New-York tribune., 1899-05-17
VIEWS OF THE OTHER SIDE
THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF COLONIAL
DANES TELLS ITS STORY.
WORK OF THREE THOUSAND WOMEN AGAINST
THAT OF ONE HUNDRED-No DESIRE
FOR CONTROVERSY

WORK OF THREE THOUSAND WOMEN AGAINST
THAT OF ONE HUNDRED-No DESIRE
FOR CONTROVERSY.
Members Of the Society Of Colonial Danes Of tho
State Of New-York belonging to the National So
ciety Of Colonial Danes of America feel that their
side OF the controversy concerning the title which
Is claimed BY the original organization Of Colonial
Danes should be known to the public.
They acknowledge that the opposing body was
the first TO organize but they claim that the idea
Of making the movement National one was soon
thought Of by many outside of the society and also
by Mrs. Martha Lamb, a member OF the first
society which. thev declare. was not willing to
enlarge It's membership beyond one hundred, and
kept the tone of the meetings almost social.
In speaking on the subject to Tribune reporter
yesterday one of the officers of the Colonial Danes
Of the State of New-York said that discomfort was
early felt in the original society because OF its
elusive policy, and that the Idea of forming Ma
uonal organization speedily developed.
The Pennsylvania women took, she said. broader
stand They did not propose to have chapters. but
q society in each OF the thirteen original States and
In the District OF Columbia, with the meeting
place Of the congress at Washington. The first So
cety II is claimed. declares that II meant from
the beginning to be National. and that the latter
formed organization has no right to that title.
The original society asked to join the Ma
tional. but declined when seven States had Joined.
body wishing to belong to the National. left their
society. and number OF influential New-York
organized the State society. which Is en-
tirely distinct from the original society.
The point emphasized by the National society
now is that 1t is strange that the original society
should have raised any controversy about the move
ment or the so long after the thing an
ACCOMPLISHED fact. 1t has let the matter remain un-
disputed for six years. and though making occa-
sional criticisms has even gone :he length of ac-
cepting invitation to a breakfast given by the
National society
The dis IN bance came TO a head last summer"
said the officer the reporter when we were busy
with our war relief work e. Yon know 0r we were eae
hindrance was put In our way when the original
use of the name There was our work going on We
needed money. and we were unable to sign checks
About one hundred stopping the
efforts that three thousand were making TO give
However the Danes reented. and the injunction
being raised continue work
5s 6f @ III asyMRf MS this BUT nSw s"s We 0
know what the original society means to do. We
hear II is to take action somehow. but When or now
The speaker further narrated some of the efforts
things were acceded to the original Danes one
have their president retained and the other dropped
that was found unfeasible; They also wished 70
pins were worn only at State meetings
1T would SEEM continued this officer. that the
by the original Danes, but we want to work to ac-
Complish something. we nave committee Wnlch
has been investigating for years the merits
Of essays on Colonial history and awarding the
prize we offer for the best Formerly we gave this
prize the Normal College. but this year have
given one to Teachers College and 10 the
Training School for Teachers at Henry and Oliver
ets. We took that quarter of the city where the
foreign population would be melted 10 interest in
Colonial history. to which they might not other
wise be attracted
I'VE also Offering similar prize In the city
OF Rochester In recognition Of the splendid war
relief work done there last summer; Another work
of is the supporting OF teacher for the City
History Club. Then there Is the Van Cortlandt
Manor. which took from the State and support
as a Colonial museum. You know II is open 10 the
public every day except Thursday The associate
socieiies In twenty-three non-Colonal States carry
on the system of work. and equally In
terested in the question now pending between the
two organizations"