The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-23
The Row in the Board OF Lady Man.
ayers OF the Worlds
Fair.
Briefs Filed in the Deposed Secre-
tary's Behalf by Three Male
Lawyers.
A Fling at Mrs. Potter Palmer-The Sub
Committee Ltbcrally Scored-The
Courts Must Decide.

Zens hled a voucher for salary for May as
secretary of the board of lady managers OF
tho Worlds fair with Assistant Secretary
Nettleton at the treasury department to-
gether with brief in support of her claim.
The brief Is in two parts, the first having
been prepared by w. +. Black and G. B.
Waite and the other by Robert Rae. The
case is reviewed in all its bearings and an
elaborate argument presented to show that
Miss Couzens is still legally secretaryof the
board of lady managers. 1t is contended
that II the commission had power to pre-
scribe the duties of the board it could not
Control, direct or supervise the board in
the exercise of It's powers, nor in agencies
by which or methods by which that board
would perform the duties prescribed by the
commission 1t is asserted that the exec
utive committee of the board as constituted
''is the mere and utterly irresponsible crea-
tion of the president of the board" and the
following comment is made on the 80 called
subcommittee: "Surely the subcommittee,
chosen from personal appointees of one
lady. however gifted and however dazzling
her social position, is not the body which
congress contemplated when it adopted sec
tion six of the act providing for commits
sion to exercise the functions of the board
OF lady managers, provided for in that sec
tion. The attempt to substitute this little
coterie of personal appointees for the mag
niticent body of representative women
which was originally selected by the COM
mission in the performance of its duty in
that behalf imposed upon it. when coupled
with the publicly declared policy that no
further meeting of the board of lady man
ayers is ever to be called, and that all the
duties of that board are to be per-
formed in perpetuity by the executive COM
mttee of that board. or sub committee
thereof, this fact furnishes sufficient
occasion for the struggle which is
being made by Miss Couzens
to maintain the dignity and defend the
rights of the board of lady managers. 1t
gives sufficient concern to those who have
believed this legislation of congress would
afford lifting opportunity for representa-
tive women of America to show what is in
their power when called upon to participate
| in the transaction of great national enter
| prise like this exposition, and who now be-
hold this opportunity about to be destroyed
by the effort to transfer all powers of this
| board of lady managers to q single woman,
acting in conjunction with the executive
committee, SO called, or a subcommittee
of Such executive committee illegally ap-
pointed by herself, and thus acting in sub
| lection to the executive committee of the
commission and its director general, thus
| becoming merely subordinates to certain
officers of the commission.'
In closing the brief Black and Waite say:
I'm her fight in this case Miss Couzens is
not merely struggling to retain the office on
account of Its emolument or the personal
advantage which she might derive from the
exercise of its prerogatives in the perform
ance of its duties. She insists that she
holds her commission by virtue of the ac-
ton Of the board of lady managers, and
that board must pass upon the question of
her retention in office and as to wheth er
she has faithfully performed all duties de-
volved upon her by her election as secre-
tary of the board of lady managers. She
has made appeal to the courts, helievin &
that the proceedings which have been car
ried on against her are arbitrary, illegal,
revolutionary, 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 the board
of lady managers, Nov. 29, $780,"
In his brief Rae makes the following re-
marks i'll regard to the powers of the board
of lady managers: ut is evident that it
was the intention of the act of congress
that the board of lady managers should
continue in active performance of its du-
ties up to and after the time of awarding
prizes in such exhibits rs shall be pro
duced in whole or part by female labor.
| 1t was evidently the intention of congress
that 1t should SO exist ana should meet and
exercise the powers conferred upon it by
congress, as we'll as duties to be prescribed
for it by the commission, and as those du-
ties require the exercise of Judgment and
discretion, powers that must be exercised
by itself, WAS it never intended that an
executive committee should receive by
delegations these high important trusts
1t is a familiar principle of law that the
directors of a corporation cannot gene,
ally delegate their authority and power tc
Others"
Assistant Secretary Nettleton says the de-
partment will take no action in the matter
until the status Of Miss Couzens has been
| determined by the courts.