St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-06-25

Those who know Mr.. and Mrs. Clark
best say that 1t was reckless prodf
gaf1ty of the fairy godmother to have
people in the same family. Either
would have made the reputation of a
large circle of kinship, with some
thing to spare. Mrs. Clark is one of
the philosophical women of Washing
ton officialdom, and this winter she
has been devoting much time to the
Congressional club, with the end of
having that unique organization real
lie its potential mission toward the
nation in general and toward the
world at large.
1T appears at first glance rather
an imposing task to make the Con-
gressional club responsible for the up
lifting of the entire Christian race.
But this is my ambitious project and
In it l am aided and abetted by the
thinking women who make up what Is
locally known as the congressional set.
AS see it, the wives of the men who
are chosen directly by the people to
represent them in the national legisla,
ture and to make their laws owe some
thing to the people in example as well
as precept. Suppose, for instance,
that some of the influential women
who have made long earrings and
high-heeled slippers modish, had
started the fashion Of doing ones own
cooking. What would the result be
on the servant question, If every
woman In the land were prepared to
dispense with incompetent aids? Why,
the servants would soon see their
hold on popular favor vanishing and
they would get into line together with
other responsible mortals
IF the women who make up the
families Of the members of the lower
house have done nothing since they
banded together for social intercourse
and domestic improvement except
their efforts in regard to the memorial
services in the house and senate, that
Is something to point out with pride.
Every one in Washington, and many
out of it, know that it has been from
the beginning the custom to hold
special services to honor the memory
OF those members or senators who
have died while in active service for
their communities and districts. When
a woman in our circle, and it includes
both senate and house, meets with
bereavement, her grief is ours, and we
show all sympathy and render all the
service which friends can perform I'M
der the circumstances. When the
house or senate announces the days
when the eulogies are to be pro-
nounced, we name committees to at
tend and represent the club, and, in
addition, we make it a duty to see
that proper attendance will show prop
er appreciation. Usually the speeches
on these occasions are masterpieces
of eloquence, carefully prepared and
most impressively delivered, and they
deserve more fame than is theirs
wren they come out in the Congress
sional Record or go in printed form to
the friends and constituents of the
man honored. 1t is much more of
comfort for the woman bereaved to
know that her husbands associates
heard these words of praise, the last
ever to be pronounced for him in the
halls where he labored, and to know
that scores of sympathizing friends,
her former associates, were there to
lend dignity to the occasion, than to
get the mere written words delivered
perfunctorily in an empty chamber.
This question of the uplifting of
the entire Caucasian race does not
make us shake our heads gloomily and
lament the general condition of the
nation. But these women of Wash
ington who are pledged for this far
reaching ideal agree with me that the
bottom of half our troubles, as a ma
ton and individually, and for men as
we'll as women, is the lack of respon-
sibflfty which Is apparent in every walk
OF life. We feel our responsibility
here in Washington, and we want this
feeling to become universal.
Il am not so narrow minded as to
limit my efforts just to things which
are associated with labor and with
self-denial. I want to see all the old
enjoyments come back into vogue. I
remember the old dances, like weave
the wheat and the old reel and 9TH
ers.