Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-30

port and untiring effort for its ad-
vancement and success, 1 most deeply
deplore the existing conditions which
impel me to sever this official con-
nection.
From the beginning it has been my
earnest endeavor to preserve the dig
nifty, high ideals and noble purpose for
which the congress was founded and
to adhere strictly to the original edu-
cational policy and principles by which
the congress in the past accomplished
a magnificent work that placed Cali
fornia in the lead of other states d.
erosion has been dangerous. For
more than a year we have been CEN
sured and justly So for unwisely at
tempting a work already being done
by the Associated Charities and with
skilled specialists.
1.-THE menace and folly of putting
unframed and inexperienced workers
in the charitable field is we'll known
to anyone familiar with this branch of
social service. While a certain amount
of charitable work is permissible and
even necessary in our organization the
circles have been drained and their
energies Slapped by the unceasing de-
mand for money to carry on this
emergency work, leaving many of them
unable to meet their own obligations:
UNPAID for pianos and school
ground apparatus rest today a burden
on some of our principals. Level
headed and earnest women VINO nave
had the best interest of the congress
at heart have protested, as l nave, ana
do still protest against this pervers1on
and diversion of the activities of the
circles and this depression from the
high educational plane of preceding
years. Just how far we have departed
from this policy and these principles,
the disgraceful session of so-called
executive committee on Thursday
morning, June "a, bears ample witness.
Scenes Full of Venom
"To review those painful scenes, not
only of an utter disregard of common
courtesy. but full of venom and vim
dictiveness and an ineXcusable tgno-
rance Of parliamentary law, is humil-
iating and unnecessary.
81 cannot with justice, honor or self
respect uphold the president of this
organization and her misguided fol-
lowers in their unwarranted attack
upon Mrs. Baker P. Lee, originator
founder and chairman of the executive
committee of the mothers day fund
nor countenance their effort to gain
possession and control of this fund,
which up to the present has only been
used for the benefit of the congress;
the remaining $4,000 to be used for the
proposed home for destitute mothers,
a place where our emergency cases
were to be cared for without cost to
the congress, and where we might have
headquarters embodied the most beau
tiful and practical plan ever brought
to the congress.
"Through the persecution, insult and
attempted injury offered to the woman
whose beautiful inspiration it was and
who gladly consented to make the con-
gress largely the beneficiary only after
being urged by the president so to do
we have lost our opportunity, for
never again under its present regime
could Mrs. Lee or her wise, digntf1ed
and able committee extend this gra-
cious and helping hand to those who
have been so ungrateful and unjust
To think of this committee as sub
sidiary committee of the Mothers con-
gress is so obviously ridiculous as to
be unworthy of serious consideration.
All for Mothers Congress
''Mrs, Lee could no more merge this
child of her heart and brain into the
Mothers congress than she could place
one of her own children under our con-
troll, and she justly feels that this in
spiration, so dear to her, mas peen
dragged in the mire.'
LAS an invited guest at this so-called
executive meeting on June "a, when
Mrs. Lees poise, patience and woman
ly dignity were so cruelty tried. she
placed herself on record by saying that
rather than stoop to wrangle over
money she personally wished the pres
ident of the Mothers congress to ac-
cept the entire amount, but that she
would hold to the ideal and principle
for which her committee stood.
EVERY dollar that has been eXpend-
ed has been for the relief Of the cases
presented by the Mothers congress,
and the plans of Mrs. Lee and her COM
mittee for the future were so arranged
that the Congress of Mothers in sue
ceeding years would be largely the
beneficiary; but now certain members
of our congress, by their unwarranted
assumption Of authority over and dis
courteous treatment of the Mothers
day fund committee, have rendered this
impossible. Mrs. Lee and her commit
tee are custodians of this fund as a
public trust, and TT is because they are
faithful to this trust and not willing