The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-04-25
WITH THE OARS
snap Shots from the Great Hen Con
VentiOn.
Washington, D. G.. April %. 1901

Washington, D. @. April %, 1906.
The National Convention OF the Daughters
of the American Revolution was in session
here Thursday, Friday and Saturday OF last
week. Having q paying iE terest In the hum.
! BILE ranks OF this organization through The
ranking officer Of my own household, in com.
pany with q Congressman, l ventured timor.
rously to peep IL on this hen Convention.
The Convention was held IN tneir new nal
II is a magnificent structure OF pure, white
marble, covering a space about three fourths
The SIZE OF our public square, and situate
about Two blocks from the Corcoran Art Gal
cry, on the same side OF the street, and In
| direction OF the River.
Many a show that calls for honest coin Is
tame beside this one.
All hens, and eli OF the large varieties. none
Of those seen here, that scratch for q living,
lar out in the naunts Of the Whippoorwill.
On entering the hall We saw, here and there.
an isolated spectator OF the other sex, IKE
scenes, silent covered, bewildered. There
wes such q cackling, bowling, and hutlering
| below as we had never heard, but we dare
The President General Of the organization
| was Mrs. McLaw Of New York; and each
State has q Vice President General most OF
whom were present. The first evening we
attended, the exercises consisted OF short
speeches from each OF these forty odd Vice
Presidents General. The programme was
something like this. The President General
would cali the name of one OF the Vice Presi.
dents General, and designate pages, young
girls appointed for the purpose, 10 escort her
10 the front of the stage. This dlgnitary was
| met by the President General, and with
clasped hands, held high. very much like the
| of the stage. They W to each other and
then both bowed 10 the audience, then III e
noted worthy was left 10 stand alone
| and say her little speech.
The speeches, where they ran as far as orr
hearing, ran very much thus: ut is with
| ceilings OF deepest gratitude that l rise 10
| thank this convention for the great honor
life to uphold the great work in which we are
engaged"-then another bow, and a descent
from the glitter OF the lime.light 70 the com
mon ranks. Occasionally the programme
wa, varied by a spasm OF dramatic elOcution.
Having heard again and again the purpose
10 uphold and continue the great work"
we listened breathlessly for some spell bind.
ing orator TO drop a hint of the character Of
that great work and though we did not al
tend all the meetings 80 for as Information
there goes, we are still In ignorance.
We gather, from contact with our local
organization. that the purpose is 10 perpetu-
ate In marble and history the great deeds Of
our fore fathers. and to keep alive the fires OF
patriotism, as the generations move further
1 and further from the time OF actual partici.
patton. This Is most praiseworthy,, and we
commend our noble women for their work.
PEI haps this TOO ia the underlying purpose
ofthe National Organization, at any rate, 1t
3 u pity they had not said 30.
Some carping upcharitaole spectator OF the
other rex might be mean enough 10 60 ava
and say that IT was simply an opportunity
Tor those who love the popular gaze to step
into the limelight. Perish the thought!
What! Ride hundreds of miles, and some OF
them thousands OF miles TO satisfy a within OF
vanity? Never; women are made OF sterner
stuff. Tell this TO one who believes women
vain, but not TO this deponent.
A birds eye view OF the personnel OF the con.
venIion might be interesting. There were
q few young girls who still had that fresh.
ness Of head and face that engages the mascu-
whose faces bore lines OF contempt for tn
masculine kind; and there were those maids
and metrons, some very stout, some very
thin. stout predominatlng, who had
out this Insignificant quanty man. January
like May WAS bedecked with flowers and
colors, all unconscious OF the unreasonable
contrast.
thing happened during the closing hours OF
the convention. The harmony OF the meet
Ing was broken by q rupture between the
president and a member, in which all the
membera, more or less participated.
Tn refractory member was a Recording
Secretary who bad served the association for
fifteen years. The trouble was over receiving
some report; the President General ruling
that the report should be received without
comment. To a protest from. the Recording
Secretary the President General made the
simple answer that she had ruled. Mutual
friends asked that the question be submitted
to the professional parliamentarian. The
response came again l have ruled. While we
believe the custom Is to submit doubtful rul.
ipgs to the PARLIAMENTARY, II there is one,
and the absence Of such an officer, to the as
sembly, 1t was OF course improper here, for
the President General was the President
General, and she had ruled. Crisp, REID, Hen.
derson and even Uncle Joe might err. being
simply men; not 80 with the President Gen.
eral.