, 1884-01-26


NJ. Elitor.-Anow me space IN you
| columns 70 say . few words reiative TO sh'
mo, ali fair and upright esorts7 which severn
p,onipeut members Of the Ladies Reiief 80
ciety are now making for its advancement
and about which some misunderstanding has
arisen, owing, in measure, to the superficial
view taken Of the subject by ~ few OF their
Protes.an. friends. and also 10 the late articles
| occuring in the SrATEsNAN and UsiOn-
The Relief Society had is beginnings IN
! a very humble way nearly three years ago and
the srs. movement resulting in any act OF i'm.
portance wss the request made 70 the ladies',
two residing in town and one on Dry
Creek 20 NEE. and draw up constii u:ion for
the proposed society. The ladies complied
with the request, meeting several times in dif-
ferent places, bat with no decisive results or
progress for four or FIVE meetings, owing to
their inability 10 have a quorum, other ladies
seeming 10th to come forward and engage In
the work At last, they organized, adopting.
almost verbatim, the Constitution and By
Laws drawn up for the Protestant Home As
sociation OF Portland, an institution which
had then been financially and otherwise In
successful operation for about fifteen years.
and our society has struggled up through the
various vicissitudes incidental to such work, to
It's present status, of one hundred and fifty
six associate members.
What might have been talked Of or decided
upon, informally in the first gatherings ofthis
Society, certain it is, that upon its ORGAN
IzkTIoS and SINCE, no promise has been de-
marded or given that this society should be
noL Protestant, or n0n-sectarian, as some,
either through influence or ignorance, will
have it, failing utterly to see that they are
thus confounding two entirely different terms.
It WAS promise" nsver required Of the
President and condition not found in the
original constitution. nor in the present one
governing the Society. 1t was question
never brought up for discussion as it was 3
''foregone conclusion" that it sholld be
Protestant Society and it has never been de-
MED that it is such. The movement now agi-
tsting the society. is no well laid plot" Of
'our SC" TO show personal animDsities, TO ae-
complish private ends or to upset the present
workings of the society, but the natural Sc
quence Of train Of circumstances which those
most actively: engaged in the york have for
seen from TIE beginning; and the natural eI-
presaion on the part Of Protestant members
that when the means shall become theirs of
founding Heme it shall be known as Prot
estsnt work under . protestant management,
and subject to no dictation by Catholic min
ority; and there is no wish or intention to Al
ter one '.jpt or one title" the present work
ings of the society, but to extend charity 20
all, a. heretofore, whether Protestants, Cath.
olics Jews or Infiels.
1t has been asked why the Society could not
have continued as it has been doing, and 1t is
answered because it has already begun to fail
under its present management. Many Prot
estant ladies whose influence, means. and abil.
ity were desirable acquisition. would not
unite in the work until the association became
distinctive in character and was known and
managed as Protestant society. Some steps
must be taken to prolong its life and it was
considered frank and honorable to say now
while the project of holie was in its infancy
ani before ar Y more funds accumulated, what
some; cf the members desired and had right
to respect-and again, because the two rel
igious bodies, Pretestants and Romanists
c'nnot work harrnoniously together for the
accomplishment Of the same end. The Roman
Catholics recognize tiis fact and set upon it,
at all times and In all places, AMI we See every
where theiI Catholic hospitals, Catholic
schools and Catholic asylums, and who i'm
peaches their charity or their honor because
they rear these institutions. or who accuses
them of doing their aims before men to be
seen Of them" because they boldly write the
name Catholic on said institutions.
Not one! and neither will there he found
one fair minded or reasonable Catholic in our
town TO impugn the motives of the promoters
OF this movement because they fearlessly say
they are Protestants; they glory in the name
| and are anxious TO rear in their nidst an in
s:;tution worthy. If by 80 doing they are
condemned as going contrary to the teachings
Of the meek and lowly one" they will have
the satisfaction Of knowing they belong to a
vast throng of noble christian workers who
have by some strange unanimity. likewise
misinterpreted the teachings" and in every
large city of our broad land have gladly found
ed Protestant institutions AMI been proud that
they were permitted to engage in the glorious
work Again It has been asserted that the
Society will lose m9nsy by this movement as
! il will cut Of the men and tho women who
have contributed most largely to its financial
success. When principle is involved mon
eyed gain or loss Is not to be considered, but
let Us see. Out.of one hundred .,nd fifty six
associate members, twenty only are Catholics,
| and only one of that twenty has been a con-
tinucus worker, Out OF the l30 dollars
! coming TO the Society through donations not
one dollar was contributed by Catholic. Can
We loss what We never had. Thus stand the
work and the question. We mean the "irum-
Pet shall give no uncertain sound" and We call
upon all who have ever been interested in the
work or have ever been members of the So
ciety, to give this subject grave consideration
and to attend the next regular meeting of the
Relief when this question Will be voted upon
ami settled
Remember the command "IAt your LIGHT
80 shine before men that they seeing your
good works may glorify yonr Father which is
in He tven." Mas. E. s. KELLOGG.
Pres. L. L. s.
(Hur dsAlSne.