Evening star., 1897-02-15

ment of the enterprise had to he placed in
other hands. Those hands happened to
belong to the first vice president Mrs
Phoebe Hearst, whose name has grown to
be one to conjure with when philanthropic
deeds are to be done. With great wealth
at her command, Mrs. Hearsts sole idea
world better and happier. One day it Is a
musicale for her society friends, the next
it is in establishing kindergarten for
street waits. Here 1t is a girl who has
brains, but no money to cultivate them
and tomorrow it is perhaps. to be youth
who has latent within him great inventive
genius, and. like a patron saint, Mrs.
Hearst gives him the chance" that may
one day make him famous. This congress
of mothers appealed to Mrs. Hearst at
cnce, and the money that has made it CO.
has been given as freely as though it grew
en- bushes, and she had but to pick it. The
office of the business end of the congress is
close to her home, and she has been con-
stantly consulted. Without her material
assistance 1t never would have reached the
point 1t has, and too much praise cannot be
bestowed on this gentle, gracious woman,
who is 80 instant and ardent to lend a help
ing hand where real merit lies She hopes
for great results from the meetings, and
on looking over the program it looks as
though she could not be disappointed.
The cabinet ladies', headed by Mrs. Cleve-
land and Mrs. Stevenson. have taken the
livellest interest in everything pertaining
to the congress, and the press all over the
y,
mans magazines. have given the matter
the widest publicity. There is no real or
ganiZatiCn. There are no bylaws, no con-
stitution: there never was a petition, and
the women who have become the officers
came together in the most unostentious
manner, slipped into the offices by apparent
natural selection, and have worked like
Trojans bound together by their common
interest in humanity, and working without
hope Of emolument!
Practical Program.
To tell all the ground that they hope to
cover with their work would be to sum up
| all that goes to make existence tolerable.
The congress will consider subjects bearing
upon the better and broader spiritual and
physical as well as mental training of the
young such as the value Of kindergarten
work and the extension of its principles to
more advanced studies, a love of humanity
and Of country, the physical and mental
evils resulting from some Of the present
methods OF our schools and advantages to
follow from a closer relation between the
ir fluence of the home and that of institu-
tions of learning. OF special Importance
will be the subject of the means of develop
ing in children characteristics which will
elevate and ennoble them and thus assist in
overcoming the conditions which now
prompt crime and make necessary the
maintenance Of jails. warehouses; and re-
formatories. There will be talks on physi-
cal culture, heredity, reproduction and
natural law. dietetics, music, parental rev.
erence, moral responsibility of women In
heredity, child studies and many other
subjects. All over the country mothers
clubs have been forming ever since this
congress became an assured fact, and these
clubs will send their representative women
to the congress to get new ideas and have
their own frightened up.
Very naturally many Of the mothers pres
ent will not be takers, and will be back
ward about even asking questions in tho
open congress. To get expressions from
them and all others who wish to be heard
in that manner, question box will be on
all questions may be dropped. unsigned II
desired, but fully stated and at certain
hours each day these questions, distributed
to the various members of the committees
who seem best fitted to answer them will