The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-15
THE TEMPLE
ABANDONED.
The National w. C. T. u. Votes
by Large Majority
To Leave the Great Structure
in Chicago to Its Fate
AFTER A DISCUSSION
Which Grew so Warm as to
Render Necessary
The Opening of the Windows
and Singing of Hymns.

st. Paul, Mimi. Nov. 15.-The w. c.
T. U. national convention decided by a
vote of 2S5 to II to abandon the Temple
project as an affiliated interest. Five
hours of animated vigorous and oc-
casionally bitter and personal debating
was necessary before the vote was
reached. The opposition to this action
declared it was an act Of Reputation
of moral obligation and fought every
inch of ground but most of the leaders
were against them and carried their
point. Just before adjourning Mrs.
Dunham presented some resolutions on
the subject which may preCipitate the
whole controversy If she calls them up
as it is expected.
At the beginning of the afternoons
session the president announced the
Temple as the order Of the business.
Mrs Matilda B. Carse of Illinois read
her report on the Temple which was
nection of the w. Q. T. U. with the
enterprise. She made a strong plea for
the convention to stand by the Temple
and criticised sharply the action of the
general officers against the Temple. She
read letters from Marshall Field dated
November 2, 1885, in which he prom
ised to extend such obligations as he
may be interested in and in addition he
will give $50, 900 cash to pay obliga-
lions Of interest soon to become due and
$4,000 in stock or a total of 100000
against applause there was a hearty
Outburst of hand clapping at this an
nOuncement. The burden of the report
was for the completion of a. temple as
q fitting memorial to Miss Willard. The
annual report of the financial secretary,
Miss Sarah G. Johnson, was presented,
showing receipts of $28.761, expendi-
lures $11, 056; balance st, 632.
The recording secretary, Mrs Hoff-
man, read the report of the action of the
executive committee adverse to the
temple and Mrs. Chambers of Pennsyl-
vania, moved its adoption.
As a substitute Mrs. Durham of Iowa.
moved that in view of the 1891 cOnVen-
ton endorsement of the enterprise, this
convention pledged itself to the temple
in the matter of retiring trust bonds.
1t was decided, however, to consider
the report instead Of the substitute and
the decision was taken up energetca1ly-
Then followed a. long parliamentary
wrangle, Waged mainly over the method
in which the vote should be taken. An
aye and nay vote was finally decided
upon and then the ladies recovered their
eQuaninity by rising and singing Rock
of Ages" after which the affairs of the
Temple came on again.
Miss Dove, of Maine, reported 500, 912
paid in on the Temple trust fund, on
which interest of 1921 has accrued. A
few trust bonds have been purchased
and the balance of cash now on hand is
S22. 491, and she also holds 81, 800 worth
of trust bonds.
As an incidental motion the action of
those bonds was ratified. The general
discussion was again resumed, the mo-
ton being to adopt the action of the
executive committee in declaring the
Temple to be no longer an affiliated in
terest to the w. c. T. U.
The recording secretary, Mrs. Hoff-
man, made an eloquent argument in
support of the executive committee.
After she finished the debates were lin
tied to three minutes each and a rat
Ting debate followed in which the
by both sides. The debate was protract-
ed, and 1t was several times found nee
essary to open the windows to cool and
freshen the air Finally, after all who
wanted to speak had been allowed their
limited time, Miss Anna Gordon was
permitted to close the debate, speaking
against the Temple. The previous
question being ordered to follow her
remarks, which were unlimited as to
time Her speech was largely made up
of a recitation of what Miss Willard
in the last few months of her life had
said in regard to the Temple and her
hopelessness regarding It's success.
There had been some confusion and
much excitement during this debate, but
Miss Gordon spoke amid intense silence.
At ten minutes before z, the secre-
taries began the roll call on the motion
to adopt the action of the executive
committee in abandoning the Temple
It was a long roll CALL lasting forty
two minutes, nearly ten minutes more
were required for changes and counting.
The vote resulted 285 to II, the Temple
being dropped as an affiliated body.
Mrs. Durham, of Iowa, presented a
resolution endorsing the action of the
Boston convention approving the Tenn
pie but it went over until today. A
resolution of thanks to Mrs. Carse for
her efforts on behalf Of the Temple was
adopted.
The evening session was delayed in
starting and was devoted to rejoicing
by North Dakota, Kansas, Ohio, Mime
sofa, Texas, Southern California and
,oe9v,c
five hundred or more each during the
year.