Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-27
Council Bluffs Woman a Candi.
date For President of Iowa
Club Federation
WIFE OF CONGRESSMAN SMITH
She Announces Her Intention to be
Candidate for the Honor After Being
Urged to do So by Many Friends
Western Part of the State Demanding
Recognition.
Special to Times-Republican.

Council Bluffs, Feb. 81 Mrs. Walter
/. Smith. president of the Council Blufts
Womans Club, at the solicitation of the
many friends who joined at the last
biennial meeting of the Iowa Fedora
ton of Women's Clubs. held in this city
in May, 1901, has consented to become
candidate for the presidency of that
organization at the biennial meeting to
be held in Desl Moines the early part OF
May
In speaking of the matter Mrs. Smith
said: Il have received numerous re-
quests from the club women of this
section that l be a candidate for the
state presidency. The majority of the
club members contend that the clubs
in the western part of the state have
not received the recognition they are
entitled to, and that western Iowa
ought to have the presidency this year.
After earnest solicitation from promi-
rent club workers in various parts of
the state l have decided to allow my
name to be used for the office. Person
ally I am a warm admrer of Mrs. w.
H Baily, of Des Moines, and should be
glad to see her reelected to the presi-
6ency, but If she continues firm in her
decision to retire then shall be a can
didate."
Mrs. j. P. Davis. of this city. who is
treasurer of the State Federation, has
also been mentioned as candidate for
the presidency from this section. Mrs.
Davis declared yesterday, however, be-
fore leaving for the board meeting of
the federation at Jefferson that she was
not a candidate, and that she would
support Mrs. Smith.
The club women of western and
southwestern Iowa are unanimous in
the statement that the western part of
the state has not received recognition
IL is entitled to from the State Fedora
ton. A president of one of the promi-
nent federated clubs Of southwestern
Iowa in discussing the matter recently
said:
"The federation presidents nave all
been chosen from the eastern or cen
trail part of the state, and 1T is time
that the west was recognized. Council
Bluffs has the largest number of club
state president has never been chosen
from this city. Des MONIES has been
represented twice, first by Mrs. James
S. Berrvhill from 1891 to 1898 and now
by Mrs Baily from 1901 o 1908. Presi
dents have also been chosen from Cedar
Rapids, Ottumwa and Marshalltown.
A number of the presidents of the
clubs as we'll as members all over the
state are supporting the western rec
ognition" idea.
Mrs. Smiths name was mentioned
prominently in connection with the of
flee of president during the last bien-
NAL meeting held here in 1901, but ow-
ing to an unwritten law of the fedora
ton which has always been recognized.
that the city where the biennial is held
must not present a candidate for the
presidency, Mrs. Smith would not allow
her name to be considered by the COM
mittee, altho her election was practi-
cally assured should her name have
gone before the convention.
Mrs. Smith is the wife of Congress
man Walter /. Smith, and is prominent
in the social ard church life as we'll as
the club life of the city. being president
of the Ladies' Aid Society of the First
PRESBYTERIAN church for a couple OF
years, congressional district secretaryl
of the Home and Foreign Missionary!