Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-26
MANY HASTEN TO JOIN
Proposed W0men'S Congress
sionaI Club Is Popular.
SUGGESTION is APPLAUDED
Nearly $50 Have Signed the Mem
bership Roll.
OFFICERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN
New Organization Will Furnish a
Means for Social Intercourse
Among Lawmakers Wives.
SUGGESTION is APPLAUDED
OFFICERS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN
By WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

By WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
There are 9o members of the United
States Senate and 391 members of the
House Of Representatives. making a to-
tai of 4S5. According to the Congressional
Directory Is senators and 2S7 members
Of the House are accompanied by wives
and 2S senators and q representatives
by daughters. making total of go wives
and los daughters now in Washington. or
457 women In the congressional circle,
without including the sisters and the
cousins and the aunts.
AS every one will admit. it is desirable
that these ladies. having so many aims,
interests and aspirations in common,
should be well acquainted with each
other and meet frequently to promote
friendship and to encourage and assist
each other i'm the greater or less affairs
that congressional life involves. But. as
a matter of fact. half the wives of the
members of the House of Representative
have never met the other half and per-
maps have seen them. No occasion calls
them together and, so far as exchanging
visits and Inequalities is concerned 1t is
utterly impossible for any woman to ac-
Quire and maintain an acquaintance with
four or five hundred other women. even in
= city which Is so easy and convenient
for getting about as Washington No
wife could make the ac-
quafntance of the wives of all her hus-
bands colleagues in a single session. even
II she did nothing else. and as a majority
of them have the same reception day
Thursday for the senator's and Tuesday
for the representatives wives-they are
compelled to stay at home and receive
their own visitors while they ought to
be calling on each other.
a hoS oI-
ways existed. Every Aady in the Senate
circle endeavors to cal on the wives of
her husbands colleagst at least once a
Mrs. Fairbanks has lie much to en-
courage and promote acquaintance and
good feeling among the majors families
Her own hospitality h } been boundless
and she has a gracioui tactful way Of
bringing people together and making
them friends. 1t is safe to say that more
agreeable .acquaintances and friendships
between the wives Of senator's. repre-
sentatives and other women Of the OFF,
ciAa circle have been begun under the
hospttahle. roof Of the Vice President than
anywhere else In Washington.
And Miss Cannon has done more in the
Speaker in all the history Of the House
OF Representatives. Those who are IA
mtltar with the social history of Wash
nEton cannot remember that the family
Of, the Speaker ever took an active part
IN social AFFAIRS. unless 1t were when Mr.
Blaine occupied the chair, and his enter
tatnmentS were limited to dinner PARTIES
and an annual evening reception. Miss
Cannon has brought together the wives
and daughters of more members of the
House OF Representatives in her fathers
home on Vermont avenue than were ever
brought together before In a social way
and every one has appreciated her grace
full EFFORTS to promote pleasure and friend
ship among the congressional circle.
Having gone thus far and realizing the
advantage. q thoughtful woman suggested
that 1t would be well to go a little far
Their and form q social organization which
should furnish place, an occasion and
an opportunity for the wives Of senator's
and representatives to meet socially and