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The Commoner.
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 21
Democratic Women Meet in Washington
Tho following Is taken from tho
news columns of tho Washington (D.
C.) Post: Four hundred women,
good democrats and true, wore their
hearts on their sleeves at a lovo feast
given by tho congressional wornon of
tho party, with guests from overy
section of tho country prosont. As
sembling shortly after 1 o'clock for
a luncheon In honor of Dolly Madi
son, It was well after 5 o'clock before
tho last guest had gone her way.
With Mrs. Champ Clark as toast
mistress, wielding a fan as success
fully as her husbund wields a gavel,
tho three hours devoted to responses
to tho various toasts moved with a
swing, until tho naive query of the
tonBtmlstross, "How much more time
liavo we?" brought a consciousnesH
of timo's flight, followed by a speedy
adjournment.
The meeting which brought to
gether tho most notable women con
nected with tho democratic, party
was unique in tho social andVolitical
annals not only of Washington, but
of tho country. Many women crossed
tho continent to he present, and tho
assemblage which included the wives
of three candidates for the presiden
tial nomination of tho party, the wife
of a man who has been its standard
boarer through threo presidential
campaigns, tho descendants of John
Tyler, James Monroe, and Thomas
Jefferson, and tho nieces and great
nieces of Madison's wife, wore repre
sentative of overy chapter in the
history of the oldest political party
yet extant In tho country.
From the venerable great-niece of
Mrs. Madison, Mrs. Mary Craig, in
her full black satin skirt, point
d'esprlt cap, and a miniature of
"Aunt Madison" on her breast, down
to tho group of undergraduate school
misses who acted as ushers, includ
ing tho - pretty daughter of tho
speaker and Mrs. Clark, in her
modish frock of mull, with a big
rose-laden garden hat, and tho
quaint necklace given to Dolly Madi
son by James Madison on their wed
ding day around her girlish throat,
good feeling prevailed throughout
tho entire assemblage, making a
gigantic success of the women's har
mony breakfast.
Tho entire ballroom suite at
Dauscher's was festooned with south
ern smilax. American beauty roses
divided honors among the decora
tions with tho more democratic
peony, and the old-fashioned althea
had a placo in tho colonial crystal
vases that graced the center of the
many round tables at which the
guests were seated. During tho
breakfast an orchestra played a
series of familiar airs that have been
tho inspiration of the party through
generations, and afterward came the
speeches, in the soft accents of the
south, with Mrs. Henry D. Clayton,
of Alabama, opening the program in
an. address of welcome; the crisp
tones of tho north, including Mrs.
Norman E. Mack's splendid contri
bution in her response to the toast,
"Women of the White House," and
the leisurely drawl of the west.
The life-size portrait of Dolly
Madison, painted by E. F. Andrews,
its frame festooned with southern
smilax, had a place of honor in the
large, mirror-lined ballroom oppo
site the long table at which were
seated the guests of honor and the
heads of the various committees.
There were other reminders of the
wbman the 140th anniversary of
whose natal day the function was de
signed to commemorate. A quaint
gown from hor wardrobe at the time
she led. the Washington world of
fashion was displayed in the recep
tion room. Over a petticoat of
flower-strewn silk, yellowed by time,
was draped a full overdress of buff,
brocaded in silver and finished with
lace fichu and ruffles in half-length
sleeves. At each plate was another
memento in a replica in silver of her
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famous snuff box with a bas relief of
the head from the Andrews portrait.
Anotherreproduction of the por
trait adorned tho cover of the book
let, also found at each plate, and
containing a sketch of Mrs. Madison
by Miss Roberts V. Bradshaw; a pro
gram of the toasts, menu, music, list
of guests, and a biographical direc
tory of the democratic women of con
gress edited and compiled by Mrs.
Henry T. Ralney and dedicated to
Mr.s. Champ Clark, at whoso sugges
tion the compilation was made. Mrs.
Charles Linthicum furnished the
funds for the directory "Who's
Who," which was one of the pretty
souvenirs.
Many impromptu receptions were
held preceding the breakfast, the
arrival of the notables creating a
ripple of excitement among the ad
mirers of each. Mrs. Champ Clark,
as she entered the banquet room,
was greeted with rounds of applause.
Mrs. William Jennings Bryan, as
she rose to speak, had tho same
pleasing tribute, and was obliged to
wait several minutes before she
could begin. Mrs. Judson Harmon
was greeted not only with prolonged
hand-clapping, but with shouts of
enthusiasm. As soon as she entered
the room she sought Mrs. Bryan and
shook hands cordially. Mrs. Oscar
Underwood, who took no part in the
program, was constantly surrounded
as she moved about the rooms before
the breakfast began, the groups in
cluding not only acquaintances, but
many seeking to be presented to her.
Mrs. Norman E. Mack, in her re
sponse to the toast, "Women of the
White House," gave a comprehensive
recital of the lives of all the women
who have presided in that historic
mansion. Her mention of Mrs.
Grover Cleveland was received with
ringing applause. A tactful allusion
to Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. Taft con
cluded her address. "Suffice it to
say," said Mrs. Mack, "that both of
these charming and accomplished
women have, in every respect, met
and fulfilled the high duties which
have devolved upon them in such a
way as to make us proud of the
American womanhood which they
represent."
