of free well-poised. justiee-practicing
children"
With her remarks the morning work
ended.
The overflow meeting was In charge OF
Mrs Hearst Mrs. Margaret Sangster.
and Mrs. Henrotin, OF Chicago, presioei'
of the Woman's Federation.
when Mrs. Birney, president OF the
Congress. called the meeting to order this
afternoon. notwithstanding the fact that
the morning session had adjourned only
an hour before, there was no visible de-
crease I'm the number Of attendants.
Miss Frances Newton. Of Chicago. de-
livered the opening address on rhe
| Mothers Greatest Needs" Miss Newton
| Is an experienced kindergarten teacher,
| and her address had to do with wnat
| home means for the child.
Miss Constance Mackenzie, of Philadel-