The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
z THE COLONIAL NJ
SOME PERTINENT HISTORY OF AN
INTERESTING SUBJECT.

-
INTERESTING SUBJECT
origin or the raea or n Society Founded Upor
Deaccpt from Distinkuishsa Colonial Ances
toru-The Cennict Between Two Rival socie
ues-ArEunents Tor the Right TO the Name
The many patriotic societies formed recently
on the principle of descent from ancestors con
cerned with the Revolution or the colonies con
stituto An extremely interesting group. Tn,
Colonial Danes Of America, organized about
seven years ago, was tho first patriotic society
Of women formed in the United statee. The ap
pcarance Of another society Of Colonial
Danes" and its conflict with the Original
society has attracted considerable attention
On Thursday, March 20, at the house Of Mrs
James w. Gerard, at q business meeting OF the
Society Of Colonial Danes OF America. q com,
mittee submitted the following report, setting
forth the recent proceedings at Washington In
application for n charter from Congress and in
~cidentally the relations between that society
and the other society, known as the National So
ciety Of Colonial Danes Of America, with which
the Society Of Colonial Danes of the State OF
New York ls AFFILIATED:
LADIES Al the request Of our President, and
as Chairman OF your committee on tho bills in
Congress, ] submit TO you the following facts, ali
OF which arc taken directly from our minutes,
JouiNhio, dnu tno EtpOTb Vi INC bcnHUC llUTATy
Committee Of the last Congress.
You are aware that n bill was sent to Congress
last year from a society u~surping tho name OF
this society and praying for a national charter,
against which those of us who could be reached
quickly signed a protest. 1t was found neces.
sary, In order to protect our rights. TO present TO
Congress with our protest q bill which was, on
our part, the renewal Of q petition for a ma.
tional charter which we had already presented
in Congress in 1892 and which had been favor.
ably reported by q committee OF the House. This
ualrpation of our name has been a serious in.
jury to us; it draws to tho usurping society
members who. under a Misrepresentation. believe
that they are entering The original society OF the
Colonial Danes OF America, causing them inno-
Gently TO commit wrong and injury to us.
The Society OF Colonial Danes Of America was
organized on May %. 1890. 1t had extended
into Pennsylvania. before March. 1891. Finally
its Philadelphia members. desiring to form them
selves into a chapter. received authority to do
so. and a chapter was duly formed on April 8.
1891. Tho Assistant Librarian Of the Historical
Society of Pennsylvania. Mr.. Jordan, having
meanwhile obtained information as TO our or
gan!zation, made an effort to establish u State
society OF Colonial Danes, and the day before
our Philadelphia members formed themselves
into a chapter. a number Of women in Phila-
delphia formed themselves Tito a State society
there separate from ours, and by this means sue
ceeded in drawing from us some of tho officers in
our Philadelphia chapter, who sent in their res
ignation in the following words: 1T is with re-
gret that we feel obliged to resign as the Execu.
tive OF the Pennsylvania Chapter Of
the National Society OF Colonial Danes Of
America" Other designations followed. using
precisely the same words, From the National
Society Of Colonial Danes Of America" 1t Is
seen, therefore, that before the organization OF
this new society our society had become estab-
lished in Pennsylvania There were Colonial
Danes In Pennsylvania before the formation of
the society instituted by Mr.. Jordan.
1t has been said that the Colonial Danes OF
America forfeited their right TO protest against
sh- use OF their name by this other society
tS.ough failure to object at the proper time.
I ae fact is otherwise. The adoption Of our
name by the now society was instantly opposed
by our Pennsylvania members. as shown by the
following affidavit, which will be found in the
record OF the hearing in Washington:
State of Pennsylvania City and County OF Philadel.
phia, rs: Mary de vcaux Hodge. being duly sworn.
deposes and says: I am q member OF the Philadelphia
Chapter of the Colonial Danes OF America. a. origi.
nally chartered in New York. having declined TO join
the later Pennsylvania society. After the meeting of
the ladies. who subsequently formed the latter So
ciety. at Mrs. Crawford Arnold's on April s, 1891
(Which. TO our great surprise as members-elect OF q
chapter Of the Society OF the Colonial Danes of Amer
lea organized in New York in May OF the previous
year ls9o), had been held for the purpose of forming
a ri, Al society bearing the sane title). and also after
the subsequent meeting OF our own members at the
house OF Nrs. John Sanders on April 8. where We
were formally received as q chapter by two OF the
Danes OF the original society OF tho C. d. A.,
Mrs. Richard Mccall Cadw camo TO me and
begged me TO make \ protest against the usurpation
OF our title by another society. To this l heartily
agreed. and we drew up a memorandum for q protest
to be made in the strongest possible terms at a meet
Ing OF the members of both societies 10 be held at the
house OF Ms. ]. Dundas LIppincott. At this meeting
I formally protested. and appealed to their sense OF
Justice, to their courtesy and kindly feeling. not to
take our name. I did not deny their right to form
another society. but dweIt upon the wrong they
would be doing by this unauthorized use OF our title.
MrH. Cadwalader seconded me. and Twas followed in
this action by Mrs. Andrews Alexander Blair. who
protested against the adoption of the title OF tho
Colonial Danes with equal force and earnestness.
airy minute vas made OF our protest I cannot
hut the ladies who have since formed themselves
In Pennsylvania disregard the protests, al.
though US they were not Incorporated for some weeks
later they could not at that time have finally adopted
sworn and subscribed before me this 18th day of
lseal.l Notary Public.
The two hills before the Fifty-fourth Congress,
the bill OF the usurping society and ours, were
;efcrred by tn. Senate to The Library Commit
mcr of baltimore and tho Hon. Franklin Bart.
lett; The other society was represented BY Mr.;
by Mrs. Howard Townsend. their President;
Mrs. GILES pie, and other ladies; your society
being represented, In the absence Of our Presi-
dent. Mrs. William Warner Hioprin,, by the
ke,ser Of Baltimore, Mrs. George Mcclellan Of
Philadelphia, and others.
Mr.. Wilmer opened by saying: The idea of
forming q sor:aty Tor the purpose Of preserving
the traditions and the history and the archives
OF colonial times was FIRST conceived by "a set of
iedies who organized a society In the city OF
New York on the 23d OF May, 1880. The fact
that that society was organized on May %, 1890.
being nndisputcd. gives 1t unGuestionably the
claim for greater age and precedence In any con-
test between tho two societies"
Senator Northeastern are claiming the right
of way!
MIR. Wilmcr-we are claiming the right of
way. II the name had a commercial value, II 10
could be shown that the use on this title, Tho
Colonial Dames OF America" had any money
yalua WIN snpyar fha La yyypra IN Tho cnp,pnittaa