An excellent speech was made by
Mrs. Owen, daughter of Senator
Bankhead, 4n replying to the toast
"Congressmen's Wives." Mrs. Owen
told graphically the story of the
average representative ' wife. She
spoke with a ringing voice that could
be heard in every corner of the room,
and proved herself the possessor of
telling eloquence.
becond in interRst. tn Hio rr,
honor guests was the group of
descendants of democratic presidents
and vice presidents, who occupied a
table directly in front of the sneak
ers' table.
Among them were three great
granddaughters of President Monroe
Mrs. Randall Hoes, Mrs. William
Crawford Johnson, and Miss Maude
Gouverneur. whnso irrnn,nM
Maria Monroe, was married In the
White house during her father's ad
ministration to, her father's secre
tin ,, mi. oumuei liouveneur.
Another group of descendants in
cluded the nieces and great-nieces of
Dolly Madison, among whom were
Mrs. Mary Cutts Craig, granddaugh-
l?rf of,MrB;, Madisn's youngest
sister; Miss Marie McMillin Brown
granddaughter of one of Mrs. Madi
son's brothers and Mrs. Harmon
Miller and Miss Virginia Griffith
Miller. Mrs. Pearl Tyler Ellis
daughter of President John Tyler, by
his second marriage, and Mrs. Wil
son, granddaughter of President
Tyler, who came to Washington from
Williamsburg, Va., Mrs. Tyler's old
home, also gave a historic back
ground to tho occasion.
Letters regretting the inability of
their wives to be present, from Gov
Wilson and former Judge Parker
were read by Mrs. George E. Cham
berlain, chairman of the invitation
committee. A telegram from Mrs.
William Randolph Hearst, also ex
plaining her inability to be present,
was announced. Mrs. Henry t!
Rainey made a few remarks in Mrs.
Hearst's place on the program. Miss
Nannie Barbee, Wearing a quaint
Dolly Madison costume, gave some
humorous suggestions as to the best
means of holding a husband's affec
tions, and with a sprightly note from
Dolly Madison, written in 1839, ten
years before her death, regretting an
invitation, read by Mrs. Claude A.
Swanson, marked the breaking up
of the harmony breakfast party.
The following toasts were given
with a ten-minute limit on each re
sponse: "Dolly Madison" Mrs. W. J.
Bryan. "Popular, brave and toler
ant." "James Madison" Mrs. A. S.
Burleson. "Man is but half with
out a woman."
"Dolly Madison's Snuff Box"
Mrs. S. W. Ralston. "You are aware
that she snuffed, but in her hands the
snuff box became only a gracious
implement with 'which to charm."
"Women of the White House"
Mrs. Norman E. Mack. "Be to her
virtues ever kind."
"Women of the Cabinet." Mrs.
Judson Harmon. "The best example
is acquired from the noblest in sta
tion." "The Congressman's Wife" Mrs.
T. M. Owen. "Be what you are, that
is a woman."
"Thomas Jefferson, friend of Dolly
Madison" Mrs. M. W. Littleton. "I
have professed thee my friend, and
I confess me knit to thy deserving."
Mrs. Champ Clark, wife of fhe
speaker of the house, presided as
toa'stmistress. The guests were wel
comed by the wife of Representative
Henry D. Clayton, chairman' of " the
house judiciary committee. 'That
Mrs. Madison took snuff was ad
mitted by Mrs. W. R. Ralston, who
said, "In her hands the snuffbox
seems but a gracious implement
with which she charms."
Mrs. Judson Harmon, wife of the
Ohio governor, paid tribute to "The
Women of the Cabinet." Mrs. Nor
man E. Mack responded to the toast,
"Women of the White -House;" Mrs.
Martin W. Littleton eulogized
"Thomas Jefferson, the Friend of
Dolly Madison," and an address also
was made by Mrs. Robert C. Wick
liffe, of Louisiana, who originated
the idea of the "Harmony Break-
iast.
Mrs. Madison's personality, in
delibly imprinted on the life of her
day and generation, was' recounted
by several modern women of democ
racy. Mrs. William J. Bryan, speaking
on Mrs. Madison's character, first
paid her respects to Mrs. Madison by
recognizing "a large- debt to the
bright mind which first thought of
promoting good feeling among demo
cratic women by having them meet
uuu otner. "
Making allowances for Mrs. Madi
son's lack of early. education and the
advantages of travel, Mrs. Bryan said
the famous mistress of the White
house would be remembered "for
what she was fully as much as for
what sho did." Continuing, Mrs.
Bryan said of. the famous Dolly:
As a Quakeress she was sober and
demure; in official life she was tact
ful, gracious, and dignified or gay
?Sr l!e,sion demanded; in later
.m?Atulfilll,and In old ago serene."
With Jefferson began the reign of
democracy," Mrs. Bryan continued,
ana Mrs. Madison was the first
democratic woman to assume author
ity. A daughter of Virginia, her pa
ternal grandfather was English, her
grandmother Scotch, and her mother