MRS. WILLIAM CUMMING STORY: President General, N. S., D. A. R., Washington, D. C. New York, April 20, 1914. Am unable to get to Washington. Am very sorry and wish you every Greetings. I send expressions of friendship to you and ask the blessing of a successful Congress for the D. A. R. in its Twenty-third sitting. DAISY MCLAURIN STEVENS, President General United Daughters of the Confederacy. MRS. WILLIAM CUMMING STORY: Boston, Mass., April 20, 1914. President General, N. S., D. A. R., Washington, D. C. The Mass. D. A. R. Founders' Society sends greetings to our honored President General, and to the delegates now assembled in Memorial Continental Hall, with an earnest hope that this Congress may be a most successful and harmonious gathering of the Daughters of the American Revolution. LUCY A. FAY, President Mass. D. A. R. Founders' Society. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: I think, my Daughters, that we are indebted for the success of securing the herdics to Mrs. C. R. Davis, of Minnesota, who has done some very unusual and phenomenal work, and it is through her that we have succeeded in getting these conveyances. We will now listen to the roll-call. (Applause.) MRS. DRAPER: Before the roll-call is read, is there not to be a report of the Chairman of the Credentials Committee? THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: Do you wish to raise that as an objection? MRS. DRAPER: I would like to ask for the report of the Chairman of Credentials. I understand that the roll-call is simply a part of her report. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: The Chairman is here and ready to report, so we will delay the roll-call until after the report is given. MRS. RANSDELL: Madam President General and Members of the Twentythird Continental Congress: As Chairman of the Credentials Committee, I beg to submit a report of the work accomplished since the blanks were mailed January 10, 1914, to the State regents and the various chapter regents. There are at present 1395 chapters, but as 14 of these organized since March 1st, and are not entitled to alternates, no blanks were forwarded, Of the number of blanks sent out from my office, I am glad to state that none have been returned unclaimed. Departing from the custom of former Chairmen, the work was not done by temporary help engaged for that purpose, but was accomplished by the trained clerks in the office of the Treasurer General, with the exception of one stenographer and one typewriter, the latter employed for one week only. To accomplish this Credential work, in addition to the regular work in the Treasurer General's office, it necessitated my force of clerks working until late at night, and I feel that we all owe these clerks a vote of thanks for their industry, perseverance, and above all for their faithfulness through this difficult and exacting period. Notwithstanding this work was done by the expert clerks in the Treasurer General's office, after office hours, part of lunch hours and until late at night, the expense for this faithful, efficient, straining and nerve taxing service was $100.15 less than last year. I wish to take this opportunity of impressing upon the members of this Congress the importance of replying promptly to letters written relative to errors in their Credential blanks. The compiling of the Credential list was very materially delayed this year owing to the Chapter officers failing to reply to my letters of inquiry. A great amount of time and labor would be saved if chapter officers would fill out their credential blanks in accordance with the printed instructions accompanying same. I refer particularly to the fact that many neglected to typewrite the names of delegates and alternates, and an equal number made the mistake of typewriting the signatures of the regent and treasurer. The written signatures of these two officers should appear on the blank. Of the 1395 chapters, 18 are not entitled to vote, 234 have not reported and 8 will not be represented. According to the official count, there are 2031 entitled to vote at the Twenty-third Continental Congress. These are as follows: 1 President General, 1 Vice-President General in Charge of Organization of Chapters, 20 Vice-Presidents General, 8 National Officers, 48 State regents, 1377 chapter regents, 576 delegates. MRS. MANN: I move the acceptance of this report of the chairman of the Credentials Committee. (Seconded by Mrs. Gray.) MRS. MANN: I rise to a question of personal privilege. PRESIDENT GENERAL: May I ask if you wish to interrupt the vote? MRS. HOGAN (of Maryland): Before the vote is taken, may I say that my attention has been called to the fact that there is no provision on this program for the announcement of the election of State regents and Vice-Presidents General. Will that not have to be corrected before we can proceed? There is no time set for the announcement of election of State regents and Vice-Presidents General. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: We are not discussing the program at this time. There is a motion wefore the house. I wish to say before putting this motion that it is impossible to overestimate the devotion, the disinterested services, the courtesy and patience of the women who have served you on this Credential Committee. They have served you under unusual disadvantages, but there has always been maintained the spirit of friendliness and consideration. It gives me great pleasure to put this vote and in asking for the acceptance of this report, to remind you that this is a group of women who have endeavored to and have served you well. (The motion put and carried.) MRS. MANN: I rise to a question of personal privilege. I desire to make the following statement in order that my MRS. DRAPER: Point of order. We are not a delegated body until we have had our roll-call, and no question of personal privilege can be granted. MRS. MANN: I bide my time then. MRS. DRAPER: Is my point of order sustained? THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: Your point of order is sustained, Mrs. Draper. Ladies, I wish to call your attention to the fact that we are honored by the presence of our Honorary President General, Mrs. John W. Foster (Applause.) A rising vote was given Mrs. Foster. The Official Reader read the roll-call of officers, and then the states, each state responding and giving the number of delegates present. MRS. MCWILLIAMS: May I call attention to the Credential Committee's report, or roll-call, whatever it is, I have not heard the Philippine Islands nor Cuba called. