Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-02
The Second Natioaa Congress Now
in Sessions
ADDRESS ON CHlEDRfEs RIGHTS
A Strong Argument by Mrs.
Helen Raymond Wells.
FEATURES OF THE DAY

The second material congress OF mothers
convened today at the Grand Opera House,
the morning being devoted to the rece pti-n
of delegates, the recording of credentials
and the distribution of badges. All morn
ing line Of ladies went in and out of the
main corridor leading to the Opera House
from Pennsylvania avenue. where the reg
lister for delegates, the receptacle for ere
dentials and the bureau of information
were established.
The box office had been transformed into
a post office, and the pictures of theatrical
celebrities on the walls seemed little in
congruous. to say the least. Beside the
official stands in the corridor were a num-
Der Of others devoted to the sale of all
sorts of things appropriate to mothers, and
a striking illustration of the way in which
the gathering was being catered to was &
table to the left of the avenue entrance
covered with doll babies of assorted sizes
and compilations.
There were stands also devoted for lit
elature on the subject of children and their
proper Raising, and II all the various
pamphlets and volumes are read and their
directions the American baby will be an
ideal infant indeed A social peace and
arbitration button was also for sale, but
the news from Manila did not permit q
very lively business.
One remarkable thing about the congress
was, however, that Notwithstanding the
number of mothers present, there was not
a baby or a small child in evidence, al
though several little girls apparently little
n-ote than children, wore badges signifylng
they were delegates to the congress.
The actual business of the congress was
to begin at o'clock, when Mrs. B. Chap
pell of Lynn, PenEa-, was to read a paper
on Mother and Child In Japanese Homes"
P0stpOnement Necessary.
Some minutes after this hour Mrs. Bir-
ney, the president, announced that there
seemed to be some misunderstanding about
the time of meeting, and stated that be-
carse of this it would be better to post
pcne the address Of welcome and other
business outlined until the meeting tonight,
and then introduced Mrs. Helen Raymond
Wells of Akron, Ohio, VINO read u paper on
"Children's Flights"
Mothers, she said, should first endeavor
to understand what chiidrens rights were
and then to respect them Only these per-
sons who can go back to their own child
hood days can rightly interpret what chill
drens rights are. Mrs. -WSils paid close
and careful attention to the rights OF chill
dren by birth. environment. and education.
If it were true that it took three genera
lions to make gentleman, it would be
well for mothers now to begin, so as to
be looked back to as grandmothers for
the coming children to he proud of. Chit
dren's rights of environment meant many
things which reeded much thought and
tact on parents parts. Children had n
right to beauty; to, freedom in choice of
food and clothing; to sanitafy cooking; to
physical culture. If they given their
rights they will be polite, ans deterrent. and
thoughtful. When their rights are in
frinsed on is when they are rude and
thoughtless. In planting achild's habits
it is easy to get rid of 1the/ noxious weed
of sefis hr css by simple consideration Of
the chiid's ideas. Broken promises to chill
dren frequently led to a carelessness on
their own part to the soIemnfty. of obiisa-f
tons