Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-12
IS NAMED AS FOUNDER
Miss Anthony Honored by
Congress of Women.
DEBATE RACE SUICIDE
WOMEN TAKE ISSUE WITH PREsI-
DENT ROOSEVELT.
Proceedings of the National organiza-
tion-Addresses Yesterday After
noon and Last Night.


Miss Susan B. Anthony has been officially
designated founder" of the International
and National Council of Women. That ac-
| ton was taken at the session Of the tri-
ennial council this morning. In story
| printed in The Star Of last Sunday Miss
Anthony was given full credit for the work
| she had done in this, her last great labor of
| love for the cause Of women and she was
| then referred to as the founder" This
| morning, in accordance with the suggestion
| in The Star, Mrs. Mary Wood Swift, president
| of the National Council of Women, stated
that she desired to have the honor of pre-
senting to the council the name Of Miss
| Susan b. Anthony, and that she might be
| officially Endorsed as the founder, and 1t
was done without dissenting vote, though
not without discussion.
| Mrs. Elizabeth Grannis of New York OBJ
| jected. as she said that there were three
or four women, one in particular, who
| stood closer to the women of the whole
world than any other woman who had ever
| lived.
"Well, I'd like to know her name," de-
manded Mrs. Swift.
Mrs. Grannis did not give the name, but
| proceeded to pronounce eulogy on the un-
named woman, and again cries of who IS
she?' came to the ears of Mrs. Grann1s.
She still did not name the lady, saying that
she stood so high that her name was a
household word, and did not have to be
mentioned, and she sat down without men
tioning it.
Then Mrs. May Wright Sewall took the
floor. She apparently favored Miss An
thony for founder in the start, but got
away from that little later and declared
that it was in her own library when she
and Mrs. Rachel Foster Avery were work
ing together for the forteth anniversary of
the founding of the National Woman's
Suffrage Association that the idea of the
organization of a national council was first
mentioned.
Although Mrs. Grannis did not name the
woman she referred to, it was stated by a
member of the council that Elizabeth Cady
Stanton was the founder Mrs. Grannis
had in mind.
Discussion of Race Suicide.
To look at the delegates of the national
council of women, and officers as we'll, one
would not guess that the question of race
suicide would trouble them much. But the
ideas Of President Roosevelt on this subject
got a slap yesterday from the national coun-
Gil of women, in triennial council assembled.
which, it is conceded. sent the suggestion
back to the ropes in a "groggy" condi-
ton. Indeed the idea was hammered so
then the other that the impression seems
to be that on a direct vote the national
council of women would say emphatically
to the President of the United States,
Quality, not quantity, SIR
That is what Rev. Anna Howard Shaw
said, that is what Susan B. Anthony said
both maiden ladies of certain age. But it is
said there are several "grown-ups'' who are
doing things in the world who were reared
by these two ladies, and reared we'll; that
in the large interests of the world, the
pressing desire to do something for the
women of the world, these two eminent re-
formers have put aside the home" hopes
for themselves to help other less fortunate
women all over the world to make their
homes happier.
But they were not the only women who
tackled the race-suicide idea yesterday.
There were some vigorous thinkers and
takers there who combatted the Presi-
dents idea, and they had beside them
daughters who showed the quality and,
copying the mothers, had the quantity"
too, in physical and mental characteristics
Stand for equality"
The national president, Mrs Mary Wood
Swift, negatives the proposition. So does
Mrs. May Wright Sewall, past president of
the international council Of women, and
Mrs. Flo Jamison Miller, the past national
president of the Woman's Relief Corps,
said to be the largest organization of pa
trfotic women in the world
We stand for quality in the Womans
Relief Corps" she declared. Our organi-
cation Is founded on the true principles of
patriotism which sent the sons of the heroic
mothers of the land to battle for those
principles and to maintain a united coun-
try DO you suppose for a minute that the
men who fought in that awful struggle
could have kept it up for four long years
II the strength of the mothers who bore
them had been Slapped with bringing into
the world a dozen incompetents, instead of
her two CT three splendid boys, endowed
with health and strength, mentally and
physically? Oh, no. / think that a good
part of the crime of the world may be
traced to weak motherhood, that mother
hood which must scatter it's never great
forces over the bearing of half a dozen
children-children who grow up without
proper care and restraint to become
charges upon city, county and state. If the
mother had given life to but two or three
children her own life forces might have
gathered strength, rather than discourage
ment, and she could have done her duty by
the smaller family
Another delegate, who does not like to be
quoted by name, declared that the Presi-
| dent should look to the women of his own
social set fer race suicide.
1T is the pace set by our society women,
particularly in official life she declared,
(which makes race suicide subject for
profound thought. The women of the MID
| die classes, and the women of the sub
merged half as we call 1t, do not practice
| race suicide. Witness the large families OF
| the poor for the truth of my statement.
| Where race suicide might-nay, dare even
/ say ought-to be practiced, among the alb
jectly poor and mentally deficient for prop
| er reproduction of their kind, you will find
| that 1t is considered next to murder this
| race-suicide idea. 1t is the business bur-
dened, the acknowledgement father
| and the society-crazy mother who refuse
| the cares of parenthood. Go into the slums
| of our great cities and you will find the re-
| buttal of the presidential idea of race sui
| eide"
| 1t is more than probable that resolutions
| of some kind will be presented to the coun-
| Gil before the sessions close, in which the
| delegates will tell the President, officially,
| exactly what they think of his suggestions
| along these lines.
Constitutional Amendments.
| The business of the morning session after
| making Miss Anthony founder was the
adoption of amendments to the constitu-
| ton. The preamble adopted Is as follows:
| We, women of the United States, sin
| cerely believing that the best good Of our
| homes and nation will be advanced by our
| own greater unity of thought, sympathy
| and purpose and that an organized move
ment of women will best conserve the high
est good of the family and the state do