Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-28
THE WOMAN IN POLITICS
MEMBERS OF REPUBLICAN AssOCIA-
TION GIVE A BANQUET.
SpeechmakinE Done by Representa-
tiveS of the Center Sex-President
MckfnIey's Compliments.

Mckinley's Compliments.
Women politicians had the men poll
ticians as guests of honor last night at the
Riggs. The occasion was the inaugural
banquet" of the Woman's National Repub-
lican Association, Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster,
president, and the affair was unique In the
extreme. The guests included senators and
well-known members of the House. and
that they thoroughly enjoyed the position
of looker-on in Venice was evinced by
the zest with which they entered into the
fun Of the evening, while women did all the
speaking 1t was entirely love feast of
the faithful.
Mrs. Foster, president OF the Woman s
National Republican Association, was host
ess of the evening, and was at the head Of
the receiving line in the red parlor. where
for an hour preceding the banquet she
shook hands with the guests, who number
ed several hundred. Not all remained for
the banquet the seating capacity being
limited. Mrs. Foster was assisted by the
secretary of the N W. r. A, Miss Helen
Varick Boswell, who was one of the prin-
cipals Of the women speakers in the cam
paign in New York; Miss Elizabeth Pierce.
Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, Mrs John P.
Dolliver, Miss Wood. Mrs. Ida Hustled Har-
per and Mrs. Dean.
AT o'clock Mrs. Foster led the way t.
the banquet hall with ex-Gov. Richards of
Wyoming. Covers were laid for go guests,
and there was merry picnic for half an
hour in locating seats. Finally Mrs. Foster
announced that sac would be glad If the
guests would pre-empt any seat that was
vacant. She said she had endeavored to
group friends, but that the republican
party was so thoroughly opposed to trusts
and combines that it seemed impossible to
even form combine at a dinner table.
This little episode effectually broke up all
show of formally.
When the orchestra played patriotic airs
there was a grond chorus of voices singing
the words to Marching Through Georgia. -
Rally Round the Flag" Yankee Doodle -
Star Spangled Banner and America be-
tween the courses
The long banquet hall never looked more
beautiful, with its blooming plants and
palms, the flags and flowers and the ele-
gantly gowned women gathered from Name
and Washington, California and Florida
Kansas. Colorado and Wyoming to do
honor to the republican party.
Two tables extended the entire length oil
the big banquet hall, and across these at
one end was placed the table where sat the
guests of honor. Just above their heads
was draped a splendid garrison flag, and
under it hung life-size portrait of Presi-
dent Mckinley. The floral decorations Of the
table were of laurel branches and mounds
of beautiful yellow tulips tinged with red. and
the national colors. A fine orchestra played
throughout the evening. The menu had an
embossed flag upon 1t and bore stalwart
republican sentiments.
Mrs. Foster az TOastmistrcss.
Mrs Foster was the toastmistress of the
evening, and her ntroductions were gems
Of political Inspirations. She announced,
first, that the guest of honor, Senator
Chauncey Depew, had wired her that a con-
tinuous session of the Senate till 1870 pm
had wearied him to such an extent that he
could not be present much to his regret.
tor hno n cot I In fnr on
tOgraph letter from President Mckinley,
who wished the Woman's National Repub-
lican Association every success, and desired
Mrs. Foster to convey to the guests of the
evening his kindest regards. Before read
Ing the letter Mrs. Foster paid the writer
a magnificent tribute and referred to the
noble work that the women all over the
land had done for Mckinney and Roosevelt.
Every mention of either name throughout
the evening brought hearty and spontaneous
bursts of applause
The toasts We're all responded to by wo-
men. Political "reminiscences" by Mrs.
Mary Smith Lockwood, was an interesting
resume of presidential politics in Washing
ton. from Washington to Mckinley. Mrs.
Ellen Spencer Mussey responded to the
"Western Reserve" sketchng eloquently
the history of the men who came from that
partit ular olcality in Ohio who had become
famous as statesmen. 1t included Giddings
and Wade and ended with Mckinley.
practical Politics" was the toast re-
AS the speaker demonstrated that politics
could be practit al, she received rounds of
applause She told how the republican wo-
mems organization had worked in the
Bowery district in New York and paved the
way for Senator Depew to make his cele-
brated speech there, when he acquired the
sobriquet Of CLANCY de peach and she
declared that there were also feminine
peaches in politics.
Mrs. Charles Eldridge came all the way
from Colorado to respond to the toast 1.-THE
Woman Voter" Mrs. Eldridge spoke most
eloquently of the manner in which the wo-
men Of Colorado cut down the 10000
Bryan majority of 1896 in Colorado to
10000 in 1901, the registered woman vote
being cast in far larger per cent than that
of registered men.
Miss Mary Wood told of the splendid and
increasing influence of the college women
in politics, and then Mrs. Susan Young
Gates, who came from Utah for the express
purpose, responded to the toast. Why
Utah Went Republican" She laid the
cause largely to the patriotic speeches of
Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster, who spent several
weeks campaigning there. She thinks Utah
republican for keeps.
1.-THE Western Woman in Politics. was
intrusted to Mrs Isabel Worrell Ball, who
said her task was in the nature of self
vivisection, as she was an 1llinoisan by
birth, sunflower by adoption by natural
inclination a republican and by education
and environment a politician. Mrs. Ball
woman whom she characterized as the
heir of all the ages Of thought, the persona
ficaton of courage and strength and daring.
Mrs James Tanner-"MrS. Corporal Tan
ner," as Mrs. Foster introduced her-gave
a touch Of sadness to the merry evening, as
she graphically sketched the Pains Of Pa
triotism." No one, it was conceded. better
knows the cost than does Mrs. Tanner, the
wife of a manned veteran of the civil war,
and the mother Of a son in the Philippine
and Chinese war
Then Miss Elizabeth Pierce sang in SPLEEN
did voice Lest We Forget" a fitting end
ing to the evenings exercises.
List of Guests.
Among the guests Of the evening were
Mrs. j. Ellen Foster, Mr.. Dolliver, Repre-
sentative Brosius, Mrs. Richards, Mr.. L.
William Thavis, Judge Penfield, Mrs. Nc
Lean, Mrs. Isabel Worrell Ball, DR.. Will
son. Mrs. Gilbert. Mrs. WOODBURY., D. D.
Mclean, Mrs. Eldridge, Mrs. Bristol, Mrs.
RroSt,,S Mrs Dnval Mrs Scott Tudoe