The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-22
Editor James F. Judge Defeated for
Union President.
ATTEMPT TO cRlFlclsE A PRIEST
VI. J. O'TOOic Created u Storm by
Motion OF Protest lie Madc..Thc
Per capita Tax Question Was
Siraddied by Cutting the Sccretary's
Sa;ary.-Oid Officers Reelected.
Next Convention at NunticOke.

lCtiI Abstinence uiliOIl VI tne Sciuiitoh
diocese is in dire need of a copious in
lection OF elixir OF life, If 1t Is to be
preserved from disintegrating; and the
sooner the stimulus is given the better.
The convention adjourned this after
noon ut O'clock All the old officers
We're reelected. Editor James +. Judge
of the Diocesan Index, ran against John
]. O'Hara. the retiring president, for the
office of chief executive of the union.
and this competition was productive of
some of the acrimony. The next con-
vention will meet in Nanticoke
Though the delegates We're royalty
entertained last night by the local so
ciety with an elaborate ball. and though
they were at mass In st. AIMS church
this morning, these facts did not con-
duce to serenity of temper. Just as
soon as the convention opened the dele
gates unsheathed their tomahawks,
ready for the fray. They We're i'm
patient to get a whack at something,
not having much of a chance to get in
any of that work the day before for
some reason or another not that they
were not in the humor for it. however.
The committee that had been ap-
pointed on constitutional amendments
had nothing to do, and they so report
ed. They will meet at the call of ID. a.
Mackin, the chairman, some time next
January. But the report of the COM
mittee on ways and means was expect
antly awaited. When this committee
was appointed yesterday it was done
to avert a storm. Some delegate arose
and advocated an increase in the per
capita tax to increase the assets of the
union. saying that the receipts now are
insufficient. He had scarcely declared
himself when he was notified that II
the per capita tax were increased, sew
eral societies would withdraw from the
union. The matter was then referred to
q committee on ways and means.
MIR. LAVAN'S REPORT.
Charles Lavan, of Wilkes Barre, chair
man of the committee, read the report.
The committee lodged the per capita
tax question altogether and recon-
mended that the salary Of the secre-
tary be reduced from $50 a year to $75;
that the delegates to the national con-
ventions receive no more than $50 each
for the trip. this to include their car
fare; that the Diocesan union run an
excursion to Mountain Park or some
other resort on Oct 10, 1897; that the
ways and means committee be made a
permanent factor, so that it may be
used in future to take charge Of any
such legislation similar to the per capita
tax problem. and that societies be in
structed to abide by the contract made
by the board of government with the
railroad companies relative to trans
portation rates in connection with the
Oct. 10 parade.
A motion was made that the report
be adopted and after much debate 1t
was lost The different recommends
tions We're then taken up singly. The
question of reducing the secretary's sal
ary brought forth a large sized Kick.
but even the ones opposed to scaling
the figure down were willing that 1t
should be cut some but not cut in two.
An amendment to reduce It TO 500 a
year was carried.
Then the remuneration Of national
delegates was taken UP. A far seeing
delegate brought out the fact that 1t
was unconstitutional to reduce the pay
of national delegates, inasmuch as the
convention last year fixed their pay at
81 day and car fare. A motion was
then made to repeal the action of the
Carbondale convention in this respect.
President O'Fara said an attempt was
made to reconsider the same thing yes
terday and he confessed that he was
not sufficiently posted on parliamentary
usage to know whether or not the same
thing could be twice considered.
COUNCIL RULES QUOTED.
Advice was sought among the know
ing ones. NJ. J. O'Toole quoted Scran-
ton council rules and Peter Mccoy had
something to say also but Mr.. O'Toole
offered another suggestion that was ap-
proved of. He thought that the union
is Legislative body, enacting laws for
its own welfare, and 1t ought not to
make any difference whether twice re-
considering thing was allowed or not:
if the majority Of the delegates were
in favor of a second reconsideration,
why go ahead and reconsider 1t, that
was all. After a good deal of further
debate. the matter was reconSidered
and it was then decided to fix the pay of
the national delegates. who will go to
the st. Louis convention next Summer,
at $50i accordance with the recommen-
dation of the ways and means COM
mittee. The other recommendations
suggested We're given the go by.
President O'Hara left the chair at this
time and Vice-president Mccoy took his
place. Mr.. Mccoy declared the cleo
ton of officers In order, but before any
one had time to nominate his favorite,
NJ. ]. O'Hoole said, before going into
that order he wanted to enter a pro-
test against the action of Rev. A. p
Doyle, of New York, secretary of the
National Catholic Total Abstinence
union, in eXpunging from the minutes Of
the last convention anything but q
mere refernce to the minority report
presented by Rev. Father Zercher, of
Buffalo, denouncing the manufacture Of
beer by the Benedictine monks at
Pittsburg.
Mr.. O'Too1e characterized Father
Doyle's action as gross and glaring and
he made motion that the delegates
from the union to the st. Louis conven-
tion next summer be instructed to bring
the matter up and have the minutes
| corrected.
Hon. John Kelley. of Carbondale. ex-
| pressed great sorrow that Father Doyle
should be charged with falsifying the
minutes, which he would be branded as
having done if Mr.. O'Toole's motion
| was carried. He believed IL Father
| Doyle left anything out of the minutes.
| he did It for the best interest of the
| union. Some big delegate in the rear
| pf the hall said the priests are as liable
TO err as as anybody else and ought
not to be excused.
X President O'Hara advised that the
|matter be dropped. He said there Is a
llmotive and reason for every act a
imam does, and Father Doyle, whom they
lall knew and revered. having heard him
yon the platform through this diocese
last summer in the cause Of temperance,