Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-25
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
CONTEST RELATIYE TO THE CHAR
TER.
of the Executive Council--Their Construc-
ton of the Charter of the Society.

Inc OtQer SIDE OIL the SCOry--Statem6nt
of the Executive Counci1--Their Construc-
ton of the Charter of the Society.
Some days ago The GLOBE referred to the
claims set up by few of the original cor
porators of the Historical Society, and sue
cessors elected by them, that they were the
governing power of the society, with sole
management of its property and funds, thus
transforming it into close corporation of
nineteen persons, with power of perpetual
succession, and stated at the time that
such claim was nonsensical. It was sup
posed by The GLOBE, hearing nothing
farther of the matter, that such position
had been abandoned, but the Pioneer Press
of yesterday, in lengthy article gives the
grounds on which these nineteen gentlemen
still urge their claims. Wishing to ascer-
tain what there was in it, a GLOBE reporter
yesterday took occasion to interview some of
the members of the present executive coun-
Gil, and get their views on the subject. He
called first on
MR.. ]. F. WILLIAMS.
the librarian and secretary, who is in charge
of the society. Mr.. w. declined to make
any statements of an ex parte nature, saying,
that from his position, in charge
of the property, funds, records and
effects claimed by both the organizations,
and standing in a capacity of trust for both,
it would not be proper for him to do SO. He
stated, however, that the questions growing
out of the construction of the charter, would
probably soon be amicably settled by judi
cial decision. and that meantime the work of
the society was progressing as usual. and
way it was ultimately decided. The society,
he said, had never been in SO fourishing and
prosperous condition, and that the gentle
men representing both the organizations
were working for it and contributing to it,
just as if the question had never arisen. Our
reporter then called on
HON. E. T. DRAKE,
president Of the executive council, and found
that gentleman immersed in busine So, having
been absent for several days, and preparing
10 SO away again. no COuScllIeu, uOWeNcI,
to give us few minutes talk.
Rep.-You noticed, of course, the publ
cation in the Press of to-day, of the claims of
the incorporators. Are the statements there
made correct?
Mr.. Drake-Pa Partially SO, but think the
writer did not understand the whole truth of
the matter. It might, il brief, be stated
that the division Of opinion is mainly on
the original organization Of the society, in
November, think, 1846, because if that
was legally done, the rest was so, as a matter
of course. We never heard any
one claim that the original organization was
wrong until last May, when the society had
worked under it twenty-eight years. The
incorporators and their successors claim that
they alone are members of the society.
But such, we think, could not have been
the understanding and intent of the original
founders of the society. AT the meeting to
organize under the charter in Nov. 1849,
others besides those incorporators partici-
pated, one mot corporator) was elected to
office, others appointed to prepare consti-
tuition, &c. I should suppose that if these
other gentlemen, not named in the charter,
had not been invited to participate, and were
there thus acting without the consent and
wish Of the corporators, the latter would
have told them, and prevented them from
assuming control. But nothing of the kind
was done. Mr.. Moss, who was present at
that Injecting, says he was there by invitation of
the founders of the society. who asked him
to join them and become member. 1t is
safe to say that the others were also-as no
protest against their presence or action,
or objection thereto, appears on the records.
A constitution was adopted, providing that
other members could be admitted on paying
So and signing the constitution. About a
hundred did so sign, and among those
names are the signatures of some twelve
or fourteen of the original incorporators, in
Guiding the name of the gentleman most
active on the other side. So you see they
could not have then taken the view of the
question which seems now to be assumed by
some of the very gentlemen. and it is safe to
assume that it was never intended that such
view should be taken.
Rep.-Then you claim that it was the in
tention of the charter, and of the men who
secured it's passage, to permit others to be-
come members?
WHAT THE SOCIETY CHARTER SAYS.
Mr.. Drake.-That's it, exactly. Here
drawing out copy of the charter from his
desk) you see it says that these corpvrators
enumerating them, .'and their associates,
be and are hereby constituted, etc. The
corporators now claim that this phrase
s:and their associates, means nottingham
it is ''surplusage." But for 81 years, it was
construed to mean that others could became
members, and have all the rights Of mem
bers. And under that construction, ove1
200 citizens of this State contributed none,
and became members, as they supposed, ane
these original corporators also took member
ship in the same manner.
Rep.-Did the amended charter, passed il
1856, in any way change this?
Mr.. Drake-Not at all. That charte
authorized the society to elect an executive
council, or executive committee of twenty
five persons, to whom the business of tn
society should be committed. This act wa
accepted by the society, and for twenty-on
years acted under without any objection o
resistance that l ever heard of, until MAY
1877, when it was declared by some of tn
very members who had for years acted on il
that it was an illegal body.
Rep.-You say you never heard of any oh
lection until last summer?
Mr.. Drake-No, sir; not word or hint
I have only been member twelve years, bu
others who have been member
for 20, 25 and 80 years declar
most positively that not syllable of doub
on the legality of our organization was eve
raised in or out of meeting, during a
those years. The gentlemen now composin
tina aboard of corporators'' acted with us i
the most harmonious spirit, until fe'
months ago, when one or two got ofende
hecanse their views about the manapemer