The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-25
FIRST sklRMIsH OF CAMPAIGN
Mrs. Fairbanks Chances of Re-Eiec-
ton STRENGTHENED.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. "a
The first skirmish in the campaign for
president general began at the outset
of today's session of the national So
c1ety of the Daughters of the American
Revolution. Immediately after the con-
clusion of the routine business the pro-
posed amendments to the constitution
were taken up. The first amendment
proposed was that of Mrs. Katherine r.
Wolcott Verplanck, state regent of New
York, to add to article 4, section 1, the
words except the president general,
who shall not hold the same office for
more than two terms successfully"
This amendment was designed to
make Mrs. Fairbanks, the present pres
ident-general, eligible for reelection.
Its acceptance was moved by Miss Mil
Ter, of the District of Columbia, and
seconded by Mrs. Murphy, of Cincin-
natl. Mrs. Weed. of Montana, wanted
the language of the amendment made
clearer, and moved to amend the
amendment by making the latter read:
Except the president-general, who
shall be eligible to this office for two
terms, regardless of her previous serv-
Ice" This move evoked loud applause.
The amendment to the amendment was
adopted. The original amendment of
Mrs. Verplanck as amended by Mrs.
weed and by a subsequent amendment,
1t reads:
mo person shall hold office more
than two terms successfully, and no
one shall be eligible to hold office in the
national society until she had been a
member of the national society two
years, except the president general,
who shall be eligible to this Office for
two consecutive terms, regardless Of
her previous services in other offices
on the national board"
Then the fighting began anew A
number of delegates claimed that the
amendment was subject to miscon-
struction and that 1t established a dan
gerous precedent. One delegate took
the rostrum to explain that it was a
misconception to say that women who
had not held other national offices
would not be eligible to the office Of
president general Instantly several of
the delegates rose to protest. Mrs.
Mclean, who had not taken any part in
the vote On the amendment regarding
the president general. rose to a ques-
ton OF personal privilege.
Il desire to announce" she said that
l did not vote on either side because
IN accordance with my previous state
ment felt must not oppose the orig
fnSl amendment and because I could
not vote for the substitute amendment
for constitutional reasons" Mrs. Nor
gan, of Connecticut, asked if the amend
ment just passed meant two terms re-
gardless Of any previous service. Mrs.
Fairbanks replied that it meant two
consecutive terms. and two only"
The congress then took up the Sec
ond amendment, which also excepted
the treasurer general from the inhibi-
ton Of the holding of the same office
for more than two successive terms.
Mrs. Smith, of California, moved it's ac-
RRnfanaQ FQ Tot
tested against the consideration of per-
sons instead Of the constitution. She
said 1t marked degeneration in the
methods Of the constitution. Il wish,"
she declared, that the congress would
attend to its business in the considera-
ton of the constitution. An amend
ment passed by the last congress by
large majority should not be overturn-
ed at this congress-"
The amendment was tabled on ris-
ing vote. Mrs. Mclean protested that
the negative side of the question had
not been counted. Some of those who
had been standing in front of her, she
said, had been counted in the affirma-
tive, but they did not know what they
were voting for. Its really too bad"
replied Mrs. Fairbanks. A question as
to the method of taking the vote was
then raised and the pariiamentarian,
Mrs. Sherman, of Chicago, was called
to explain the parliamentary law as
laid down by the standard authority
of the society. This sustained the vote
that laid ION the table the amendment
regarding the treasurer general. The
rest of the morning session was occu-
pied with discussion of proposed
limitations on the selection of vice pres
idents- general.
The pending amendment carried this
restriction: And only one vice presi-
dent general from any state shall be
nominated at the congress and said
candidate shall be the choice Of the
majority of the delegates of her state
in attendance upon the continental con-
gress.'
Miss Clara Avery, of Michigan, Of
fered a substitute reading as follows:
And no state shall have more than one
vice president general serving at the
same time"
There were numerous addresses, the
discussion revolving about the question
as to whether the congress should be
so restricted in making its selections