Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-02-18
NATIONS MOTHERS.
THE CONGRESS OPENED YEsrER-
DAY AT WASHINGTON.
ADDRESS OF MRS. slRrBY.
The Way In Which Chiidren should
He Reared the Topic of the Presi.
ccivcs More Than 1,s0O Mothers.

WASHINGTON. d. c., February H.
The first 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 morning.
Rev. w. II. Milburn. OF Washington.
the blind chaplain OF the United states
Senate, delivered the opening prayer.
Mrs. Theodore Blrney. president Of the
congress- made the address of welcome.
Speaking of the objects OF the congress-
she said 1t was the culture end advance
ment OF children and mothers. The
child question was the one mos; worthy
of attention. and as this was the wos
mans era, when so much arose to dis
tract women from the care OF their
children, this congress had taken upon
itself to try 20 point out the way IN
which children should be brought up.
The desire was that the coming genera
ton of mothers should have college
education and general knowledge OF
the needs of childhood In order that they
might better be able to direct the foot
steps OF the young.
In closing. Mrs. Birney said: This Is
no sex movement, but one In which sons
and daughters, fathers and motherA
should be Interested alike.
MRS DICKINSONS RESPONSE.
Mrs. Mary Lowe Dickinson. OF New
York city. responded. She spoke or the
good results OF kindergarten work. Mrs,
Dickinson also referred to the great
wrong often committed by fatners IN
allowing the mother to assume all the re-
sponsiblity in rearing the children wnen
II was equally as important TO teacn =
child the ways OF the world.
After Mrs Dickiuson's address tho
meeting adjourned until 23o this after
noon.
Many distinguished women occupied
seats upon the platform. among
then, being Mrs. Adlai Steven-
son. Vlfa of the ice-President; Mrs.
Phoebe A. Hearst Mrs William L. VIII
SON Mrs. Harriet A. Mclean, Mrs. James
II. McGill, Mrs. Mary A. Mumford, Miss
Emma Morton, Mrs. "A. A. bHney anu
Mrs. II. NJ. Fuller.
MRS. CLEvELAND'S RECEPTION.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., February H.
Mrs Cleveland's reception at the White
| House 10 the Congress OF Mothers COM
menced at Ii 80 A. NJ, and for an hour
a steady stream of visitors shook hands
| with her IN the blue parior, me ohiclais
estimating the number OF visitors At 1.So
mothers, with sprinkling Of minor on
| spring and an occasional ;ather. Iha
| introductions were made by Mrs. Theo-
| dore Birney.
A LARGE ATTENDANCE.
The crowd of 1900 received by Mrs.
| Cleveland grew considerably before tho
| hour arrived for the afternoon session,
and tht large banquet-hall Of the Arling-
ton was found to be much too small.
Arrangements were quickly made for
holding the second session I'm the First
| Raptist church, corner Sixteenth and .
streets. This ediflce also proved made
auate to accommodate the Increased
number, and many were unable to gain
admission.
The afternoon session began at 23o
O'clock the time being taken up exclu-
sively with the delivery OF addresses.
The first was by Frank Hamilton Cush-
ing of Washington, ID. c., as TO Mother
and Child OF the Primitive World Mr.
| Cushing is n professor I'm the Bureau or
Ethnology Of the Smithsonian lnsttu-
tion. and his address related to the re-
snact for motherhood among the Zuni
Indians whom he described as probably
the hest representatives now living OF
the civilization that existed 6.ooo years
ago.
J OTHER SPEAKERS.
I Other sneakers were: Mrs. Lucy Balm
| bridge. of New York city, Miss Amalio
| Hofer, of Chicago. and Mrs. Rebekan
| Kohut, OF New York.
An overfowing congregation listened TO
the proceedings of the evening session.
Mrs. WILDER +. Crafts, superintendent
OF the Sunday-school department OF the
Worlds woman'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,
smoke on "The Value Of Music In tho
| development of Character"
Tomorrow mornings session VIII pe
commenced by devotional exercises, con
ducted by Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth
| of New York city.
/ u@<~ss~