Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-28
W. C.. 7. U, TEMPLE BUILDING
Spirited Reply to Structures Of Mrs Fry
on the Project.
MRS, CARsEs COURSE WARMLY DEFENDED
secretary Durham Points out Mis-
takes Made by tho Critic and
shows How the Project
Was Fostered.

was Fostered.
CHICAGO, Sept. 25.-To the Editor OF The
Bee: The letter written by Mrs. Fry, cor
responding secretary of the National
Woman's Christian Temperance union, to a
membe OF the Omaha union regarding the
temple. and published in The Bee Of Sep
TENDER 9, has just come to my notice, and
as some of the statements are so incom-
plete and some so incorrect that they give
a false idea Of the situation, l ask, as a
matter OF justice, space for a reply. 1t
may be we'll to say that l have served
on the board Of Temple trustees since its
organization in January, 1892, have been
secretary since October, 1895. and financial
secretary for over two years, so can be
supposed to know something Of the enter
prise.
Mrs. Fry begins by stating that the board
Of trustees is a separate body from the
national union, a fact which needed no
repetition, for no one ever supposed they
we're identical, but a spirit OF fairness
should have impelled her also to have stated
that all members Of the board were mem
bers Of the Woman's Christian Temperance
union, and most of them holding important
oficial positions in state or national unions,
three Of them being state presidents.
Some Important Facts Omitted.
While stating that the temple had never
been a department, why did she not state
that other fact that until the st. Paul con-
v%ention in 1898 it was an s~ffliated interest
and as such made its reports to the ma
tional convention, where they were dis
cussed and accepted by that body and pub
lished In its national minutes, and that
r,opy 90 tba g+ot,e p,ada ond aoroa ati1
make 1t, a regular department Of work ?
The omission Of these facts convey the i'm
~pression-which was doubtless intended
that there was no real connection between
the two bodies, when the exact opposite
was the case. OF the same animus is her
next statement that there was no written
| agreement" between the national union and
the temple, as IL this was an omission
particularly unfavorable to the temple, but
no such agreement was made with either
Of the other afiliated interests, and so was
unnecessary for this. The real connection
was not by written agreement, but by the
attempt of Mrs. Carse to raise money to
buy the temple for the national union and
the willingness on the part of the union
to accept all the benefits which might
come from her effort, and 1t was the OH
GERS of the national union, Miss Willard
at lutH uedus WIN dSSloNSh ob Nv NJAHb
of the cornerstone, who marshaled the
children and participated in all the exer-
clses and glory Of the day, and it was
other national officers who, after Miss Will
lard's death and the financial disasters OF
1898 and the following years made the
task OF raising funds so hard, who urged
the withdrawal of the support of the ma
tional union and who have since used all
the power of their official position to
thwart and defeat the work carried on by
the trustees.
Regarding the Site.
Mrs. Fry further states that contrary to
the resolution OF the national convention
the building was built on leased ground,
but she does not quote the resolution, nor
can she, for no such was ever passed. The
one passed after the question had been
fully discussed, Mrs. Rounds Of illinois
having objected to its being on leased
ground, was offered by Mrs. Hoffman Of
Missouri and reads as follows; Resolved,
That we regard with admiration and amaze
ment the colossal plans OF our earnest and
devoted sister, Mrs. Matilda b. Carse of
Chicago, for the building Of a temperance
temple in that city, as a home and source
OF revenue to the National Woman's Chris
tian Temperance union, and that, while we
ASSUME uO nLdutldl lNopOholbillNy WIG"
ever, we give to Mrs. Carse our sympathy,
our prayers and pledge not to hinder or
embarrass her in the prosecution Of her
plans, provided she shall legally obligate
herself not to begin the work until $500, 900
shall be secured. Adopted" And as after
this Nowhere appears In the records any OBJ
lection to the building on leased ground we
cannot consider Mrs. Fry, who was not a
national officer until years after, very good
authority, and this resolution also effec-
tually disproves her statement that the ma
tional asked that the cost should not eX-
coed $500, 900 or 5000, 900. One wonders at
her courage in making such a statement
when the records are so accessible and
show the real facts.
About the Bond Issue.
Quite in accord with the spirit Of her en-
tire letter is the following: Mrs. Carse
has issued her own personal bonds to the
amount Of $300, 0O0." After consultation
with good business men and with the ap-
prevail of Miss willard and Mrs, Stevens,
Mrs. Carse issued these bonds for and on
behalf of the National Woman's Christian
Temperance union and for its sole benefit"
but this part OF the story Mrs. Fry carefully
omits, and yet writes as IL It was a late
occurrence, when they we're issued in 1891,
taken to the convention held in Boston that
year, explained from the platform and their
purchase recommended by Miss willard and
others as a good investment and an aid In
acquiring the temple for the Woman's Chris
tian Temperance union. AS the personal
bonds Of Mrs. Carse they would not have
been offered for sale, and we're not, but as
the bonds for the national union and with
the honor Of that great organization be-
hind them they we're bought by many who
would not otherwise have thought Of In
vesting in the bonds. and If this does not
constitute a moral obligation" 1t will be
hard to define what does. Later in the let
ter Mrs. Fry says: "Siuce the temple has
been dropped 1t has been claimed by Mrs.
Carse and others that there is a moral o0li-
Cation on the part Of the national to redeem
Mrs. Carse's personal bond" Her bond"
again, with no mention Of the purpose Of
the bonds; this is an evasion and suppress
zion worthy OF 4 pe~ttffogging lawyer who
seeks to win his case, not on its Justice, but
by & technically. Note the "since the tenn
pie has been dropped" as IL 1t had never
been heard OF before, yet Miss Willard had
spoken of II many times. and In her address
at Buffalo, in November, 1897. she said