Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-03
BIG CONGRESS
How the National Organization
t0C0nvene In Denver Works
For the Welfare of
Children.
BY WALTON WILLIAMS.
A mother ~ a mother still,
The boliest thing alive.


-Cols<1dge-
-ROM all sections OF the United
- States women VIII gather In
Denver to attend the National
Congress of Mothers June 10
to Is. In the beautiful mile high"
capital Of Colorado the devoted moth
ers will spend a week in the discus
sion OF matters pertaining to the well
fare of chiIdren-not their own chill
dren alone, but the offspring Of others
as well. The Congress Of Mothers Is
a movement for the benefit Of the race,
looking toward the making Of happy
and useful men and women out of the
raw material of childhood. The men,
bers realize the urgent need of an or
ganized campaign for the education Of
parents In the bringing up Of children
and for the protection and fostering
of child life through local and national
governmental agencies. Many mat
ters of vital interest to family life and
the future citizenship of the nation
viii be considered by the women In
the Denver convention.
From the east, the north and the
south the delegates will assemble at
Chicago, whence they will go TO Den
yer by special train. From Texas and
the far west and northwest special
coaches viii carry the delegates to
Denver. While it is not to be as
sumed that the majority of these
mothers are suffragettes, 1t may be
taken for granted that all Of them will
welcome the opportunity while in Col
orado to study conditions in one of the
four states where woman suffrage pre-
walls.
Denver also is the home Of the IA
nous juvenile court presided over by
Judge Ben B. Lindsey, whose work in
behalf Of the bad boy has won inter
national attention and appreciation. It
is expected that Judge Lindsey viii
address the Congress of Mothers and
tell about his methods OF retaining
erring boys who but for his influence
might go still further on the down.
ward track.
Judge Lindsey says he owes his sue
cess in his efforts for childhood to the
National Congress of Mothers, which
was the pioneer organization in de-
manding and obtaining a Juvenile
court and a probation system that Ia
bors to put a little love into law"
/ Organized In 1897.
The National Congress Of Mothers
has been in existence since 1897. The
mothers of the Mothers Congress
were Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst and the
late Mrs. Theodore w. Birney. The
president of the mothers is Mrs. Fred
eric Schoff of Philadelphia, who said
a few years ago in addressing the con-
gress and speaking of the work of
Mrs. Birney and Mrs Hearst:
1.-The inspiration Of that meeting viii
never die. It's results have been felt
throughout the world. In thousands
OF homes little childrens lives have
been made happier and better because
Of that congress and its results. Thou
sands-yes. hundreds of thousands-of
parents have been led 70 a higher con-
ception of their duty to their children.
Other organizations have caught the
inspiration Of work for childhood and
have been given not only sympathy,
but active help. in bringing about bet
ter conditions. States have been
aroused TO their duty to the children,
and even the senate of the United
States and the president have listened
and needed the request of the mothers
IN behalf of their children
Mrs. Frederic Schoff of philadelphia
has been president of the National |
Congress of Mothers since 1902. From |
1897 to 1902 she was vice president of !
the congress. From 1899 to 1902 she |
held the Office of president of the Penn |
sylvania Congress of Mothers. She is |
q woman of very broad sympathies |
and is actively interested in several |
lines Of philanthropical endeavor.