Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-04
The Biennial ConvuIsion.

The National Society of the Daughters
Of the American Revolution is preparing
for the biennial CONFUSION which it calls
an election. Its Continental Congress will
open on April 10, in the new Continental
hall, reports the New York Tribune, and
then will come the tug of war. The contest
ing parties may best be designated as Nc
Lean and anti-McLean. This has been the
line of cleavage ever since Mrs. Donald
Mclean, the retiring president-general chal-
lenged the tradition which made official
position a qualification for the chief Of
flee in the gift Of the Daughters, and the
breach has been UNNECESSARILY widened
in the last year by the bonding of the So
ciety for the completion of Continental
hall.
This was Mrs. McLean's project, and
was bitterly opposed by the enemy, who
could not be convinced that the president
general cared as much for the completion
OF the nall as she did for the honor of
having 1t finished during her administra-
tion. The edlfice is intended as a national
headquarters for the society and has been
years in building. Last April 1t had adj
vanced little beyond the walls. Part was
covered with convas, and while the annual
meetings were held there 1t was under cir
cumstances of much discomfort. The build
Ing fund amounted to $4,000 and Mrs.
Mclean proposed that $4,000 additional
be borrowed so that the building might be
finished within the year. The proposal
was the signal for war, in which personal
luminosity against the president-general
Joined with the fear Of going into debt,
and aftef the measure went through some
OF the chapters even went to the length of
withdrawing their subscriptions. But Mrs.
McLean OVERRIDE all opposition, and Con-
tinental hall Is now practically finished.
The issue now is whether the McLean
policy shall be sustained or condemned.
Mrs. Matthew Scott Of Bloomington, ILL.,, a
very strong Mclean partisan, is the ad-
ministratlon candidate for president-gen-
eIal. Mrs. Scott, who is a sister of Mrs.
Adlaf f. Stevenson. and otherwise allied
with official circles. is the widow of a
wealthy coal dealer. and since her hus-
bands death managed his business herself.
The Mclean party says that her business
capacity is remarkable and that she is
therefore just the woman to attend to the
business details connected with the com
pietion of the hall. 1t can see no reason
WHY she should not be acceptable to all
but this is Tar from being the feeling OF
the other side.
The opposition. which centers in New
York. has not yet secured a candidate, but
intends that one shall be forthcoming In
due time. Mrs. Charles f. Hughes. wife
OF the governor OF New York state, was
asked to stand, but decided. after some
consideration. that she was sufficiently oc
cupied with her official duties. Mrs. Saraf
Platt Decker OF Denver. ex-president o
the General Federation Of Women's Clubs
was approached, but she has taken 81
little part in the affairs of the society tina
she did not care to assume a leading posi-
tion. Mrs. Truman Newberry of Michigan
was a third possibility, but she has nov
gone abroad for an indefinite period, Mrs
William Cumming Story of New York wa
also approached, but is too much involves
In state politics at present.
Rumors of all kinds are afloat about th
presidential contest. According to one, Mrs
Taft has been asked to stand, but she /
not even a member of the society. TIL
name of Mrs. James S, Sherman has bee
used the same way, but as yet she has no
been approached.