The morning times., 1897-02-15
FAIR c0L0N|ALs At ODDS
An Interesting Controversy Over
an Honorable Title.
TWO SOCIETIES CONTENT
Delegates From the Original New
York Society and the Philadelphia
Branch Argue for IA Name Before
a Senate Committee-The Merits
of the Case.

The controversy between the two fac
tions of the Colonial Danes is naturally
attracting attention in Washington, where
there are three or four societies whose
history goes back to at least the days of
the Revolutionary War. Among these are
the Sons OF the Revolution, the Daughters
of the Revolution. the Daughters of the
American Revolution and the Sons Of the
now at issue are the Colonial DANES and
a society asking to be Incorporated as the
National Society OF Colonial Danes.
In point of age the Colonial Danes ante
dates the latter, but, of course, all the
members of both societies are entitled
to the same social and historical record.
The Washington ladies prominent in the
movement to have the National Colonial
Society incorporated by Congress are Miss
Emily Tuckermau and Miss Susan palfrey
Lee, while Mrs William II. Browne is an
active promoter OF the organization under
national auspices.
The National Society il is argued is not
| entitled to use the name OF the Colonial
! Danes, inasmuch as it is only a branch OF
the latter which was formed in later years
in Philadelphia, and that the other society,
while it has no prescriptive title, owns it by
a common law right. Both societies are
now making an effort TO get favorable re-
| port from the Congressional Committee on
the Library, before which argument was
! heard on Saturday, and from which a re-
| port may be expected early this week.
/ p f,n
| National Society last night was that such a
| title is miSnomer because there were
only thirteen colonies and there
was no nation" at the time the
name Colonial Dame began to exist On
the o,her hand, it was stated that The body
would be more influential and powerful if
it were compact ana representative of the
| nation rather than OF States or groups of
States.
the New York, Philadelphia. Baltimore
and Washington societies were well repre-
| sented AT the hearing before the committee
| on the bills, introduced by Senators Hale
OF Maine, and Lodge, OF Massachusetts
| respectively, TO incorporate the Society
of Colonial Danes Of America" and the
| National Society of Colonial Danes ol
America"
The Society OF Colonial Danes is called
the New York Society, and was repre-
sented by Mrs. j. Lyon Gardiner OF Gardi
ner's Island, Y. Y, first vicepresidcnt; Miss
Jane j. Boudinot of New Jersey, Mrs. Paul
Dana OF New York, Mrs. George Mcclellan
and Miss Elise Walling Balch of Philadel-
phia, Mrs. Henry b. Keyser Mrs. B. Irvine
Keyser, Mrs. william Gilmor, Mrs. Charles
Seagrave, Mrs. William T. Wilson anC
Mrs Tunstall Smith OF Baltimore, Mrs. sgd
ney Price OF Delaware, and Miss Emily
Tuckerman and Miss Susan palfry Lee oi
Washington.
The national society was represented by
Mrs. Howard Townsend of New York, it
president; Mrs. E ID. Gillespie, Mrs. Charles
C Harrison, Mrs. Alexander j
Cassat; Mrs John T. Winsor, and Mrs
John Sanders, OF Philadelphia; Mrs. vii
liam Reed, of Maryland; Miss Mary Dick
inson, OF New Jersey; Mrs. f Ensor Chad
wick, of New York; Mrs. Joseph Eridg
ham, of Rhode Island; Miss A. E. John
ston, of Delaware, and Mrs. william Ii
Browne, OF Washington.
Mr. Skipwith Wilmer, OF Baltimore opened
the argument for the New York society
| Arguments We're also made by Mrs. Z. ID
Gillespie, Representative Franklin Bart
lett, Col Asa Bird Gardiner, OF New
York; Mrs. Townsend, Mrs. Gillespie
Mrs Bridgham, and Miss Boudinot, wh(
closed the hearing.