Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-14
SAY ACTION WAS HASTY
Regretful Mood of Some Ma
tional Council Members.
OTHERS DELIGHTED
LINES DRAWN ON ANTI MORMON
RESOLUTION.
Proceedings Of the Women's Conven-
ton at Pythian Temple-The
Closing Session.
OTHERS DELIGHTED

The National Council of Women met this
morning in Pythian Temple, on 9th street,
to transact business only, and adjourned at
1 O'Clock to attend tie luncheon at the
shoreham complimentary to the newly
elected officers. The closing session will be
held this evening in the ball room of the
Shoreham and will be public.
The spirited discussion of the different
resolutions presented occupied the most of
the morning session, and things were do
ing until the adjournment. Indeed. the
members of the triennial council meeting
seem 10 be Of the opinion that there has
peen good deal of talk that might wisely
nave been eliminated
Some of the members or tho counou o-a
.eehne today that they were rather hasty in
.nuorsihs or rejecting any propaganda of
inc constituent bodies Of that organization
The council Wednesday reaft,rmed its gen-
erai policy as follows: This council is or
ganized In the interest of no one propa-
ganda, therefore, no organization
Young to enter this council shall hereby rem
oer tsei1 liable to be interfered with in re-
spect to its complete organic unity. indie
pendence or methods of work or to he
committed to any principle or method of
any other organization, or to any act or
t t OF the council itself" etc. Within
t"enty.1our hours it adopted a stringent
antl-polygamy resolution, which cuts the
very foundation from under the richest So
cIetes In the council. THE Young Ladies'
Mat,ohal mutual Improvement Associa-
1lon and the National Woman's Relief
society," both organizations of women be-
longing to the Mormon Church, and no
Gentle is eligible.
1T VIII be remembered, that The Star
mad story of this clash of Mormon and
anu-Mormon sentiment in the trienniaI
session of the council here in 1902 one
wing introduced strong anti-polygamy
resolutions and the majority of the coun-
Gil fiercely combatted the consideration
OF these at all. The meetings were held
pehind closed doors, but that did not pre-
vent the details of the discussion from
becoming public.
In that council was Mrs Emeline Wells.
one or the numerous wives of Gov. Wells
or Utah. She was assistant recording
secretary of the council. Mrs. Susa Young
Gates was also a voting member and
chairman of the press committee Mrs
Gates was daughter of Brigham Young
by his sixth wife. Another member of
the council was Mrs. Lorenzo Snow, sew
enth wlfe OF the apostle, Lorenzo Snow.
1t was charged that the Mormon organ
1Zatfons, which were wealthy, used the
council to spread their peculiar views
and to win converts, and that they were
other.
Just what was said behind those barred
doors will probably never be known, but
those who stood by when the doors were
Of every woman who came forth was a
story, easily read. There were stern, set
lips and angrily flashing eyes; there were
tear-stalned faces, and in the Mormon
contingent an expression of supreme
satisfaction, despite the evidences of per-
turhation. as seen in red eyes and tired
faces.
The anti-polygamy resolution had been
voted down.
The scars Of battle were left. however,
and the Mormon women finally dropped out
of the council meetings. They are not in
attendance this year. 1t is stated to be
probable that both of these societies will
withdraw from the utilization A prominent
member of the council said this morning
that 1t they could scarcely remain since the
council by practically unanimous vote has
said in brief that the Mormons were living
in defiance Of all moral law, and fostering
institutions which the council believed are
destructive of the home and state.
Opposed by Miss Anthony.
Miss Anthony was bitterly opposed to the
adoption of the resolution. She declared
that in making fight on any religion or
irdorsing any political propaganda the Ma
tional Council is drifting away from its
sa fe mornings.
Mrs. Fred T. Dubois wife of Senator Du-
bois, Is jubilaat over the adoption of the
resolution. She declared that unless the
women of the council proceeded to vote
IL
soon find itself minus all the other organ
cations as they could not afford to affil-
late with the Mormon societies.
The pressure was so great that we SIM
ply had to adopt the resolution" declared
one of the national officers this morning.
and another said it was very plain that
the members of the Mormon societies ex-
pected that this action would be taken, as
no delegate had reported from either OF
them.
In view of alleged misapprehension con-
corning the manner in which these So
cieties got into the council the following
detailed statement from Mrs. May Wright
SeWaH of how these two societies of the
Mormon Church came to ally themselves
with Gentiles Is apropos:
1.-The Woman's Relief Society and the
Young Ladies Mutual Improvement So
ciety asked to come in to the suffrage as
ISOLATION" said Mrs. Sewall, Il saw the
fight that resulted in all its bitterness. The
question came up as to whether Mormon
women should be included in 1t. There
were many good and noble women there
who thought of not accepting such women
in the association. Miss Anthony took an
other view, and so did l, and l know she
will sustain the statement that it was due
to our two combined efforts that we were
able at the end of a twelve h0lr session, at
which 1 was present the entire time, to de-
eide in favor of admitting them. You can
appreciate the bitterness that prevailed.
"When the national council was organ
lied, and when Invitations were sent out
to all organized bodies of women, 1 was
there when the credentials were present
ed of the organizations from Salt Lake
City. I was the corresponding secretary
and Frances E. Willard was the president.
Before bidding them welcome and asking
them to elect their delegates, this society
voted to receive them. Then we COM
menced investigating their work. There
was numerous correspondence on the SUBJ
ject, of which we have record.
Approved by Miss Willard.
THE result was that Miss Willard and
myself were pleased to accept those Or
CARNATIONS not only because we had a
right to accept them, but because we
owed the women of their section a duty
in accepting them. At that time the Ed
munds bill had been passed and polyg-
amy had become opposed to the laws of
the United States, and we supposed that
the government would see that the laws
were executed
1--WE did not admit them as polygamists
or as Mormon societies, but one was ac-
cepted as a philanthropic society and The
other as a local benevolent associa ZION.
One of them is the work of a charity
organization, the work of which extends
throughout Utah, and the other Is much
similar to the work of women's clubs OF
those who represented them in the council
tno only T know had liund l.,