Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24
Congress of D. A. r. Puts
Quietus on States Rights.
AMENDMENT VOTED DOWN
No Change in Manner of Electing
Regents and Vice Regents.
CONCLUDING SESSION HELD
Expression of Thanks for Courtesies
and Services Precedes Adjourn
ment Sine Die.

With an animated discussion of states
rights" as it's finale, the nineteenth con.
tinental congress OF the National Society
of the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton passed into history today. AS the
curtain was rung down on the closing
session the delegates refused. as they did
Thursday and at various preceding con-
ventions, to amend their constitution SO
as to authorize the election Of state
regents and state vice regents to be held
in their respective states or territories.
About the last thing done in the clos
ing seconds of the congress OF the ID. A.
R. was to thank everybody for every
thing. There seemed but a handful of the
members left in the hall. but they were
quite harmonious-insurgent and con-
servatives mixed in one big thankful
mood
1t all happened about o'clock Every
body was tired, but nobody was cross
The president general was thanked for
her unvarying courtesy and kindness to
the congress, and in reply she said. In
the same quiet tones with which she
opened the congress. that she had to
thank the congress for being so good to
her. II certainly did get tangled up
sometimes, she said, but all were will
ing to help me out
The press was thanked and the presf-
dent general said she must add her
personal tribute to that OF the con-
gress. She thought the papers had
been extremely generous with her and
with the congress
The house committee was thanked
and so We're the pages. The pages
were hard worked lot of young wom-
en-, and invaluable to the congress and
to the press. The policemen got their
thanks also.
States Rights Issue.
The afternoon was devoted to an at
tempt to reconsider the states rights
amendment. 1t would change the consti-
tuition so as to give state conferences the
right to vote for state regents, the con-
gress to confirm them. AS the law stands
now. the delegation which comes to the
congress elects the state regent here in
Washington and the congress confirms
the election. Sometimes a state will
have but one delegate attending the con-
gress and there should be dozen, but
that lone delegate can nominate and
elect herself or any other member OF her
state as state regent and the congress
can confirm the election regardless OF
whether the lone delegate is acceptable
to her state or not.
The motion to reconsider, always g diff
ficult one TO tackle, proved to be a white
elephant to the D. A. r. The president
general had no more than put the mo-
ton to reconsider than the fun began.
The parliamentarian. Mrs. Fox, made n
long and clear statement of the motion
to reconsider and test vote was about
half concluded when a thin, piping voice
wanted to know" things. Then the
round of argument began again. Mrs.
W1leS OF Illinois explained the situation
and somebody in the gallery rose to
question of personal privilege, which it
proved not to be- and the congress was
about to vote when a lady in the Penn
sylvania delegation asked for informa-
tion Mrs S. B. C. Morgan of Alabama
answered her very clearly. but delegate
in the District of Columbia was tangled
up in her ideas about that time.
For full two hours the reconsidera-
ton act was discussed, till a careful
observer might have seen daylight
through 1t, and then it was voted down;
and there will be no states rights In
the d. A. r. this year. The motion to
fore the congress
Amendments Proposed.
Several new anne ndments were Of
fered, as under the law they must be
presented one year ahead. One of the
amendments limits the number of alter
mates that may be elected to ten.
An amendment to the bylaws. offered
by Miss Mary Desha and Miss Mary
a
place the president generals appoint
ments and the national officers as well.
under the absolute power of the board,
with right of appeal to the congress.
This would let all the small differences,
such as the Gerald and Wilcox cases.
come before the congress to be thrash
ed out in open court
The amendment was practically lost
by default" 1t was read. and nobody
said anything. There was a burst OF
applause, which claimed everybody's at
tention, for the president general was
entering the hall. She assembled the
platform, and the vice president gen
eral Mrs. Egbert Jones. who had been
presiding. yielded the gavel. The pres
ident general ascertained the status of
affairs. faced the congress and waited
Nobody made q motion to adopt the
amendment. and the president general
proceeded to active business.
Suddenly somebody asked what hap
pened to the amendment The president
general replied that it seemed to be up in
the air, as nobody had moved its adop-
ton.
There were cheers for about three
minutes while the promoters of the
amendment gathered their stunned wits.
They were too late, however. Nobody,
excepting the insurgents, seemed to want
the amendment, and they were van-
quished. In common parlance, the con-
gress was dead agin' them on every
vote where insurgency showed it's head.
In the last hours of the congress
congratulations flowed in upon the presi
dent general, accompanied by loads OF
flowers. The attached notes all spoke Of
the love and esteem of the donors of the
flowers, and the writers were ''prouder
than ever of their president general.
President General Complimented.
It is the consensus of opinion among
the Daughters that Mrs. Scott has pre-
sided with eminent fairness to all. There
has never been an appeal taken from her
decision, and it Is declared, the utmost
good humor prevailed throughout the
congress At no time did debate reach
the acrimonious state. and when the
situation seemed to be growing tense.
the president general managed to get in
a little feminine touch which created
laugh, and the clouds rolled by
For an hour after the congress closed
the delegates gathered about Mrs. Scott,
and she held a heart-to-heart reception
with all comers.
The editor of the magazine. Mrs. Elroy
M Avery of Cleveland, was unanimous
Iv reelected. She has served in that
capacity with satisfaction to the whole