Up to this time the plans outlined by the members of the Commission, such as sending representatives abroad to interest the women of foreign countries in the exposition, and other "suggestions" made by the board, designated by the president of the Commission as legitimate exposition work, had been rejected by the company. The members of the board of lady managers, therefore, were now of the unanimous opinion that they would be most seriously embarrassed and their services rendered ineffective and inoperative unless an appropriation could be secured from Congress to defray the cost of meetings and other necessary expenses. If they failed to secure funds of their own, their power and influence in connection with the exposition would continue to be limited and indefinite.
Pursuant to the recommendations of the National Commission, therefore, as expressed at their meeting December 16, 1903, a new legislative committee was appointed on December 18, to take the place of the one created under the resolution of May 2, 1903, with instructions to the members to proceed immediately to Washington, which they did on January 5, 1904. The history and successful result of their work is given by the chairman of that committee in her final report.
At the meeting of the board of lady managers, held at its rooms in the Administration Building, March 1, 1904, before the regular order of business was taken up, Mrs. Andrews asked for and obtained unanimous consent to speak to the members of the board, and said:
In view of what has transpired at Washington since our last meeting, the extent of which only members of our legislative committee realize—for almost to a man the lower House was opposed to the appropriation, and it was only by arduous, strenuous, and noble work of our president and the members of that committee that the results were attained—I offer the following resolution:
Resolved, That the thanks of the board are due, and are hereby tendered, to the members of the legislative committee for securing an appropriation to defray our necessary expenses and thereby achieving the honorable emancipation of the board.
Resolved, That the board extend a vote of thanks to itself for the wisdom manifested in the selection of Mrs. Daniel Manning as its president, who has so fully enlisted the best efforts of all the members of the board and who has begun her work by showing that deeds rather than words are of special value.
The resolution was adopted by unanimous rising vote.
On the following day President Francis addressed the board as follows:
I am very glad to have this opportunity to talk to you. I desire to congratulate you upon your getting the appropriation from Congress for $100,000. I was very willing, indeed, as all the members of the executive committee were, to do what we could toward securing the money. After your worthy president waited upon the executive committee and was informed of our plan to ask a loan of $4,500,000 from the Treasury, she in turn informed us that the board of lady managers had decided to ask for $100,000 for their own use, we very readily came to an agreement to the effect that we would join forces and see what we could accomplish with Congress. As you are aware, it is a very difficult matter to get money out of Congress at best, and when the Government had already spent about $1,250,000 for its own exhibit, and when we had promised that we would not apply to Congress or appeal for any additional aid, the circumstances under which we made that deal or presented that bill were especially trying, and I think we all deserve to be congratulated upon the outcome.
When I went to Washington I found your president at the Capitol with Mrs. Montgomery. They had all worked assiduously and had made considerable headway in the Senate—in which body it was our plan to introduce the bill in the shape of an amendment to the urgent deficiency bill.