Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-24
THE MODERN woooMeN.
The Position OG Director white ON the Re
ssoSSl Quessioa

nsOVvl Question
The Fulton journal. which is run
by the individual who secured the in
junction thwarting the purpose Of
the order OF Modern WOOdmen to re-
move its head Offices to Rock Island,
copies The Argus comments recently
made with reference t. the attitude
of Director J. W. White in failing 10
do mis- plain duty. for which he is
retained by the order. and adds:
white Never Favored Removal
Since the Injunction was issued
last November the Journal has been
been Systematically and repeatedly
''lct alone" by the head officers of
the Modern Woodmen Of America,
and so j, is not in position to get
the true inwardncsS of the whole
affair.
To begin with. i, is matter of
record that Hon. j. W. White openly
opposed the removal of the head
Office OF the Modern Woodmcn of
America AT the meeting of the Head
Camp in Springfield in 1899. and at
the meeting in Omaha in 1892. He
did not oppose the removal because
the Office was located in the county
OF which he was a resident, but took
higher grounds. He advocated that
the office remain where il is in the
interest of the order. At Omaha he
! opposed the removal on the grounds
h..f of hot ., ~
Toe legally removed. because no no
tice had been published or served on
the members of the order in COM
| pliance with the law of Illinois
The journal does not believe that
| Mr.. White. while cndeavoring to OBJ
| tain legislation favorable for the or
! der las: winter made any promises
regarding the injunction that were
kept secret from the other members
of the board of directors of the Wood
men. Ii does not believe that Mr.
/ White would adopt such course
The records "f the proceedings of
the meetings of board of directors
does not show that any action was
taken 10y the board of directors in
regard to appointing MIR. White to
get the injunction dissolved or in
structing him to do so. The fac,
about the matter is that after the &C.
ton of the Head camp at Omaha
Mr.. White and the other members o
the board of directors were not onl,
willing. but anxious to carry out the
will of the order rs expressed at thai
meeting. Their personal preference,
was set aside. They could do moth
i'm else but attempt to carry out thu
will of the order. Arrangements TO
the removal of the head office wer
made. and the office would have bee,
removed last December. had not al
injunction been obtained by some o
the citizens of Fulton. The board o
directors are all lawyers. and the,
soon reached the conclusion that tn
injunction could not he dissolved
and the matter has been left to drift
along without any action being taker
| hy the board.
The Present situation.
The facts are that all the mem Der
of the hoard of directors. includin.
Mr.. White. have expressed them
selves favorable to the removal of tn
offices in accordance with the eN
pressed wishes of the order. and n,
matter what may have been Mr.
Whites personal preferences. mo
tives, or intentions, he never faile,
TO declare his entire purpose to car
~ out the will and wish of the orde
with reference to removal until hi
final confession that he made tn
promise during the Legislative SEES
sion that he bad promised not to NOV,
i'm the matter at the time other law
were secured advantageous to tn,
order.
There is nothing to fear in tn
Fulton in unction. which Is merel,
the outcropping of desire to retail
the Offices, whether the order so de
crees or not. The order was not con
stituted merely in the interests o.
the city of Fulton, but for the bene
fit of the great mass Of WoodmeI
throughout the country, who, 80. OO
strong. have through their chose,
representatives decided that the Of
fees be removed to Rock Island
The head officers of the order shoul,
see that the will of those whom the,
represent is carried out. II any bar
riers stand in the way. they shoul,
Mt least attempt 10 remove them. ant
Mr.. White. who was delegated (,
make this move. and accepted tn
trust in good faith, should do hi
duty, and do il to the best of hi
ability without regard to persona
bias or prejudice. il he would act tn
part of man.