Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-02-05
THE CONGRESS
OF MOTHERS.
The National Body to Meet in Wash
ington Shortly.
(Copyright, 1899. }

Amid all the fads and fancies taken
up by the modern women of leisure
none is more sternly practical than the
idea represented by the National Con-
gress of Mothers, which meets in exec
utive session in Washington Feb. IA to
II. If the proper study of mankind is
man, they think it is we'll worth while
investigating the possibilities of man
in minature-the healthy young hui
man creature whose sensitive mind and
soul have not been scared and burned
and hacked into conventional mold.
1t is the conviction of those interest
ed in the movement that had Absa-
Ions mother known a little about
| psychology or Messalinas maternal
relative made an exhaustive study of
the ethics of spanking the recording
angel would have been enabled to put
them down in a more respectable por-
ton of the book. Indifferent, ignorant
or wicked mothers the congress be-
lieves to be responsible for much of the
sorrow and suffering and sin that are
in the world 1t is to compare theories
F., and practice in the art of making child
rem good and happy men and women
that these women, representing social
| ly, intellectually and morally what is
best in the country, yearly gather in
the Capital City.
The founder of this society is Mrs.
Theodore w. Birney, a woman of
wealth, education and social position
| Her interest in the matter was partial
| ly aroused by attendance at the moth
ers' meetings of Chatauqua. Many
| noble women were associated with
Mrs. Birney in the preliminary work
of organization. Among these Mrs.
| Phoebe Hearst and Miss Emma Nor
ton, of Washington, were influential
in making the work of the society a
success, Mrs. Hearst volunteering to
bear the expense of its establishment.
Mrs. Adlai Stevenson, wife of ex-Vice
President Stevenson; Mrs Margaret
E. Sangster, editor and poet; Mrs. Ell
len Richardson, of Boston, president
of the Washington Memorial Univers-
ity Association; Mrs. Mary E. Num-
ford, OF Philadelphia, founder of the
famous New Century Club Mrs. Mary
Lowe Dickinson, of the Kings Daugh-
tiers; Mrs. Ellen Henrotin, of Chicago;
Mrs. Helen NJ Gardiner, of Boston;
Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth of the
Volunteers of America, and Mrs. Jen-
ness Miller, Mrs. Carrot A. Hobart,
and Mrs. Harriet Prescott Spofford, of
Washington, are a few of the bdilliant
women interested in the Congress.
The congress this year promises to
afford an especially fine intellectual
feast. 1t will assemble in the First
Baptist church of Washington. The
official headquarters of delegates will
be the Cairo hotel couple of blocks
from the church, where the committee
meetings of branch societies will be
held.
The programme will open February
IA with addresses of welcome-one
from Mrs. Theodore w. Birney, the
president, the other from DR.. Whitman,
president of the Columbian University.
The response will be made by Mrs.
Mary Green, president of the House.
hold Economic Association, an organ
ization of almost as wide interest a.
that of the Mothers Congress. Re
ports of delegates will then be in Or
der. Any club or department of any
organization interested in the same
line of study as the National Mothers
Congress and approved by the execu
tive committee of the congress is enti-
tied to one delegate to the convention
upon payment OF IS.
Subjects which will be discussed are:
"The Duty of the State in Training
Children for Citizenship" led by Mr..
Lawrence Hunt, former president of
the George Junior Republic; Parental
Duty in Education" opened by Mrs.
Mary E. Mumford. honorary vice pres
ident of the Congress and member of
the Philadelphia New Century Club.
Professor William B. Powell, superin-
tendent of schools, and Miss Edith
Westcott. principal OF the Western