The times., 1901-03-22
The secrecy of the Daughters.

add to their list Of experiences.
The Secrecy of the Daughters.
People i'm Washington who, for con-
siderable term of years. have been an
nuouy entertained by newspaper reports
or the proceedings of successive conven-
tions Of Daughters of the American
Revolution" will be panied to learn that
the source Of amusement referred to IS
about to be cut off. As we are informed.
at "A recent meeting of the national board
Of the society it was decided in future to
exclude all representatives of the press
from the sessions Of the Daughters
This action viii be completely accept
able to the press of the Capital which, in
giving impartial verbatim reports Of the
PROCEEDINGS. has been necessarily be
trayed into making eminent female par
Hamentarians celebrated, with the result
of lncurrine their bad opinion and on
nifty. If. hereafter. the sessions OF the
Daughters shall be held in secret. great
good viii be accomplished. The amiable
ladies' concerned will no longer endure
| the modification of seeing their names
in print much useful newspaper space
will be saved for the purveyins Of news
i'm which the public really is interested,
and nI-feeIing viii be avoided. 1t is a
trst-class scheme and one which. We feel
sure. has the enthusiastic support of
every journal in the District.
As the net result of experience and OBJ
servatiou in connection with nearly a
dozen of these Daughters Of the Revolu-
tiou conventions. which have been singu-
larry held in Washington. to the utter
ignoring Of the claims Of other cities. We
are compelled to express some doubt con-
1 cerning the usefulness Of such national
! female gatherings in general. They have
been anything hut love feasts. and have
/ regularly left behind them an unnecessary
sum OF heart-burnings and spite among
] the members. Cushings Manual is Greek
! TO the Daughters, although they have
/ had nearly dozen years in which to
study it, and produce at least one or two
splnisters or danes capable OF presiding
/ intelligeutIy over a missionary meeting.
They have failed to take the least advan-
taee of the opportunity and We are
afraid it is now too late for them to be-
Gin. It is not that their domestic duties
would be likely to interfere with the pur-
suit OF knowledge because women with
missions and ambitions of the sort popu-
lar with the Daughters do not, as a rule
allow such things to interfere with their
service to whatever cause may be upper
most in their minds at any given time
But they do not appear able 10 grasp par
liameutary ideas and rules. even when
they have a hired parliamentarian on the
floor to coach them. The whole subject
is foreign to their natures 1t is out Of
their line and they would do wen to drop
IL.
These organizations Of Daughters Of
the American Revolution. Daughters of
the Colonial Wars, Daughters-in-Law Of
th, War Of 1872. and Widows Of the War
with spain. do not seem to accomplish
any very greatly useful public purpose,
/ except that of mutual admiration. On
! the other hand. they tend to divert the
minds OF their younger devotees from the
noble principles OF life, liberty, and the
pursuit Of matrimony. which last, as
| Census Director Merriam Will tell them,
lies at the root Of our social fabric. For
the fair sex we are afraid that pink teas
are better than sanguinary debates in
convention, and that they might do well
| to delegate their political OF other public
activities TO their husbands, brothers,
sons. and grandsons, according to their
/ circumstances and time of life. How
| ever. if they must meet, by all means let
it be behind closed doors. The gayety
os nations may suffer. but that loss viii
be amply repaid in other ways