Evening star., 1898-10-19
Committee Of spfitualists Critioise
Report Of Secretary.
THAT OFFICIALS ADVOCATES REPLY
Other Business Disposed of at the
41rC
Convention Today.
..----# cy3Ff
COMMITTEES APPOINTED

lEls morning at masonic Temple 1t was
quite stormy at times, and at one juncture
| the secretary's tears flowed copiously be-
cause of criticism given him, the commit
tee which examined his report having
scored him without mercy.
There were other stormy scenes hut III =
one Immediately following the reading of
the report which CRITICS I'D the annual re-
| pert of the secretary was, perhaps, the
most violent. The criticism expressed. in
sarcastic diction, the great good will of the
| association in receiving the views of the
secretary. 1t sympathized with the affect
ing scene he enacted while reading the re-
port, and expressed thanksgiving that in
preparing the report he had the assistance
of the spirits. Such self-sacrifcing Ievo-
ton should be commended, the committee
said.
1t was evident they We're all down on the
secretary. He occupied position near tie
stage with an open trunk before him, from
which he occasionally lifted a big book
But during the reading of the report which
criticised him he sat with folded arms
rocking back and forth, while hig tears
trickled down his cheek.
Mrs. Pepper took the floor just as the
reading clerk finished the report Mrs
Pepper was evidently mad She said she
was ashamed of the committee that would
make such a report. There was eternal
justice in every soul, she said, but the re-
port she had just listened to was devoid of
everything that smacked of justice. The
report should be recommitted. Others
thought so, and upon motion the report
was sent back TO the committee Mean
while the lady delegates gathered around
the weeping secretary and consoled him.
Mis-. CndwaIIader's Efforts
When the convention opened this MORN
ing Mrs. Cadwailader Of Philadelphia one
of the leading spiritualists of the country
a ready talker and woman well versed in
parliamentary law, was possessed of nu-
merous resolutions and suggestions look
ing to the betterment of the order. They
all went through, too. She started the pail
rolling by presenting on inquiry from q 80
ciety in Philadelphia asking why its char
ter had not been promptly received. The
society wanted to know why it had been
subjected to such treatment. This inquiry
brought out deal of talk. Secretary
Woodbury. denied any designed slight and
sald it must be the fault of the mails He
had received several such complaints, and
his inference was they had miscarried
since he was certain they had been prompt
ly mailed. He said in Conclusion that he
could not conduct his office as a spiritual
1StIc medium and traceIhese lost charters.
Mrs. Cadwallader SAID something should
be done to insure the safe delivery of such
important documents, and thought the as
sociation was in duty bound to look care
tUlly into the matter and trace these lost
packages. She accordingly offered a reso-
luuon appointing committee to visit the
dead letter office and see If any trace of the
missing documents could be discovered.
Also that in futures all Gsuch documents be
sent by registered, mail. The association
voted down the first part of the resolution
but accepted the latter, and then upon the
lady's motion, directed the secretary to
visit the dead letter Office and search :or
the missing documents.
-...a. IL Committee Named.
The chair then announced the following
committees:
Fipance, ways and means-Moses Hull
Mrs. Pepper, J. b. H. Jackson, +. w.
Wallis and DR.. A. A. Kimball.
Auditing, constitution and bylaws
Frank Walker. Lizzie Harlow, Mrs. l.. V.
Moulton, H. C. Dorm and Mrs. A. NJ. Glad
ding.
Auditing accounts and treasurers report
Carrie L. Hatch, DR.. Paul Gibier, Thomas
NJ Locke, Mrs A. NJ Jacques and Andrew
Cain.
Delegates reports-Mrs NJ E. Cadwal-
lader b. NJ Bradbury, Mrs. Carrie F. Lor-
ing, Prof. {. +. Longley and Mrs. +. H.
Spaulding.
After the announcement of committees
the chair called attention to the fact that
at this meeting new officers would be elect
ed Last year he was criticised for the
method of making nominations, and he
now proposed a new plan. Each delegation
was to hold a caucus and decide upon one
person who should meet with like persons
from other delegates and make the nomi-
nations.
This did not exactly suit Mr.. Locke who
declared there should be nothing done on
the floor of the convention unless it was
open and above board. He decried the
nominating plan, and said if it were a
ponuca1 convention he could pack every
meeting so as to have his candidate nom
mated. Nor did he approve of proxies in
the convention. They should all be thrown
out. He was in favor of making all nomi-
nations on the floor in open session.
Invitation Received.
The secretary then read letters from the
Columbus, Ohio, board of trade commits
sioEers of Niagara, Cincinnati and Mil
waukee, inviting the convention to meet
In their respective cities next year These
We're promptly tabled until the amendment
TO the constitution which permits the con-
Vention to meet in places other than Wash
ington is disposed Of.
These invitations the president thought
suggested the appointment of a COMMITTEES
on correspondence. and he named as that
committee DR.. A. A. Kimball, Mrs. c. r.
Chapman and Tille U. Reynolds.
Mr.. E NJ. Wallis, the delegate from Eng
lard, asked what protection a Canadian So
ciety, chartered under the National Asso-
cation, received from a legal standpoint
Inls provoked great deal of talk without
bringing out the desired reply. 1t was said