The Washington herald., 1907-04-19

When Mrs. Donald Mclean, president
general Of the Daughters of the American
Revolution, calls to order the National
Congress this morning at 10 o'clock, d
score or more weary-eyed tellers will face
the gathering, and their chairman. Mrs.
Ammon. of Pennsylvania, Will announce
the result of an all-night count of yester-
days ballot for national officers. That
Mrs, Mclean has been reelected is fore
gone conclusion, and, judging by can
vass Of the different state delegations,
the plurality of the present head of the
organization viii be overwhelming.
Until yesterday morning it was not ex-
pected that any opposition candidate
would be put in the field by those dele
gates hostile 70 the administration. and
there was general surprise when the mi
nority Of the New York delegation placed
the name of Mrs. Eleanor Washington
Howard. of Alexandra, Va. in nominal
ton TO oppose Mrs. Mclean. Mrs. How
ard was seconded by an enthusiastic mi
nority. but it was thought at first that
she would withdraw in favor of the in
cumbent, in consideration of the apparent
hopeIessness OF the election of an opposi-
ton candidate.
Opposition Ticket in Field.
The nomination of Mrs. Howard and
several other candidates in opposition TO
the administration ticket placed in the
field two complete tickets Of active OFF,
GERS. with the exception Of the vice presi-
dents general, only three additional eandi-
dates to the administration ticket for this
Office being placed in the field
1t IS not expected, however, that either
of these three women, Mrs. James Fowler,
of Indiana; Mrs Mary Wood Swift, of
California, and Mrs James l.. Bottsford,
OF Ohio viii beat any one of the admin
isTation candidates. In fact the only
doubtful candidates on the administration
ticket, judging by the canvass, are Mrs.
Amos q. Draper opposed for registrar
general by Mrs. Louise b. r. Fisher and
Mrs Katherine Gerald; Mrs. L. Eakin
Gadsby,, opposed for historian general by
Miss 5. R. Hetzel and Mrs. Helen NJ.
BoyntoH. opposed for librarian general by
Miss Aline solomon
IL the case of the office of registrar gen
eTaI. either OF the Two opposition caIdi-
dates 10 the administration is thought 10
have a good chance. and Miss Hetzel
and Miss solomon are considered likely
candidates for the offices OF historian gem
eral and librarian general respectively.
The nomination Of candidates lasted all
yesterday morning, the congress adjourn
ing al . O'Clock for luncheon immediately
after the last candidate had been placed
on the tickets. The scenes enacted dur
ing the morning session were decidedly
political in character. and excitement ran
high Ut every moment
Only One Contest.
The only real contest, or at least the
only contest over which the delegates al
lowed themselves to burst into state
anywhere near that of enthusiasm, was
that of president general. and the n0mi-
nation of the tive candidates was accom-
panied by such clamor as might be ex-
uected at Presidential convention OF a
NATIONAL political party
An unusual incident occurred during the
noon recess that called forth "a spirited re-
buke from the president general when
the congress recOnvened in the afternoon.
A pile of the ballots that were to be dis
tributed 10y the tellers at the proper time
was placed on "a table in the rear of the
hail guarded by several of the Young girl
pages. II appeared that the pages did not
know parliamentary procedure, and when
the delegates started out Tor luncheon
many Of them saw the ballots and asked
10 be given one, a request complied with
by the pages.
Evidently the improperly of the pro-
ceedings did not occur 20 the delegates,
who spent part of the lunch hour filling
out their ballots and getting them all
ready to drop in the ballOt box The
news OF the occurrence reached Mrs. Me
Lean, and Immediately upon opening the
afternoon session she ordered the dele
gates to destroy these ballots, saying, in
part, that their distribution was a refec-
ton upon the integrity OF the house.
Voting Takes Long Time.
All the afternoon the voting dragged
on. the official reader calling the delegates
by States until the last State delegation
had deposited their ballots in the big
wooden box. During the afternoon a cam
vass Of the different State delegations
was made by The Washington Herald
representatives. from which it would ap-
pear that Mrs. McLean's election is GER
tain by a large majority.
With the possible exception of New
York. Connecticut, and the District of
Columbia, the administration ticket was
voted without any great amount of split
ting. There was some doubt about Yer
mont, but later In the day Il developed
that with one OF two exceptions. every
delegate cast her vote for Mrs. Mclean.
There was some division on the vote for
the president general among the other
larger delegations. but these were few
and far between.
The lobbying of the opposition during
the last few days has been one Of the in
teresting features of the congress The
work was carried on quietly, and was
done at the hotels as well as in the corri-
doris OF Continental Hall. 1t Is said that
the real purpose of the opposition ticket
was TO prevent the election OF Mrs. Me-
Lean by unanimous vote. The leaders
of the opposition admitted their defeat
from the very beginning, and even as late
as yesterday morning there was some
question as 10 whether Mrs. Howard OF
any one else would consent to enter the
contest Finally, Mrs. Howard did so il
is said, without even the delegates of her
own -Virginia-being aware Of the
fact.
strong for SIrs. Patten.
Pennsylvania has large representation
in the congress and it voted to the
woman for Mrs. Alexander E. Patten for
vice president general There was some
diversion however. for the president gen
eral it is said, but nevertheless Mrs. Nc