The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-09-22
Mrs. Ada +. Clark Distributes
Thousands of Copies of an
Appealin Pamphlet Form
in Washington.

PAST DEPARTMENT PRESIDENT
OF OHIO
woMAN's RELIEF CORPS.
CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS.
CIRCUMSTANCES PERSONAL UNDERLYING
THE CASE,
AND EXPLANATION OF MOTIVES
PROMPTING THOSE WHO COMBINED TO I'M
POSE THE GREATEST INJUSTICE
EVER KNOWN IN A CHARITABLE ORDER,
While we were masticating our frugal
breakfast, of milk, toast and fried bacon
we occasionally glanced at this document.
We soon discovered that IL was full Of
interest, and that 1t was the identical new
Primer that Mrs. Ada +. Clark was dis
tributing in Washington by the thousands,
as ennouced by our reliable Washington
correspondents, on Monday last.
THE INTRODUCTION.
We print below extracts from the docuS
ment:
To whomsoever these pages may reach
for perusal, | would say, that the duty
which prompts the writer to present the
facts here contained. is not pleasant
duty, nor has it been undertaken in haste
or in anger.
The best part of my life, the past ten
years, has been devoted to the cause Of the
Woman's Relief Corps, auxiliary to the
Grand Army of the Republic.
In the true and honest construction of
its laws, the members of an Order are
amenable thereto, and had the established
procedure and laws of the Woman's
Relief Corps been observed by high
authority, this plea for justice would never
have been necessary.
Tomany thousands in the Order, espec.
tally its oldest members, | am not q
strangers 1t is to those whom know not
who ask, sis this the wife of veteran"
and similar questions that the following
brief personal sketch is subjoined in
answer:
This is the city Of my birth. Twenty
| five years ago married James j. Clark,
| OF the 115th o. V, |. We have two daugh.
ters and son, and by dint of united
perseverance, and effort, have a comforta-
| BILE and happy home.
My husbands three years. service in
the civil war made the soldiers cause one
| OF interest in our home and flreside, and
| after my children no longer required the
| constant care that infancy demands,
became a member of Ladies' Auxiliary
to Canton Post, G. A r,
| AT the first National Convention, in
Minneapolis, l served as Chairman on
Resolutions; the following year was
| appointed Assistant National Secretary
was each year IN succession elected a del
egate from Ohio to National Conventions,
and attended all, rendering service in
some particular capacity at my own
expense. l went as Delegate~at'LArge
from Ohio to the National Convention in
San FranciHco; was appointed Counselor
in 1888. In 1890 was unanimously elected
Department President, and again served
as Counselor in 1891.
In the meantime local service had been
given to three years. presidency of the
Associated Charities of this city, and two
terms to the presidency of Canton Relief
Corps, a third term having been resigned
to flll the State office of President.
(Signed) ADA f. CLARK.
THE APPEAL.
Then follows Mrs. Clark's appeal TO thu
National President of the W. h. C.. Thii
consists of twenty-five counts, all some
what lengthy, two long for newspaper
article. In these counts Mrs. Clark attack
the National Court Martial that tried he
case in Canton very severely. She alsC
gets in some severe language on th
NEWS DEMOCRAT, and does not seem t,
r admire the editor thereof very much
Then follows a lengthy statement of Mrs
D | Clark's transactions, in forty three differ
ent counts, covering the errors in tn
| court.
{ The forty.third count is as follows:
Forty-third: There are other points O
y error appearing on the record, which cal
be questioned, and which further demon
= strates that said charges and specifica
tions are illegal. That the cour
Q proceedings are irregular and faulty, an
that the sentence imposed is not just c
ii
Respectfully submitted,
ADA E. CLARK.
BRIEF EXPLANATIONS.
Then follows nine pages of fine typr
N | under the head of personal explanation
In this she assaults Mrs. Rooms aud give
some of the incidents of tue Piqua cor
10 vention. She prints part Of an anon!
es Mrs. Rooms with sending her, write
in red ink on the margin of the NEW
ID DEMOCRAT, December 26, 1891:
"You damned old idiot, 90 soak goa
d. head, You 1Cdnted notoriety; here go
9, got it,"
IN The NEws-DEMooRAT has DO interest
this controversy except to print the new
On but we think Mrs. Clark is mistak ken
this charge. reliable correspondent
'n the NEWS DEMOCRAT interviewed MI
Rooms at the time Mrs. Clark receive
this marke ed paper, and Mrs. Koons Wi
greatly shocked to think she was charge
with using such language. Mrs. Koo
n was very indignant TO think any OF
would charge her with the use of SUI
OF profanity.
% Evidently some coarse and brutal m'
- sent this to Mrs. Clark. No respectful
o, person did it, as no man or woman
IN decent instincts would send an anon
nous letter, and no one but the lowe
II order of vulgarian would send such VI
IN message TO lady.
~ In this connection Mrs. Clark max
OF another radical mistake. She charg
M that the editor of the NEWS DEMooR
-" had this marked paper, and refused
et give il up in the trial of Mrs. Koons. He
a. Is Mrs. Clark's language as printed in
I'VE pamphlet:
With the above letter, one of the prof.
inent members of Canton Corps went
the DEMOCRAT office, and stated requ'
for return of the paper. An office, b
knew where il had been placed, and b
it In his hand just delivering 1t, when
Sherwood rudely jsrked II from him,
marking, "that 10 pretty good thing
keep"
There is no truth in the above.
Sherwood did not have this paper. II v
secured by Ray S. Hathaway, city edit
he' who refused TO give it up, because, as
said, he desired to keep IL as souveT
Mr.. Sherwood never bad 1t, never wan
Mrs. Clark closes her pamphlet as
lows:
/ am mother, not in the enjoyment
health. good and honorable name
children's rightful heritage-ruthles
a, its pos session has been torn from me
; deceit ana treachery.
:. As my name has been Haunted fr
ocean to ocean, linked with criminal
making il national issue, ask the fav
that all good intelligent men and won
IA. rigidly seek the truth of facts above p
tied, aud particularly do lrCquest
in The department of Ohio, where
er> work has been identified.
ADA +. CLARE
lii
an Doctor Yourself