Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-07
MRS. DECKER IN THE LEAD
Denver Candidate for President Of Genera
Federation Develops Strength.
DAY OF DEFEAT FOR MASSACHUSETTS
Bay state Delegates Bow 10 Loss Of
Their Three Cherished PROPOSE
tiOns, of which CoIored
Question Is First.
CFrom a stan Correspondent

0CS @h4HNA%AA1ot may Os-NCpttldl lble-
gram.)-The political situation is easily
he lead OF everything else today, the un-
esented, the disappointed, the obscure
lrict and the permanent ones all being
gagged in scramble for office until all
the proposed tickets are upset and the
dark horses number legion. Mrs. Decker
Of Denver seems the one candidate for
president who can muster more than a
local support, a member of the executive
board being responsible for the statement
that in case her chances wane the influence
OF that body will be exerted in behalf Of
Mrs. Emma Fox, now recording secretary.
The action OF Minnesota in pushing Lydia
Williams for president promises to cost
them the almost assured reelection OF
Miss Margaret Evans as second vice presi-
dent
The recollection OF Mrs. Vanvechten of
Iowa treasurer is meeting little oppo-
sition. There promises to be no effort to
push the Louisiana Purchase memorial plan
presented by Mrs Philip Moore of ST. Louis
and tabled by the convention owing to the
strong eastern opposition to the establish
ment OF a General Federation clubhouse in
the middle west, but the middle west will
retaliate by opposing the plan to locate 1t
in Washington, d. c., as provided in the
new charter.
A resolution was introduced by Mrs
Clara Berwick Colby, formerly OF Nebraska,
asking that Arbor Day be recognized as
memorial day to ]. Sterling Morton by
the forestry department of the General Fed
GRAFTON. This was referred to the commit
tee on resolutions
Massachusetts Secs n waterloo.
Today may be chronicled as the day when
Massachusetts club women saw all their pet
plans, for which they have been fighting
two years, go down before the vote OF
the convention. The nnal defeat was given
to the admission of colored women's clubs
the efforts to down the individual club, as
step toward reorganization through state
federations only. failed and the plan to re-
duce the per capita from 10 to cents was
showed under.
Massachusetts, was first obliged to bow to
adverse fate when it was discovered that
its cherished series of amendments were IL
legal. in that they disfranchised members
already in. They we're therefore stricken
from the lists. The convention then turned
its attention to compromise amendments,
considering section OF article /. After
several efforts to change it was accepted
as proposed by the compromise commit
tee in the following:
Amendment as Accepted.
Each federated club, national society or
less shall be entitled TO be represented by
one delegate. For a membership of be;
for each additional 100 members one addi-
tional delegate.
Each state or territorial federation of
twenty-five clubs or less shall be entitled
TO be represented by FIVE delegates. Each
state. or territorial. federation shall be en-
titled to one additional delegate for every
additional twenty-five clubs.
Then came consideration of section 8 of
article ii, the second feature in the color
matter. This section belongs to the pres
ent bylaws and when Miss Jane Adams
| Of Hull House, Chicago. offered to amend
II Mrs Lowe, Notwithstanding the usual
sixty days notice had not been given, so
graciously gave indulgence to Miss Adams
as to call forth warm applause and the ap-
| preciative acknowledgment from Miss Ad-
dams won like tribute from the audience.
| Miss Adams, who believes In the ad-
mission OF colored clubs, wished this sec
| tion amended so that two instead OF one
vote OF the membership committee OF five
would be necessary to keep an unwelcome
club out. Miss Adams made a worthy
| plea, but the amendment went down before
| a large vote.
Per Capita Tax.
The last question considered related to
the reduction of per capita tax from 10 to
8 cents, which induced Mrs. Lydia Williams
! OF Minnesota to speak scornfulIy of the
federation doing business on the nickel
basis" Mrs. Lowe also made pertinent
remarks against reduction.
! The decision to adopt the parliamentary
manual Of Mrs. Emma Fox, the present re-
cording secretary, as authority for the fed
Grafton led Mrs Urquhart Lee to urge the
acceptance of some manual written by a
man. Consolation came to Mrs. Fox in the
ultimate support OF the convention.
Then came a friendly contest for the en-
tertainment OF the next biennial. Mrs.
Williams who spoke for Minneapolis, said
the Commercial club had pledged the money
and promised to do all the work and tried
to impress the delegates that there would
be taxation without representation. Mrs
Shields OF Missouri. backed with invita-
tions from men in high positions, extended
a similar courtesy from st. Louis.
At the suggestion OF Mrs. Lowe a tele-