Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-10
MRS. DASIEL MASS1SG.
.rude Beacon.

lie new preSlOcnt-Seneral Is thu
widow of the late Secretary OF til.
Treasury. She traces her. lineage bach
many generations. She was a Miss
Fryer, her fathers family being Hol.
land Dutch. On her mothers side she
is descended from Robert Livingston
first Lord of the Manor OF Livingston
and among her ancestry are Philip
the second Lord, and Robert, the thirS
Lord of the Manor, Col. Peter r. Liv.
ingston; Gov. Rip Van Dam, Abraham
De Peyster, Olaf Stevenson Van
CORTLAND and Col. Peter Schuyler.
The Daughters of the American Rev.
olution is not the oldest of the patriot.
&c societies Of women, but 1t is the
largest and most influential. The con.
ditlon for membership in the organiza.
ton is that an applicant shall be de.
scended from an ancestor who, with
unfalllng loyalty, rendered material
aid to the cause of independence as
recognized patriot, as soldier or sailor
Or as civil officer in one of the sever.
al colonies or states or of the united
colonies or states" The applicant OF
course must be acceptable personally
to the society.
The only patriotic women's society
which antedates the Daughters is the
Society of the Colonial Danes Of Amer
lea. That was organized In New York
IN April, 1890 with the object Of secur-
Ing relics and preserving the history
and traditions of the heroes of the war
OF the Revolution and the fathers OF
the republic. The Daughters Of tbs
American Revolution was organized in
Washington, Oct. II, 1890. This was in
the Harrison administration, and many
Of the women whose husbands held
prominent positions under the govern.
ment interested themselves in the soci.
ETY.. Mrs. Harrison was made presi.
dent general, and she held the position
until her death. After her Mrs. John
W. Foster was president general for a
short time, then Mrs. Adlai e. Steven
son. wife of the then vice president OF
the United States, was elected, and shs
held the office until the election of Mrs.
Manning.
The founders Of the society were Mrs,
Mary S. Lockwood. Miss Eugenia
Washington. Miss Mary Desha and
Mrs. Ellen II. Walworth of Wash
lngton. The first suggestion came in
published article from the pen OF
Mrs. Lockwood. and the work of form
Ing the orga nization was done by the
four women named. Since the society
was formed severa! others of similar
character have sprung into existence,
among the Daughters Of the Revolu-
ton, the National Society Colonial
Danes Of America, the Danes OF the
Revolution and the General Society OF
the United Daughters of 1912. Of these
the Daughters of the Revolution is an
olfshoot from the Daughters of the
American Revolution. It ows it's exis-
tence to split in the Daughters OF the
American Revolution, growing out OF
controversy over the qualifications
for membership. At the outset the
Daughters of the American Revolution
adopted a rule that only lineal de-
scendants Of men who fought for free
dom in the Revolution should be ad-
mltted, but when the question of Miss
Eugenia Washingtons membership
arose it was agreed to suspend the rule
and admit this one collateral descende
ant OF the greatest Revolutionary hero
Immediately other candidates for sus.
pension OF the rule presented them.
selves. and war of the "collateralss
and the "lineals" was inaugurated.