Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
CONVENTION "A SUCCESS
President Of Association of Oolored Women
Discusses Its Work.
Study of the Labor sQuestiOn Other
Themes Considered - Facts
About HE ElectiOn.

Mrs. Mary Church Terrell, president OF
the National Association of Colored Wo-
men. which recently held it's second conven-
ton in Chicago and who was reelected at
that session. speaks enthusiastically of the
| work of the organization and its possible
| results.
| The convention was magnificent sue
cess" said Mrs. Terrell to Star reporter.
I'm the first place. it was more largely at
| tended than was the previous meeting.
There were 145 delegates in all. and they
composed an earnest, well-poised. intelli-
gent body of women. All of the great
daiies of Chicago without exception COM
rlimented them highly upon the manner
| In which they transacted the business of
| the convention and the way in which they
| conducted themselves
THE women in the Chicago clubs had
Done all In their power to make the meet
| ing success before we came, SO that when
| we arrived everybody was prepared to re-
| cetve us. We confined ourselves exclusive
ly to the discussion OF those questions
| which affect us most deeply and directly as
| a race The first afternoon we talked about
the best methods Of establishing schools of
domestic science. Az the association Is the
| only national body of colored women in
| the country, we feel we should study the
| labor question carefully and conscientiously.
| We want to do something to arouse our
| men and women to the alarming rapidly
| with which they are losing ground in the
world of labor. We want to make our girls,
| and our boys. too, for that matter, SO
| skilled In the trades and so proficient in
every avocation in which they may engage
| that instead of being boycotted, as they
| are now In some sections of the country,
| they will be eagerly sought for and be well
| paid for their services
| why the national association should de-
| wise was and means for establishing kim
| dergartens was the subject of discussion
the second afternoon. The hope of the race
| lies In the children was the burden Of our
| song. If the association did nothing else
but try to save the children it's mission
would be more than noby fulfilled was the
sentiment of the entire convention. The
| labor question, the convict lease system as
| 1t affects child nature, temperance, the
| necessity of an equal moral standard for
| men and women and the Jim Crow car
| laws were ably treated by women who have
| made a special study OF these various
| themes.
Representatives. of White Race.
Several women of the dominant race,
who are known throughout the length and
| breadth of the land, attended our meet
| ings. and, spoke enthusiastically Of the
| wonderful work we have already accom-
plished and encouragingly of what we may
| hope to do. Mrs. Ellen NJ Henrotin, hon
| orary president of the National Federation
| of Womens Clubs. stayed in Chicago ex-
| pTeSSly 10 uSlVGr an ADDRESS OIL WelCOHle
| in the name of this great body of women.
| We were both inspired and encouraged by
| the remarks of Mrs. Gorinne Brown, chair
man of the industrial committee of the
National Federation of WomenS Clubs
and vice president of Cook County Club;
| of Miss Mary Mcdowell of the Northwest
| ern Settlement and Of Miss Elizabeth Far
| son. the only woman superintendent among
seven in the public schools of the city OF
Chicago Miss Mcdowell invited several
! of the officers to lunch with her. and so
also did Miss Jane Adams Of Hull House.
"Of course we had our little skeleton In
! In the closet, as has every other organiza-
| ton, whether big little, good or bad
whether composed of Anglo-Saxons or
Afro-Amercans. There was just one dis
corlant note in our otherwise harmonious
| meeting, and that was raised by one wo-
man, who was a candidate for the pres
| dency, and who did not receive sufficient
votes to elect her.
although this is rather a delicate mat
| ter for me to touch. feel that in justice
| both to the association and to myself l
should state the facts concerning my re-
election. l declared repeatedly before the
convention that l did not desire a re-elec-
ton. / anxious TO impress upon
the delegates my reluctance to again as
sumo the presidency that l went so far as
to say that 1 would not accept a re-elec-
ton, unless 1t We're unanimous (Which from
the very nature of the case l felt 1t could
never be-, and even if it were, l stated
positively that l preferred not to serve
again.
Constitution Not in the Way.
Most of the delegates supposed that the
constitution prohibited the reelection of
the officers who had served the past two
years. Indeed it had been stated positively
that this was fact On the morning of
the election of officers after the names Of
| five six candidates for the presidency
had been mentioned, one of the delegates
announced to the convention that there was
no reason why all of the officers could not
be reelected, if the women wanted to re-
tain them.
1.-The constitution she said, forbds an
| officer from serving more than two conSecu-
| tive terms. AS it was adopted just two
years ago at Nashville, and our present
| officers have served only one term since it
| was adopted, they are all eligible for re-
| election
81 still maintained, however, that 1 did
not want reelection, until some of the
| officers who sat on the platform persuad-
| ed me to go before the women and promise
| to serve again, if L received the necessary
| two-thirds vote. AS the ballot was secret.
| and no woman could tell for whom her
neghbor was voting, there can be no doubt
| in the mind of any reasonable person that
| the vote as polled showed who was the
| choice of the convention for president
When the votes were counted, it was an
nounced that Mary Church Terrell had re-
| ceived 106 votes out of 145. In other
words there were only thirty-n nine votes
| distributed among the other five candi-
| dates whose names were before the con-
vention. The result, 1 am proud to say,
was greeted with applause.
COrrects False Reports.
II would not thus publicly recite in de-
tail the circumstances connected with my
reelection if false reports had not been
| circulated to the effect that 1 was re-elect-
| ed president of the National Association
! only after a long struggle and with great
| opposition. l was very sorry that the
Northeastern Federation did not get an Of
| flee. The convention tried in vain to in
duce one of it's delegates to accept a re-
| cording secretaryship, but as she thought
| it was created expressly for her. she de-
| clned to accept it. l have every reason to
| believe that the Northeastern Federation
will not Withdraw because it failed to get
an office at our INSTRUMENTATION, but will
continue to be loyal To the association
LAS 1 have alreadyssaid, our convention
was a success ia every particular. In
speaking about the impression we made
| one of the representative citizens of Chica-
| go said we had done more to put our race
| in a favorable light bsfore that community
| than anything the colored people had done
| for a long time.
"a fter telling how disappointing the inter-