Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-28

manner IN Wnlcn theS1 might 0lscharge TINS
extraordinary power of expulsion to their
fellow-corporators who elected them. I'm
der the new bylaws the five in whom this
power Is vested are responsible to the one
person who appointed them.
These extraordinary powers possessed
now by three persons ma jority of five
or it may be by two. majority of a quo
rum (three) can never be taken away from
these persons without their consent or the
consent of the president, because section 8.
new bylaws, provides but one method
OF amendment or alteratiOn-which is at
an annual meeting.r where such action
has been announced in the call and notice
OF the meeting, which announcement the
executive committee 1t to make.
The charter of the Red Cross named
many persons as corpefators, all selected
because they were presumably fitted by
character and antecedents to advise. con-
suit together. and to- conduct successfully
this great international corporation, which
was to represent our country in an inter-
national association which is the noblest
product of the human civilization of this
age.
Legal Home Of the Society.
These bylaws begin by asserting the
power of the executive committee to re-
move the home of the American National
Red Cross from the District of Columbia,
in which Congress declared it should be,
and by vesting effectively in one person
al tuoSc poWeTS winch congress lntoNOeU
should be exercised by the corporators it
had named. and their successors, with an
added provision that rendered them prac-
ucally 1rrepealable. Such a system, we
submit would not meet the approval of the
american people. even If these bylaws had
been regularly adopted after fair debate
But, secondly, these new bylaws were
not. we insist, fairly or legally adopted
The extent of our offense is-and the new
bylaws seem to have been designed to
punish this offense at present and prevent
its repetition in the future-that we VEN
tured to criticise the business methods of
the society. to insist that these methods
should be improved, and that there should
be a more complete accountability, so that
the philanthropists who give and raise
moneys for charitable purposes should have
more implicit faith in the efficiency of our
organization and make it not only useful
in relieving the evils of war, but what it
has not been for some years past the great,
practically one conduit for their donations
for the mitigation Of. in the language of
our charter. 1.-The sufferfngs caused by pes
thence. famine. fire. floods, and other great
national calamities.' That we were not
alone IN these views is sufficiently attested
by the following recently published paper,
signed by Bishop Potter and Others who
speak from experience with the Red Cross,
and who each and all represent that large
body OF philanthropists and business men
who are always foremost in works Of chart
ty:
of previous activities and during the war
with Spain have been associated with the
American National Red Cross, desire to
state that in their judgment the financial
arrangements of this organization need re-
organizing in order to merit the confidence
OF the American public
They most heartily indorse the efforts
now being made by some of the prominent
members of the Red Cross in Washington
to thoroughly reorganize that association
ana TO provide for careful and business
like administration of it's finances
Henry c. Potter, Spencer Trask. Robert
- =; 0gden. Cleveland n Dodge. Helen Eide
liza Draper. Howard Townsend. Mrs. White
law Reid Samuel Woolverton, F. August
Schemerhorn. A. s. Solomons Gustav H.
Schwab. Olivia M. Cutting
Not Aimed at Miss Barton.
Our honest efforts in this direction have
been met by the charge that we were at
lacking Miss Barton. This we deny No
instance can be shown In which any of us
has offended in that direction, and we SUBJ
NIT that If every effort to improve bust
ness methods in the American National
Red Cross is to be successfully resisted by
the mere allegation that such effort con-
stitutes personal attack on the president
OF the Red Cross, then there is little hope
that any Improvement in conditions can be
secured. even though such Improvement
may be ever so desirable.
Inc OILY oHense speclHed against us Ia
our memorial to Congress, apprising that
body in part of some of the Objectionable
features of the new by-laws," and of the
manner Of their adoption. Having at the
time protested against the summary and il
legal manner in which these bylaws were
declared adopted, no other remedy remain
ed to US except that Of memorializing Con-
gress which had granted the charter of the
American National Red Cross
We are willing to rest our case as to bus
methods methods tod in
securing the passage Of these bylaws,
which were as follows:
The bylaws existing previous to the last
annual meeting article IX) were subject to
amendment by a two-thirds vote at any
regular meeting.
One of the members Of the Red Cross.
Mr.. Francis Atwater, representing Miss
Barton in October, 1902, sent out a circular
ton was DESTROYS of having some slight
changes made In the bylaws" and, con-
tinuing: 1T will be great favor to her IL
you will comply with this request" The
intent Of these letters was therefore, to
procure proxies by telling Of the purpose
for which they were wanted and that the
changes intended were slight. The changes
that were made at the meeting in question
were not slight but radical and revolu-
tionary. Every existing bylaw was re-
pealed and a totally new system adopted
a system SO new and strange that 1t diff
fered not only from all other bylaws of
1t gave, we believe, a more concentrated
despotic, and irresponsible power than ex-
lists or would be endured in any other such
corporation in the country.
Effect Of Atwater Letter.
Mr.. Atwater's letter was therefore mis-
leading. 1t naturally misled all who re-
ceived it-those who sent and those who did
not send their proxies
In the face Of their denial we do not
charge that Mr.. Atwater and those acting
with him did not change their minds after
sending out these letters and procuring
their proxies.
The Atwater letter misled, as we know,
members who did not attend. but would
have attended If they had understood the
situation. Would 1t not have been fair,
after the radical changes had been sug-
gested, to undeceive these members by CIV
ing them full information? Again, after
obtaining proxies for one purpose, ought
not notification have been sent to the
givers that 1t was intended to use them
for another?
What we know was done Is this Tho
whole system of new bylaws was rushed
through without giving those present, not
previously informed, any knowledge of or
opportunity to know their meaning. One
bylaw proposed to be substituted for an
other might have been understood, but a
whole system consisting of page after page
was offered. A motion of Mr.. John w.