Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-31

the treasury OF the memorial COntlnenldi
Hall is swept and garnished. Not a dollar
remains upon which to draw for continental
hall purposes. It is calculated that it will
require at least 100000 to complete the
building so as to make it habitable. The
original estimates are for 1000. Just
how this money is to be raised is question
which is puzzling the national board of
management.
The national board of management of
the Daughters of the American Revolution
is practically the organization itself, for its
power is almost unlimited. There is just
one thing that seven members of that
board which IS. constitutional quorum,
cannot do, and that is run the society in
debt. Hence the imperative call to the
members of the board not resident in
Washington.
The national board of management is
constituted of the president general, twenty
vice presidents general, two secretaries,
treasurer, registrar, historian and chaplain,
and one state regent, or, in her absence,
one vice state regent from each state and
territory. AS has been sta ted, of this large
number seven constitute a quorum for the
transaction of the business. but when it
comes to mourning debt there is a differ
ence.
What the Constitution Provides.
The constitution of the society says on
this point that mo debt or liability except
the ordinary current expenses Of the ma
tional society, shall be incurred, or any
project or plan requiring the expenditure of
money shall be entered into for which the
national society shall be responsible, ex-
cept by vote of three-fourths of the board
of management; and every obligation for
the payment of money, except checks
drawn or executed in the name or in behalf
nf 10 not
void.
While the national society has been doing
a great deal of work in the matter of build
ing Continental Memorial Hail. it is un-
uouDtedy racing crisis of some serious
ness. The general idea is to place a mort
gage OF S2OO,OOO on the property and thus
enable the Continental Hall COMMITTEES TO
60 ahead with the work planned, and get
the nail In shape to draw some revenue
from 1t. OF course, there are a great MANY
VINO object to the mortgage, but there seems
no other solution of the problem with which
the daughters are face to face. At the con-
tlnental congress, which opens April * n
is expected that the eXchequer will he re
plenished by about $4,000, but that will. #
Is stated. be mere drop in the bucket,
Candidates for First Place.
Naturally the necessity for funds for the
continental Hall brings discussion of the
pest candidate for the president generalcy.
the one who will be able to do the most
for the cherished building fund. Many
women or many minds have brought null
t1plicity Of candidates, all with ardent SUD-
porters and friends to set forth the claims
of each.
Not little satisfaction has been ex-
pressed over the state regents conference
held recently, and it Is regretted that even
semi-official color should have been given
to the action taken. 1t is understood that
Mrs Fairbanks does not wish it to be sup
Snd hot t1,a,
date, as the constitution of the daughters
does not recognize caucus rule and provides
for no nominating committees 1t expressly
provides however, that every member of
the society, after two years of membership
is eligible to any office in the organization
and she may be nominated from the floor
without having given previous notification
that she is candidate for the office.
With regard to the conference, a promi-
nent member of the society says that in
her opinion the national board should have
promptly denied all connection with the
so-called caucus which, it was stated at
mass meeting of the d. A. R. of the Dis
trict, held lately, was attended by only
five state regents, who were in the city at
tending meeting of the national board. At
this mass meeting, which was held in the
parlorS of one of the hotels recently the
question of a candidate for president gen.
eral was fully discussed. One chapter re-
gent, who deplored the fact that Mrs Fair
banks could not be reelected under the
in her opinion the time had come when the
Daughters of the American Revolution
should have for president general woman
who could WELD the gavei on her own au-
thority, one who understood parliamentary
law and could exercise her own Judgment
and push the work of the congress along.
There Is but one woman who has been
mentioned for the Office who can do this"
she declared, land that is Mrs. Donald Nc
Lean of New York." and then, after the
applause had subsidized, she added. "and
she's not my candidate"
When pushed to know why she didn't
want Mrs. Mclean, she said the president
general should reside in Washington, and
Mrs. McLean's home is in New York.
Bone Of Contention.
And that seems to be the bone of conten-
ton. The national board as now consti-
tuted has for its majority ladies who reside
in Washington. and 1t is their desire to keep
the management here The constitution
settles that, however, another member
points out for 1t makes Washington the ma
tional headquarters, and any woman elected
president general would have to come to
Washington to transact the business Of the
organization and to hold board meetings.
This is said to be small matter, as Il Is
understood that all the prospective candi-
dates have signified their Intention Of maxi
iug Washington their Official residence. It