The Washington herald., 1908-03-11


them Of the United States-aSsembled in
convention at the Metropolitan Methodist
Episcopal Church last night.
1t was the first session OF the intena-
tionsl congress in America, and It has 20
do with the welfare Of the child The
convention is being held under the aus
plces Of the National Congress Of Mothers.
founded in this country in 1897.
The mothers put in a busy afternoon
ans evening At o'clock they were re-
ce.yed at the White House by President
Roosevelt. in the East Room. Mr.. Roose-
welt delivered one OF his characteristic
addresses, reviving memories Of his more
or less famous remarks on race suicide, -
of a few years ago.
Fully 600 delegates are in attendance at
the convention. their headquarters being
at the shoreham, from where they pro-
ceeded to the White House. The Presi-
dent was assisted in receiving the dele
gates by Mrs. Roosevelt. Mrs. Long
worth. and Miss Ethel Roosevelt
AS 1iiD Su1St@ pdS>tV luAe lne Blue
Room. Mrs Roosevelt, Mrs Longworth.
and Miss Ethel mingled with the dele
gates.
The East Room was decorated with
Easter lilies and maiderhair ferns. while
the east dining-room table was adorned
with pink roses and ferns.
Address of the President.
The President said:
IL Is a great pleasure to greet YOU here
this afternoon. [ receive many societies
here IN the White House. many organiza-
tions of good men and women. striving to
do all that IN them lies for the better
ment OF our social and civic condition. I
am glad 10 see them. I believe I'm their
work. I want 10 help them But there is
no other society which 7 am quite as
glad 70 receive as this. This is the one
BODY that / put even ahead or the Veter-
ans of the civil war. because when all is
said n IS the mother. and the mother only
who Is a better citizen even than the sol
dler VINO lights Tor his country. The sue
ccsstul mother the mother who does her
part I'm rearing and training Alright the
boys and girls who are TO be the men and
women of the next generation. is Of
greater use TO the community. and Occu-
pies. if she only would realize H. a more
honorable. as we'll as a more important
position than any successful man in Il.
Now. ] want you 10 think Of what
nave Just said. / never say what l don t
absolutely mean. and I am accustomed 20
weighing my words The good mother
the wise mOther-yOu cannot really be a
good mother If You are not a wise mother
lis more important 20 the community
than even the ablest man: her career IS
more worthy Of honor and is more useful
10 the community than the career OF any
man, however successful. can be.
The Cost of Effort.
Nothing in this life that is really worth
having comes save at the cost Of effort
] am glad when I meet men who have
fought for their country, have served
faithfully and well year after year for
their country az the risk Of their own
lives; ] respect them because they have
had something hard TO do and have done
II well. When we look back TO the civil
war. the men whom we hold in honor are
not the men who stayed at home. but the
men who. whether they wore or the blue
or wore the gray, proved their truth by
their endeaYOr. who dared risk all for
the great prize of death I'm battle" as
one OF our nOblest poets has phrased IL:
who spent year after year at whal
brought them no money reward. at what
might result ia the utter impairment of
the chance OF their earning their liveli-
hood. because il was their duty 10 render
that service. in Just the same WAY no
life Of self-indulgence, Of mere vapid
pleasure. can possibly, even IN the one
point OF pleasure itself, yield so ample a
reward as comes 10 the mother at the
cost OF self-denial, Of effort of suffering
in childbirth, Of the long, slow, patience
trying work Of bringing up the children
Alright No scheme of education. no So
cial attitude. can be right unless Il is
based fundamentally upon the recognition
of seeing that the girl is trained to under
stand the supreme dignity the suprene
usefulness, of motherhood Unless the
average woman Is a good wife and a good
mother; unless she bears a sufficient num-
Der Of children, 50 that the race shall in
crease. and not decrease. unless she
brings up these children sound in soul
ana mind and body-unless this Is true OF
me average woman, no DrillianCy of
genius. no material prosperity, no tri-
NfHpnS or science and industry will avail
10 save the race from ruin and death
III. mother is the one supreme asset OF
uauona me- she Is more important by
,ar lhan the successful statesman. or
business man, or artist, or scientist
Exceptional Persons.
There are exceptional women. there are
exceptional men. who have other tasks to
perform in addition to. not in Substitution
for, the task of motherhood and father
hood, the task OF providing the home and
ofkeeping IT, But II Is the tasks connect
ed with the home that are the fundamen-
tai tasks OF humanity. After all, We can
get along for the time being with an in
feriOr quality Of success in other lines.
political, or business. or OF any kind: be-
cause If there are failings in such mat
ters, we can make them good in the next
generation; but IL the mother does not do
her duty, there VIII either be no next
generation, or a next generation that is
worse than none at all In other words,
we cannot as a nation get along at all if
We haven't the right kind OF home life
Such lie IS not only the supreme duty
but also the supreme reward OF duty
Every rightly constituted woman or man.
II she or ne Is worth her or his salt must
feel that there Is no such ample reward
10, be found anywhere in life as the re-
ward Of children, the reward OF a happy
family life.
I abhOr and condemn the man who is
brutal, thoughuese, careless, selfish win
women, and especially with the women
Of his own household The birth pangs
make all men the debtors of all women
The man Is a poor creature who does NOT
realize the Infinite difficulty of the won,-
ans task. who does not realize what ie
done by her who bears ana rears the chin
dren; she who cannot even be sure Ilntil
The children are well grown that any
night viii come when she can have &