The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-18
THE MERCANTILE LIBRARY SUNDAY
QUESTION.
To the Editor Of The Busntng Telegraph.


Allison in the case of the Mercantile Library,
does not state she case fairly, and is calcu-
lated, though / am sure not designedly, to
place the stockholders who are in favor of
opening the reading-rooms of the library on
Sunday in false position. / will try and
state the case briefly. Article B of the amended
charter SAYS
''The Board of Directors shall have full power
10 make and alter such rules and bylaws as
they may deem necessary for the well being and
due management of the affairs of the company;
provided such bylaws are not repugnant to nor
inconsistent with this charter, or with the con-
stitution and laws of this State or of the United
States"
Article of the amended charter says
'That a general meeting of the stockholders
of the company shall be held annually on the
third Tuesday of January in each year, at which
the Board of Managers shall produce q state
ment of the affairs of the institution for the pre-
Cedng year, and such other business may be
transacted as shall relate to the general interests
OF the company"
Concede to the Board of Directors all the
power given them under article of the char
ter, and what does it amount to ? Only this,
E'They have full power to make such rules
and bylaws as they may deem necessary"
This no one pretends for moment to dis
pute or question, but the charter does not
say, neither can it be perverted or made to
say, that the Directors shall have full power
to make all the rules and bylaws" to the en-
tire exclusion Of the stockholders It does
not say that the stockholders shall not be
heard, and have no voice in the manage
ment of the affairs of the company. On the
contrary, article 6 especially provides and
declares that sat the annual meeting of the
stockholders in January the Board of Mana
gers shall produce statement of the affairs
of the institution for the preceding year, and
such other business may be transacted as
shall relate to the general interests of the
company"
''Such other business may be transacted"
by whom? Certainly not by the Directors,
who now usurp all power, but by the stock
holders.
Judge Allison says, cat meeting consti-
tutionally called the maj ority of those pre-
sent have power to transact business within
compass of their authority, though they
constitute but small minority of the whole
number"
Now what has been the course pursued by
the directors in reference to this question of
opening the reading-rooms of the library on
Sunday?
When the resolution was offered at the
meeting in January they made no objection
whatever to its being received. At the request
of the mover of the resolution its considera-
tion was postponed for one month (though
there was evidently large majority of those
present in favor of its immediate passage), or
till the meeting in February, at which the
annual election for Directors was held.
This meeting was an unusually large one,
and after an animated discussion, in which
the members of the board participated, the
resolution was passed by at least two-thirds of
those present voting for it.
In the forty-seventh annual report, just
published by the Board of Directors, we
have their official announcement, as follows:
'sMr G. NJ. Eldrdge's resolution in regard to
keeping the library open on Sundays, after
being amended, on motion OF Mr.. Oliver Evans,
to read from Q to p. NJ" was declared carried.
A stock vote being called for on this question,
was pronounced out of order"
Here then we have the official publication
by the board of the passage of the resolution
at the regular annual meeting of the stock.
holders, after being amended by Mr.. Oliver
Evans, a member of the board; and more, they
tell us that ''a stock vote being called for
was pronounced out of order"
Immediately after this meeting, and ever
before the report referred to has been printed
a remonstrance against opening the library i
prepared and sent to those who were sup
posed to be opposed to the measure. Churches
and Sunday schools were visited, and in thi
way about two hundred and thirty name
were obtained and presented to the board a
their first meeting.
We were also told that the number of mem
bers present at the meeting was too small t.
pass so important resolution, ignoring tn
fact that when the charter was altered les
than one hundred members were present, an
much less number present when it was de
cided to sell the old property on Fifth street
The number present, however, was altogethe
sufficient to elect them as directors, thoug
not competent to pass resolution to ope
the reading-rooms on Sunday
The friends of the resolution to open th
reading-rooms then called meeting, to
held at Horticultural Hall on the evening
March IA, of those who were opposed to th
course pursued by the board, and to tax
such action as would compel them to ope
the reading-rooms on Sunday.
TThe notices of this meeting were tor
down and destroyed by members of IL
board, after permission had been given
President Perot to place them on the "bull
tin boards" of the library.
I, ooEp Of hn n,NfNn