The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-15
Leaders Were Against Her, However,
and the Temple Was Abandoned
by Vote of 2S5 to II.
A LONG, SPIRITED DEBATE
TO WHICH WAS ADDED A VEXATIOUS
PARLIAMENTARY TANGLE.
Discussion So Warm that 1t Was Nee
essary to Open the Windows and
Freshen the Air.

ST. PAUL. Mimi, Nov 14.-The w. c. T.
L. national convention to-day decided. by a
vote of 2S5 to H. TO abandon the temple
project as an affiliated interest. Five hours
of animated vigorous and occasionally Bit
ter and personal debating was necessary be-
fore the vote was reached. The opposition
to this action declared that 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 adjournment Mrs
Dunham presented some resolutions on the
subject which may precipitate the whole
controversy once more if she calls them up
in the morning, as is expected.
In the morning Mrs. Eala N Thatcher
presented her report as superintendent
of work among soldiers and sailors,
including a summary of the canteen work
in the soldiers homes throughout the coun-
try She interspersed her summary with in
cidents and illustrations of the work. The
soldiers and sailors department banner
was awarded to the Pennsylvania delega-
ton. Mrs. Thatcher introduced a resolution
against the canteen, which was unanimous
ly adopted. The "whereases'' say: know
ing through the inspector generals report
of the national soldiers homes that $234
15433 were spent over the canteen, or beer
hall, bar of six of the homes, and, believing
that the canteens of the army and navy are
more deadly in their results than either the
Spanish bullets or trenches, and, knowing
that the commander-in-chief of the army
and the navy, the President of the United
States, has not used his prerogative to abol-
ish these canteens, therefore it is resolved
~ do hnr nv
pledge ourselves to use our influence in
every possible manner against their inhu-
man treatment of our boys by creating
sentiment in communities, by presenting the
matter before influential bodies and by writ
ing letters to senators and congressman so
that the Ellis bill may be passed.
FROM LADY SOMERSET.
A letter from Lady Henry Somerset, dated
Oct "a, 1898. was read by the secretary, ex-
pressing a desire for peace as a monument
to Miss Willard, aiming for peaceful out
come of all controversies and frankly CIV
ing the opinions of Miss Willard on the
temple. Miss Willard feared the plan was
too vast At her request Lady Somerset
had consented to plead with Mrs. Carse to
abandon the undertaking. Lady Henry
feared the fight for the temple would wreck
the organization Miss Willard had done
so much to build up. She believed the
temple would, even though it was not
owned by the w. C. T. u, ever stand as a
memorial to what women had wrought.
Mrs. Carse asked for the reading of let
ter written by Lady Henry in June, in
which she advocated making the temple a
memorial to Miss Willard, but that letter
not being accessible and the devotional
hour having arrived, the matter was laid
over
The opponents of the temple were jubilant
over having scored two points. The letter
from Lady Henry was one. The other was
the postponement of the report on the
Willard National Temperance Hospital
until after the reports of the other affiliated
interests. The postponement was opposed
by friends of the temple, but the motion
to postpone was carried by a two-thirds
vote The general officers circulated during
the noon hour a little pamphlet entitled
Temple Questions Answered. 1t went
over in catechism form the whole history
of the temple, answering all the POINTS made
by the friends of the temple. 1t created q
good deal of a sensation among the dele
gates, being very pungent.
At the beginning of the afternoons ses-
sion the president announced the temple as
the order of business. Mrs. Matilda h.
Carse of Illinois, read her report on the
temple, which was a full history of the
building and the connection of the w. c. T.
U. with the enterprise, and making strong
plea for the convention to stand by the
temple. She criticised sharply the action OF
the general officers against the temple. She
read anew letters from Marshall Field,
dated Nov. 2, 1898. in which he promised to
extend such obligations as he may be inter-
ested in and, in addition, he will give $4,000
cash to pay obligations of interest soon to
become due and $4,000 in stock, or total
of 100000 Notwithstanding the rule
adopted against applause. there was a
hearty and general burst of handclapping at
this announcement. The burden of the re-
port was a plea for the completion of the
temple as a fitting memorial to Miss Will
lard.
The annual report of the financial secre-
tary. Miss Sarah G. Johnson, was presented,
showing: Balance on hand one year ago.
s2S 76l O5; receipts during the year. $42, SSS;
total receipts, S7l,6S9Ss; expenditures, $1l,-
O5691; balance on hand, $50 6S2.77.
THE ADVERSE REPORT.
The recording secretary. Mrs. Hoffman,
read the report of the action of the execu-
tive committee adverse to the temple, and
Mrs. Chambers. of Pennsylvania. moved its
adoption. AS a substitute, Mrs. Dunham
of Iowa, moved that. in view of the 1891
conventions Endorsement Of the enterprise
this convention pledge itself TO the temple
in the matter of retiring the trust bonds
1t was decided. however, TO consider the re-
port instead OF the substitute and the dis
cusson was taken up eEergetically. Much
time was devoted to an attempt to find out
what had been done by the convention
many insIstIng they did not understand.