The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-11-10


eluded saint and sinner alike; a dele
gates badges was no more than waste
paper. The disappointed throngs
fingered about the doors for almost an
hour before they consented to dis
perse."
Late one afternoon after a strenu-
GUS day of many meetings and much
standing in line, my sister and I felt
we had earned "drop In" at the
movies 1t seemed so good to buy
ticket and walk in and get comfor-
table seat without delay, when 10 and
behold the first picture flashed on the
screen was the loading of troops for
Mexico, whole regiments standing In
line for the trains. / said, This is
too much; let's CO." This is long
preliminary" but / want to give you
some idea of the bigness of the con-
vention and the crowds. 1t was too
big and New York was too big. Mrs.
Retain of Arkansas met with sympa-
thetic response, when in extending the
invitation from Hot Springs fer the
1918 biennial, she said:
Anew York is too big for con-
vention. Chicago is too big for a con-
vention. Even San Francisco is too
big for a convention. The General
Federation of Women's Clubs has met
in all three, and prophesy that We'll
never again choose any one of the ten
largest cities.
"Our experience at the thirteenth
biennial has rubbed the lesson in till
we're sore-literally sore at every
thing. We're going home tired, be-
wildered, frazzled, sick with mental
indigestion, completely knocked out by
the multiplicity of things we've been
asked to hear and do and see." The
women can't attend to business in a
large city. Let's meet next time in a
place where we'll be the whole show.
We don't want half our delegates go-
ing off to theaters and on shopping
trips when there are world questions
to be decided, and we don't want our
important deliberations buried in the
sensational papers of the big cities.
In a small town we could have the
front page to ourselves during the
whole convention"
The business and evening sessions
were held in the armory, which was
the largest building available 1t of
course, was not designed for accous-
tics, and it was impossible to hear
most of the speakers. Billy Sundays
famous sounding board and other de-
vices were tried and Mrs. Pennybacker
with her vibrant voice and magnetic
personality was an ideal presiding Of
ficer, but the women were there to
hear and they were restless and mis-
cradle because they could not hear.
The New York club woman told her
husband that nobody could hear, he
offered the tentative consolation that
when men went to a convention they
never expected to hear.
"Why, isn't it customary to hear 2"
asked the New York club woman.
| Certainly not" was the reply
when man goes to convention, he
locks over the program, finds out the
day and the hour when the particular
subject he is interested in, comes up,
and when the hour arrives, he finds
him good seat and settles down to
listen. The rest of the time he enjoys
| himself
"Oh!" CALCULATED the club woman.
l"I seel"
at is just as reasonable for you tc
feel obligated to eat everything that
| is set before you at dinner" explain
ed the New York husband, Gas to ex-
pect to hear everything that is said at
convention"
II daresay we shall develop to that
in time," said the club woman in
subdued tone.
Gov. Whitman was one of the
speakers the first night. He said:
"This greeting cannot be confined to
the word of governor alone-it is
the United States that extends a well
come to you, not for Friday alone, but
for all the future to which democracy
beckons."
He read lengthy and for the most
part stereotyped address on how wom-
ans sphere in times past, bounded by
four walls, had been widened into all
fields of usefulness, etc., the sort we
have all made, and may be heard most
any time in any club, or read in wom-
en's magazines.
Several New York officials spoke
and Miss Margaret Wilson was intro
dueed as the guest of honor. Mrs.
Carrie Chapman Gait made an adj
dress and Mrs. Pennybacker was fine
as always and the club women were
justly proud of their leader. But the
star of the evening was by all odds
DIR. Catherine B. Davis, chairman of
the parole board of New York city.
She spoke simply, directly and with
sincerity and you felt the power be-
L IL