Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-09

past had brought about a condition of af-
fairs that was all but unbearable.
The national convention decided TO present
| the home to the state of Ohio for a state
| home, as under the charter the home when
| no longer used for its legitimate purposes
should revert to the state. For some dnsx-
| planned reason. it is said. many members of
the Department of Ohio objected TO his
turning back OF the home property and the
measure failed in the legislature, but it
voted the home the sum OF $12 600 so that
| for three years longer anyhow the home
remains in the hands Of the Woman's Relief
| Corps.
Notwithstanding this. the chairman of the
nome board recommends that no further APP
plication for admission to the home be CON
sidered. She also recommends that all the
departments having inmates In the nom.
take them away as speedily as possible.
Mrs. Hampton's Comment.
In addition to this recommendation. Mrs.
Emma Stark Hampton, In her report. re-
marks as follows:
Last year the convention Endorsed the ac-
ton OF the board wherein applicants seek
Ing admission made legal transfer of
moneys. incomes and property. In my tudg-
ment another step should be taken. Wo-
men at the home are there because they
are homeless. or their relatives. IL they
have any, either cannot or will not look
| after or provide for them in their own
| homes. To be relieved of the burden they
get them into our institution, and the Wo-
| corps provides royalty Tor
them They may remain for years: when
they die these relatives come and take
away or send for all their belongings: any
money or valuables they have at hand and
any property or money in bank to their
| credit Is secured by them at once. This Is
| great wrong to the thousands of hard
working women who pay their fun share to
support this beautiful home and who have
! not themselves a dollar in the bank per-
| haps. or an extra dollar in the world.
| "Apropos to this Is cited a case. An in
| mate-a sister of soldier and lady in
| every way-suddeniy died. Her relatives
well-to-do and prominent where they live,
came on and took all her effects. including
| fine wardrobe. jewelry and about $50
found In her purse. Her brother paid all
burial expenses. When next at the home
! my eye CHANGED to see in an Ohio paper
| administrator had been appointed over her
estate. At once came the thought-if there
| is an administrator there is something to
administrate 1 at once telephoned to and
| conferred with our lawyer. Inquiry found
| she had bequeathed by will large interests
| in real estate, goodly sums to various rela-
| tives, etc.
Each year of wide and varied expert
! ence proves to my mind more and more that
| the widespread charity CO Of the present
| day is all wiring in principle and the key
| note of the only true charity is to aid i'll
| placing men and women in position to
| honorably maintain themselves by their
| own effort while they may. What house
| wife here today is not suffering for helpers
| in her home? Yet every woman here is
working hard to create or maintain some
| kind of charity. The vast number Of wo-
| men harbored in American charitable inSti-
| tutions and able to earn a living wholly or
| in part. would. if willing. solve this vexed
question of household help and, fguratively
speaking, empty our institutions. Is there
| not a neglected line of sentiment and educa-
| ton? Are American women working
! the wide lines of charity? Is charity the
| distribution of our savings, or in paying
women to be self-supporting and thus help
| full citizens? In this wide world the really
| helpless are few by comparison For such
| 1t Is a pleasure and duty to provide
| Again. why should the hard-earned dol
| lars of Relief Corps women provide for
| stranger when she has kith and kin able to
support her? Why should relief corps wo-
men provide for any one who is at all self
supporting? Why should relief corps wo-
men provide for woman who had
| brother in the war, and claim support from
| him any more than from any one or more
| brothers she may have not in the army
Just what action the national convention
| will take on this severe arraignment of the
home as it has been previously managed
cannot be stated, but it is quite evident that
some change must be made.
Press Correspondent.
| The national press correspondent of the
| Woman's Relief Corps. Mrs. Mary NJ.
| North, has been a member of the order for
many years and Is past president of John
| A. Logan Corps, Department of Potomac.
| to which she owes allegiance. Mrs. North
| has held the Office of chaplain, treasurer
| and patriotic Instructor in the department.
| and number of times has served upon the
| press committee. She is serving her
| third term chairman of the national
press committee Mrs. North has been in
| journalistic work since she was a school
| girl and IS a writer of historical sketches
and short stories. She has been an editor
| as well contributor and Is now CORE
| spondent of several papers in large cities.
| Mrs. North was member of the Red
! Cross, &" and during the Spanish was
| an almost daily visitor in and near Wash
| ington city. For five generations some
| member of her family has served in the
| American wars. Mrs. North is devoted to
| literary pursuits and follows her i1clina-
| ton for pure love of work She was cor
responding secretary Of the District Vol
unteer Aid Association of Spanish War
| Veterans.
| Mrs. Wickens.
| One of the most brilliant women and as
well as one of the finest speakers Of the
| National Womans Relief Corps, is Mrs.
Margaret Ray Wickens. formerly Of Kan
| sas, from which state she was elected pres
| ident, but now living in Atkinson Ill. Mrs.
Wickens was elected to the national presi-
| dency in Washington ten years ago and she
now comes back with ripened powers to
| charm with her oratory the veterans OF
| whom she Is so fond and who are just as
| proud of her. When the national organiza-
| ton was discussing whether It would or
| would not admit other than those who were
| consanguinous relations Of old soldiers,
Mrs. Wickens was one Of the strongest
| supporters of the loyal woman Oddly
| enough for one OF her patriotic character.
| Mrs. Wickens had not single relative SO
| far as she knows in the war of the rebel
| lion.
| She was herself a young girl during the
| time of the war, but devoted all her en-
ergies to doing what she could for the
| soldiers. She organized aid societies. as
| sisted in the distributing Of supplies. helped
| in the hospitals and did everything in her
| power to ameiiorate the condition OF the
| sick and suffering. In the plea which she
| presented to the national convention
| against the proposed closing of the ranks
| of the Woman's Relief Corps to all but
| the blood relations of old soldiers. she made
| the statement that she was just as loyal
| to the flag and its defenders any woman
| in the United States. And If this proposed
clause in the constitution carried she would
| be shut out from participation In work
| to which she had already devoted many
years, although not a member Of any or
ganization. She thought it a mistake, she
| said, to narrow the lines Of membership
| because the time coming when the
| families of old soldiers would narrow until
the tax which must be levied to support
l