Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-02
WOMEN IRE N SESSION
National Convention Opens at
Los Angeles, CAL, Amid
$4,000 Gala Lilies.
Polygamy and Color Questions
Arise Immediately Mrs.
Roberts Yields.
Negro Clubs Application Tabled
Mrs. Denison Receptive
Candidate for President.
Negro Clubs Application Tabled

Los Angeles, Cal, May 2.-The for
NAL opening of the club woman's con
vention was markedly brilliant. Hun
dreds of delegates and visitors packe
the Simpson auditorium to the roof, tn
interior was embellished with 5000
Gala lilies, and representative Ameri
can women sat on the platform, Will
the usual happy greetings Were ex
changed between hostesses and guests
The opening day was otherwise dis
tinguished by two separate questions
which would have developed into sen
sations had they reached the conven
ton. One of them, which got as far a
the board of directors, had to do will
A turning down delegate from a secre
society.
Il The other, which concerned the pos
sible unseating of Mrs. Roberts of Sal
Lake City, wife of the former congress.
man from Utah, in the event that sh,
should try to appear as a delegate, wa.
squelched in its native state.
4 The first affair, which affects ma
tional organization of 5000 members
came up before the board of directors
4 in the morning at its secret session
Mrs. c. II. McMahon Of Salt Lake City
1 it seems, had been appointed delegate
/ from the p. Il. o. chapter in that city
! which had applied for admission to the
/ general federation, and she had re-
| ceived her credentials. But at the last
minute Mrs. Denison. a member of the
membership committee, discovered
that secret societies We're not adnis-
sible and so notified the delegates. Yes
terday, before the board. she acllnow-
| lodged her error and Mrs. McMahon,
instead of pushing her claims. with
drew amicably on two conditions. One
was that the membership committee
shoulder the mistake and the other that
she be seated in the convention. not
withstanding a vote was denied her.
The Roberts matter has been SIM
mering ever since Mrs. Roberts said
she. as president of the Authors Club
of Salt Lake City, would be delegate
to the convention by virtue of her Of
flee. Mrs. Roberts changed her mind
before an underlying current of pro-
test came to the surface and stayed at
home.
1t is understood, however, that q
prominent eastern woman has been
importuned by Utah women to lead
the fight in the event Mrs. Roberts
undertook to push her fight. In the
meantime the skeleton, the colored
question. will make away with enough
time in the course of convention
events. The rumor having started in
California that Mrs. Ruffin intended to
come to Los Angeles iunpelled Mrs
Anna West, one of the leaders in Mas
sachusetts, to seek denial thru the
Associated Press.
The arrival of leaders has crystal
lied the presidential situation. Mrs
Dinies Denison, of New York. was seen
Yesterday. Inasmuch as she has been
quoted so yariously on her candidacy
for the presidency, she consented to
make a statement for the Associated
Press as to the solicitation of her sup
porters, who believe she should come
out one way or another. After assert
ing that she had never said to a re-
porter that: she would not be candi-
date, she said: Il have not declared
unless I am the choice of the conyen-
ton do not want to push my claims
Is the honor comes to me, however, 1
shall appreciate It."
Mrs. Robert Burdette. of Pasadena,
who has a wide following turnout the
state, took precisely the same neutral
position when she made this state
ment:
whoever the women of the United
States want to further this great fed
Grafton work, that is the woman
want"
Mrs. Plat Decker. of Denver, said
che would not run If Mrs. Denison were
a candidate.
Some idea of the profuse decorations
of this chief meeting. place may be
gained from the statement that 10000
Gala lilies alone have been used, while
an adjoining tent, erested for conven-
tons. is bright with banners and flow
ers. The entire town, in fact is enthu
siastic in preparation for the floral
llesta of today.
Mrs. Lowe never looked better than
at the opening of the convention Her
chief trouble, as far as color matters
are concerned, is the recent death of
her old coored cook, fact she COM
nented upon mournfullv to the exclu-
sion of federation politics.
The national societies auxiliary to
the general federation are coming to
The front at this convention. The wom-
en's auxiliary of the National Park and
Outdoor Association, of which Mrs |
Herman Hall of Chicago is president, |
s here with a Photographic exhibit
lung in a large room at the Hotel |
1t is also q significant |
act that newly born organization
allied the National Federation of Cath
lie Wo,nen's League, composed of
hirty-three clubs in seven states, is
,ere seeking utilization. Mrs. T. e.
of Chicago, heads this as
.ociation.
The morning meetings We're of a pre-
character and started with Il
ession of the advisory council, new
,ody created at the last biennial for
conference purposes between the state
Presidents and the national board OF
directors. The question discussed was
how does the true club spirit manifest
tself?' One subject which cropped out
nd aroused interest was a plea for
inform divorce laws.
Then followed a meeting of the hoard
9 directors, which had limited at
enhance owing to the crush OF inter
SITS in which the leaders find them
elves. The morning closed with a
Meeting of the council, which inc .udes