The National tribune., 1908-08-27
W0MAN'S RELIEF CORPS.
National President Kate E. Jones Rounds
Out a Successful Year-SOme of the
Candidates 10 Succeed Her.

The National President of the Wo-
mans Relief Corps, Mrs. Kate E. Jones
will next week give an account of her
stewardship, and it will be found tina
she has made good from first to last
Her year has Seen marked by the ut
most harmony in her official family
and all her labors have been directed
toward the perfecting of the organiza-
tion to which she is devoted, heart and
soul. While many perplexing questions
have come before Mrs. Jones, she seems
TO have decided each with direct respect
for equal justice to all, yet has not for
one moment permitted sentiment to
sway her strict regard for the laws Of
the organization over whose destinies
she has held the guiding reinS for a
year.
One particular labor of love has been
her devotion to Andersonville Prison
Park, and she has spent many anxious
hours studying how best to advance the
interests of the Woman's Relief Corps
and beautify this park, and, having be-
come fully satisfied that for its better
protection it should be given to the
United States Government, has perfect
ed plans for this, which will be pre-
sented to the National Convention in
Toledo. 1t looks as tho the time had
come for the Relief Corps to relinquish
its possess ion to the Government, which
will take care of the property in per-
petuity.
There are many candidates for Ma
tional honors, but the women who win
will receive the loyal support of the
whole organization. In the National
organization at least, no matter how
warm the fight may be for each can
didate, when the battle is over we all
rally round the victorious one. 1t is a
duty we owe the Order to do this, but
il so happens that no State has ever had
the temerity to put forward for this high
office of National President a woman
who was unfit for the high office. While
it may be true that all women whose
claims are advanced may not be alike
brilliant, gifted as orators, or even as
parliamentarians, they have all been
gifted with good ordinary horse sense, .
as We of the West put it. and they have
gathered about them good, strong wo-
men to do the work that must be done
in the different fields, and the WELL
oiled wheels of the machine go right on
down the avenues of work without a
squeak or a strain, and the membership
increases. the relief funds grow despite
the demands upon them, and at the end
OF Ihe 0IIlclal year IL ali SUMS up lIlto d
great big lot of glory for those who
have had the management of things
and have held the machine down. That
is as it should be.
1t is, of course, unfortunately true
that the officers of the Corps and De-
partments are not always actuated by
this high ideal of duty, and too often
substitute for duty love of self and per-
sonal ambition, but even then it is diff
cult to disrupt even a Department in
one short year. 1t is a serious question
just how far ignorant women should be
permitted to infict themselves upon the
Order and TO make their petty fight:
dominate the whole organization to tht
exclusion of the legitimate work. Surely
there should be n more careful exercise
of judgment in selecting officers, from
Corps up. National Presidents have
recognized this. and have over and ovel
again recommended greater care in Sc
lection of officers, but To small effect.