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: We are very glad that the Philippine Islands are represented by Mrs. McWilliams. MRS. MCWILLIAMS: Last year I was obliged to call the attention of the Credential Committee to the fact that the Philippine Islands had been overlooked in its report. It was not placed upon the report last year, and this year it seems to have been lost again. Now I would like to ask that somebody, either the Congress, or the Board, or the Chairman of the Credential Committee, our President General, or somebody have the Philippine Islands and Cuba placed upon this Credential Committee report alphabetically, so that in the future we will not be lost as we were last year and this year. I would suggest that Cuba be placed in the C's and the Philippine Islands follow Pennsylvania. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: In other words, instead of coming under the head of foreign, they are to be placed alphabetically. I am sure that your re quest will be respected. THE OFFICIAL READER: I will now proceed with the calling of the chapters. MRS. GRAY: Could we not rule that this chapter roll-call be omitted? These have to be checked off according to registration. Don't you think it would be wise to omit this long roll-call? THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: I think the chapters dislike to be cut out, but I will learn the sense of the house. One of our Vice-Presidents General sug gests that the roll-call of the chapters be omitted. Now I know that as a chapter regent I used to enjoy responding for my chapter. We wish to accord to the chapters every possible recognition and consideration. I wish to carry out your will. What is your pleasure? (Cries of "report," "no.") We will hear from the chapters as heretofore. MRS. SCHUYLER (of New York): I move that the chapter regents' names be omitted. (Seconded by Mrs. Hogan, of Maryland.) THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: You have heard this motion. It is to the effect that the reading of the chapter roll be omitted. Now please think about this because I want you to decide. MRS. DRAPER: I rise to a question of parliamentary inquiry. I am a chapter regent. This question has been brought up again and again. I have also been a national officer. In various times, both as a chapter regent and a national officer I felt that it took a great deal of time to give the roll-call of the chapter regents. Every time there has been at least five decisions, and every time it was stated that the chapters were the voters and that we could not deprive anyone of her vote, and that unless it was unanimous, the roll-call should be given. We could make a motion that hereafter, for future Congresses it should be omitted. Every time that question has been brought up the chapter regents have voted it down. Now am I not correct? THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: You are correct, Mrs. Draper. MRS. DRAPER: It would require unanimous consent to omit that roll-call, as we are voters, and I myself should dislike to have that roll-call omitted. MRS. LIBBY (of New Jersey): I would like to second the remarks of the regent from New York that the chapter roll-call be omitted. MRS. SCHUYLER (of New York): This would require a two-thirds vote. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: Are you ready for the question? MRS. DRAPER: I wish to ask if my point of order is sustained? THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: Ladies, you understand that this takes a twothirds vote. The motion, as presented, is that response to the roll of the chapters be omitted. Those in favor MRS. LEWIS: I ask for a standing vote on that question. I call for a division of the vote. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: It requires a standing vote. will rise. Those in favor Motion put and carried by rising vote. MRS. MANN: I rise to a question of personal privilege. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: privilege, Mrs. Mann? Will you please state your question of personal MRS. MANN: I desire to make the following statement in order that my stand in this matter may be thoroughly understood. In so far as I am aware, there is no statute, nor any ruling, which states that the Vice-President General in Charge of Organization of Chapters, by virtue of that office, is entitled to the Chairmanship of the Credentials Committee; therefore, I concede that the President General has the power to thrust aside the now well-established precedent followed for the past thirteen years, and instead appoint to that important Chairmanship whomsoever she chooses; but I do steadfastly maintain that the work of the Credentials Committee should be done by the clerks in the office of the Chairman, under her supervision, and not by the clerks in the office of the Vice-President General in Charge of Organization of Chapters. For the past thirteen years our President General has appointed as Chairman of Credentials the Vice-President General in Charge of Organization of Chapters. The Credential work was done in her room, by her clerks, and under her supervision, with extra help secured from outside. I did not ask to have any clerks detailed from any other office. This year our President General appointed as Chairman of Credentials the Treasurer General, Mrs. Olive Powell Ransdell; Vice-Chairman, Miss Finch. (Applause.) An attempt was made to put the work of credentials into my room to be done by my clerks. To this action I very respectfully objected. The Treasurer General, Mrs. Ransdell, Chairman of Credentials, in her February report to the National Board recommending detailing the chief clerk from my room to do Credentials correspondence three hours a day. MISS MILLER: A point of order, Madam President General. MRS. DRAPER: I do not like to interrupt anybody, but a question of privilege is very clearly stated in Roberts, and we are working under Roberts' Rules of Order. If I understand the Vice-President General in Charge of Organization of Chapters aright she does not state that anything in regard to the rights of any member of this assembly has been interfered with. It does not seem to me that the clerks who are paid by this national society are members of this organization. (Applause.) I do not think that this is a question of personal privilege. I ask for the ruling of the Chair. THE PRESIDENT GENERAL: The Chair does not consider this a question of personal privilege. Is the Chair sustained? (Cries of "It is.") (Applause.) I am desirous of according to every member of this organization full opportunity to state her desires, grievances, or whatever she may wish to bring before this body, but this is not the place, nor the time devoted to the interests of one individual. I must consider the interests of the whole. We have very important deliberations before us, and the Chair does not consider the statement which is read a question of privilege. I must rule Mrs. Mann out of order. MISS MILLER: May we not have the report of the Program Committee? |