The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-01-21
w. X. G.
An Alliance Correspondent Dis
cusses the Action
or the xenia whitewashing Committee
An Old Soldier Gives Clean Gut State
ment OF the Case.


Oou people, especially the soldier ele-
ment are now getting pretty fair under
| standing of the business that was trans
| acted at Xenia by the thirteen women, who
we're called together to pass on the case OF
Rooms VS. Clarke. The reports all agree
that the affair was conducted with closed
doors, with Mrs. Clarke as prosecutor OF
her own case, also as judge to lay down
the law, and thst Mrs. Koons was not al
lowed in the presence of the so called
Court of inquiry even tomake state ient
of the facts in the case. 1t appear that
after a very fearful time among the sweet
sisters of charity and mercy, they all
agreed to stand by each other, and GER
tiflcate OF moral character was made out,
and all the sisters signed IL, for publica-
ton. Then all drew from $40 to $l5 each
for travelling expenses and hotel bills out
Of the charity funds, and the agony was
over. Now, what wa would like to know
in this end Of the county is this. Why did
not Mrs. Koons como home, and not have
anything to do with this so called
court when she saw that Mrs. Clarke was
to try ber own case, and that she would
not be allowed even to make q statement
of the case.
Let me see IL understand this case.
Mrs. Clarke claims the roster is private
enterprise, and this Xenia body of women
must have so decided. The roster cost
500, paid to tho Repository Printing Co.
Now IL Mrs. Clarke paid for this roster out
of her own money then it might be claim.
ed as a private enterprise. But, II sp-
pears that $40 of the 500 was drawn by
Mrs. Clarke out OF the charity money Of
the w. II. G. The other $50 came out Of
money contributed by parties putting adj
vertising into the roster. 1t appears that
Mrs. Clarke did not put one cent of her
own money into the roster. How then
can roster paid for out OF charity money
be called private enterprise. If instead
of 10 women signing statement like this,
there were 1900 II would not change the
facts.
But the worst is not yet told. Mrs.
Clarke, according to her own confession,
collected S67 in money and goods on &C.
count of advertising in the roster, and she
turned in $50 and kept S37. She originally
reported only $50 collected. Since that
time Mrs. Koons.has ascertained that Mrs.
Clarke collected $67 instead of $50, and
that the $37 is missing. Now Mrs. Clarke
claims that she kept $37 to pay herself
commission for securing the advertising.
In other words Mrs. Clarke kept half the
money collected on the basis of charity,
besides the $40 worth OF soap. Now If Mrs.
Clarke had right to keep half of this
money, did she not have a right
to keep all of it. If not, why not. The
members of the Gcand Army will not al
low this ase 20 rest here. No Board OF
whitew N, male or female, can change
facts, and the question to be decided is,
shall women be allowed to engage in char
ity work for personal gain; out of the
sacred charity money dedicated to needy
old soldiers and their widows and or
phans. The action of Xenia convinces
me, and believe everybody else, who
understand this case, that the present ad-
ministration in Ohio of the w. II. c. Is a
disgrace to the noble women who are en-
gagged in this work of charity, and the
Grand Army should make haste to repu-
diate the whole business. This is not only
my opinion but the opinion of every old
soldier whom l have interviewed on
the subject.