The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-23
MISS COUZINS A FIGHTER.
SHE CALLS ON NETTLEToN FOR
HER SALARY.

She Presents a Brief In Support OF
Her Claims-rhe Executive Com
mittee of the Board Of Lady Man.
ayers Declared an irresponsible
Creation-A Principle at STAKE.
WASHINGTON, June 22-Miss Phoebe w.
Couzlns filed a voucher for her salary for
May as secretary Of the board of lady man.
ayers Of the worlds fair with Assistant Sec
retary Nettleton of the treasury depart
ment to-day, together with with brief in
support Of her claims. The brief is In two
parts, the first having been prepared by w.
p. Black and @. B. Waite. and the other by
Robert Rae. The case lie reviewed in ell its
bearings, and an elaborate argument is
prepared TO show that Miss Couzins
is still the legal secretary OF the board of
lady managers. 1t is contended that while
the commission had the power to prescribe
the duties of the board, 1t could not "con-
troll, direct or supervise the board in the
exercise Of its powers, nor in the agencies
by which, or the methods In which, that
board would perform the duties prescribed
by the commission
AN IRRESPONSIBLE CREATION.
It is asserted that the executive commit
tee of the board as constituted sis mere
and utterly irresponsible creation of the
presidant OF the board" aud the following
comment is made on the so~oalled subcom-
nittee; E'Surely the subcommit-
appointees of one lady, however
gifted and however dazzling her
social position, swas not tho body
which congress contemplated when it
nd taA Il .,F g..
the worlds fair commission, to exercise the
functions Of tho board of lady managers,
provided for in that section. The attempt
to substitute this little coterie of personal
| appoiutees for the magnificent body of rep.
resentative women originally selected
| by the commission, in performance
| Of the duty in that behalf imposed upon 1t,
| when coupled with the publicly declared
| policy that no further meeting Of the board
OF lady managers is ever to be called; and
| that all the duties OF the board are to be
| performed in perpetuity by the executive
committee of that hoard or a subcommittee
thereof; this effort furnishes sufficient occa-
sion for the struggle which Is being made
| by Miss Couzins to maintain the dignity
and defend the rights Of the board
| of lady managers; gives sufficient concern
| to those who have believed that
| this legislation of congress would afford
| fitting opportunity for the representative
| women of America to show what is In their
| power when called upon to participate in
the transaction OF great national enter
| prise like the exposition; and who now be-
hold this opportunity about to be destroyed
| by an effort 20 transfer all the powers Of
this board OF lady managers to a single
woman, acting IN conjunction with
an executive committee, so called, or a SUBJ
committee of such executive committee,
Illegally appointed by herself, and thus act
ing in subsection to the executive committee
OF the commission and its director general,
thus becoming merely the subordinates Of
certain officers Of the commission"
A PRINCIPLE AT STAKE.
In closing their brief Messrs. Black &c
Waite say: "In her fight in this case Miss
Couzins is not simply struggling to regain
an Office on accounts Of its emoluments or
the personal benefits which she might de-
rive from the exercise OF prerogatives and
the performance OF its duties. She is in-
| sisting its she holds hsr commission by
virtue Of the board Of lady managers. and
that the board must pass upon
the question of her retention
| of the office. and as to whether
she has faithfully performed all the duties
devolved upon her by her election as secre-
| tary OF the board Of lady managers. And
she 10 doing this beoiuse she refuses to be q
| party, even by acquieceuce, to a course Of
| procedure, the necessary tendency Of which
| Qf not the intentlonl is toward the destruc-
tion of the organization itself, the elimina-
tion iyof the board of lady managers
from all active participation in the work OF
the commission and the exposition to be
held under its super vision; the substitution
for that board OF a small committee holding
their positions by virtue Of per-
sonal appointment and by the
tenure Of personal favor. She has made
an appeal TO the courts. believing that the
proceedings which have been carried on
against her are arbitrary, illegal and revo-
lutionary, and she insists that until the
courts have spoken authoritatively upon
the questions presented. she is entitled to
exercise the functions, perform the duties
and draw the salary attaching to the posi-
| tion TO which she was elected by board OF
lady managers Nov. 20, 1890"
Assistant Secretary Nettleton says the de-
| partment will take no action in the matter
until the status Of Miss Couzins has been
determined by the courts.