Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-22
THE CRISIS REACHED
Sterrett Union Will Retain
the Day Nursery.
MRS. CAMPBELL RESIGNED.
Mrs. Foster Expected to Make Trouble
at Cleveland.
Rs. CAMPBELL RESIGNED.
SHE WANTS THE NATIONAL OFFICE

Sterrett w. G. T. o. for some time cul-
minated yesterday afternoon in stormy
session held in the Allegheny Day Nursery,
which lasted about two hours. The fight
was for the control of the Day Nursery and
the adoption of an amendment to the cousti-
tuition.
Miss Eta L. Clark, who had given notice
at the previous meeting that she would offer
an amendment to the constitution, moved to
strike out the section providing that the
managers of the Day Nursery must he men,
bers of some union. This was the first
bombshell, and it exploded with consider
able force. Mrs. Morton said the section
had been adopted to satisfy the Board of
Managers q year ago. and she wanted to know
why another change was desired. Miss
Clark replied in general way that it was
for the good of the nursery. Mrs. Haslett
moved that Miss Clsrk's amendment be not
adopted.
Mrs Campbell then raised the question as
to whether it was within the province OF the
Sterrett Q nion to change the constitution OF
the Dav Nursery, it being under the control
of board of managers. This having been
decided in the affirmative, the matter was
discussed. Mrs Morton thought she might be
induced TO support the proposed amendment II
the managers would agree to continue the
work under the control OF the Sterrett Union,
and would agree not to make any attempts in
the future TO take 1t from the union.
HER PLAIN REMARKS.
Mrs. Campbell the State President Of the
new alliance. then said: Il want to say that it
will not make a particle of difference to me
adn ri
might as well tell you now that it will be i'm
possible for me to continue in any Office under
the Sterrett Union so long as its present rela-
tions with the National W. c. 7. U. exist. This
Day Nursery was established to help the
Sterrett Union because it was going down. The
help of the Sterrett Union was never required
to sustain the Day Nursery, and after a great
deal Of discOuraging work the board has sue
ceeded in placing it on the basis which II occu-
pies to-day. The board has done the work. and
the Sterrett Union has derived the beneht,
both in their county, State and National work.
And if the amendment was adopted the nur.
sery would be conducted on a still broader
basis and would get more liberal support"
Mrs. Keifer-Where would the nursery be
to-day had it not been for the Board of Man
ayers? How would you have been able to re-
port $1,000 in your treasury?
Mrs OT-Ras not a committee appointed by
the Board of Managers to ask for a release OF
offer this amendment:
To this question cana a choral reply from the
members Of the board in the negative. On the
contrary, the committee they had appointed to
represent them at the previous meeting was
not present. and the board was not heard in the
matter at all.
vote was then taken on the amendment, and
it was lost. Mrs Stevenson fired the second
shell. and it fell with crash. She wanted to
know VIII sre the proxy voters were, and if her
side had not the same right to cast proxies as
the opposition had at the previous meeting.
The President, Mrs. Gemmel, onered as an ex-
cuse that proxies had been received in meet
ing of the County Union. This brought Mrs.
Campbell to her feet She occupied the coun-
ty presidency for three years. during which no
decision of hers il parliamentary rulings had
ever been questioned, and it grieyed her to have
such a question raised in the SteTrett Union.
Matters began to get pretty warm. Mrs
Campbell wanted to ventllate the illegal action
taken at the previous meeting, and some of the
A point of order was raised and sustained. She
then moved that the question of proxies be dis
cussed, and although motion was made to
table it. the motion prevailed.
MRS. cAMPBELL's DENIAL.
Mrs Campbell then explained the meeting of
the County Union, to which reference had been
made, and denied that proxy votes had been
received. An amendment was considered, and
some of the members had to leave before final
from the convention to write their votes and
leave them with the Secretary. These could
not be considered proxy votes. But the proxy
votes cast at the meeting of Sterrett Union had
been canvassed and brought in and counted un-
authorized Mrs. Campbell closed by stating
that but for desire to preserve peace and
harmony, she would contest the legality of the
vote.
Mrs. Stevenson then stated that there had
been great deal of misunderstanding about
he ms h2t Of hR m had he
led to believe that the resolution provided for
the disbandment of the Day Nursery entirely;
others had been told that the fight was between
the United PresDyter1ans and the Covenanters,
and that the former were endeavoring to get
control Mrs. Haslett then moved a reconsid-
GRAFTON of the resolution, which was ordered,
but the final disposition was the same as at the
previous meeting.
Mrs. Campbell then rendered her resignation
as superintendent of the Press department 1t
was accepted, but not until several members
who, though differing widely from Mrs. Camp
bell in the present trouble, had said they still
held her in high regard, and expressed the good
feelings and harmony that prevailed in former
years were exchanged. The women felt keenly
that the associations which had existed for
years were to be severed forever. so far as their
temperance work was concerned. and when
Mrs. Campbell retired, bidding farewell to the
women, there was not a dry eye among them.
The bitterness and divisions of the past were
lost in the farewells and good wishes for the
future.
POLITICAL RUMoRS RIFE.
In this connection it may be said that now
that new national temperance organization
is about to be formed as the result of strife
within the ranks Of the old. it turns out that
there is to be a hard fight even before that can
be accomplished. Countless charges have been
made that the new alliance is a child of the Re-
publican party, and most vigorously have these
charges been denied by the leaders in the
movement. When the calls for the State and
national conferences were sent out IL was
claimed by those who-opposed the scheme that
these documents were signed by wives of Re
publican leaders. and that sooner or later the
women who are now crying down non-partisan-
ship would be found indorsing and working for
the Republican party even with greater vigor
the interest of the Prohibition party.
This was met with emphatic statements that
politics was to be most vigorously excluded
from the new alliance, and that the new or
the footsteps of the old and degenerate
into q political organization. But yester-
day came the Information from CleVe-
land that Mrs. ]. Ellen Foster, of Iowa.
who has long since been recognized as having
8 pretty warm feeling for the Republican party
and who Is charged with having been in its
employ on various occasions, has been in
Cleveland since last Friday working among the
people who are expected to attend the meeting
to-day, with view to be elected national
president of the new alliance. If Mrs. Foster
is elected the result is apparent. The argu-
ments Of the people who have said all along
that the Republicans were at the back of the
new organization will apparently be carried
out. And her chances for election are con-
sidered very good.
FRIENDS IN OTHER STATES.
She will come from Iowa With a solid phalaux
of supporters. She has many friends in Penn
sylvanis and in the other States to be presented
in the Cleveland conference, and she has GER
taiDly not been working in vain in Cleveland
for a week. She addressed two meetings there
on Sunday, and has attended several other
meetings.
The women here who have gone into the
State alliance. and who expect TO attend the
Cleveland meeting are desperate over the mat