Evening star., 1925-04-21
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

1t seems an ungracious undertaking
to try to put the Daughters or the
American Revolution in a back
ground" 1t would indeed be audacious
after viewing the 5000 daughters"
and "daughters-in-law" who are hlling
the new Auditorium this week. They
present such a brilliant spectacle that
Senator Spencer was moved to pay
the compliment that they looked just
like an assemblage of Missouri wom-
en"-a superlative from the show-me
State.
Has there ever before been such a
significant gathering Of American pa
triotism as appears in the thirty
fourth annual congress OF the Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution!
Heretofore, the congresses have been
held in their beautiful Continental
Hall, but its capacity-1,660 seats
has long been inadequate to admit
even the alternates of the delegations,
without any onlookers. This year, the
meetings are taxing the full capacity
of the Auditorium, which seats 5000.
Next year, or the year after, the
Daughters will have completed their
proposed new hall, if the plans of the
leaders are carried through and au-
thority to build be voted at this ses-
sion.
The society today exceeds in mem
bership $4,000, and the basis of rep
resentation at the annual congresses
is one delegate and one alternate for
each 25 members of local chapters. "
Theoretically, there might be today
5 800 delegates and an equal number
of alternates. The society is grow
ing with nearly 1000 new members
per month. The loss by death is less
than 1000 a year, hence there is a
net increase of 10000 year.
Furthermore. the potential number
of delegates, like Abou Ben Adhem' s
shadow, Twill never grow less" The
descendants Of each generation will be
greater than their parents. AS the
generations increase, who can plan an
assembly hall that will contain the
multiplying Daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution? 1t is suggested
that the new auditorium which the
society will construct should be IN
Perpendicular sections, like an "elas-
tic bookcase" There will always be
room at the top-even at the top OF
a whatnot. =.
| The Sons of the Revolution point
with pride at their handiwork, for
at a certain meeting In Louisville, in
1890. which made possible this mag
nificent organization of the Daugh-
ters.
| The Sons of the Revolution had
been organized in 1875, being direct
successors of the first patriotic So
ciety-the Cincinnati-made up of
the officers of the Revolution, headed
by Gen. Washington. Not in al
States were the Sons organized as
far back as 1875. The first were
| in California, where the organization
was of Sons and Daughters of the
Revolution. Other States followed
from year to year.
| In the Summer of 1881, Mr.. John A
| Stevens of New York expressed to
Mrs. Ellen H. Walworth or Wash
| ington, D. c. an intention to organ
| ize in New York a unit of the Sons
of the Revolution. Mrs. Walwortf
| replied: Surely not without the
Daughters"
| That suggestion as to the Daugh-
ters was accepted by Mr.. Stevens
| and he proposed that the women
| meet with him at the exposition OF
| the Yorktown Centennial. Tna'
plan failed, however, but in 1883 Mr.
| Stevens did organize the Sons II
New York.
4 :
| The tragedy came in 1880. when at
an annual meeting of the Sons OF the
| Revolution, in Louisville, April 30, the
men voted to exclude the women.
Was there ever an instance of folly
| in man wherein one might not quote
the French: "Cherchez Ia femme?
Surely those Sons must have feared
the Daughters, having heard how Eve
| had trapped Adam. Fear begets panic
i-panic desperation. Why blame those
| brave Sons?
/ "Oh woman! woman! thou shouldsi
| have few sins
| OF thine own to answer for! Thou art
| the author
| OF such a book of follies in man,
| That it would need the tears of all the
angels
| To blot the record outi"
| How history doth repeat itself
| Kipling warns us of the terror Of q
woman scorned. The poet tells US
Heaven has no rage like love tc
hatred turned.
Nor he'll a fury like woman scorn
ed"
.. = s.-sa