The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-12


would relieve these women of this re-
/ sDonsibiIity and the committees report
would represent the whole federation
much more thoroughly than 1t can be
/ by our present system of nominations.
mere would be no suggestion of ring
/ rule or perpetuation Of one set or fac
/ ton IN office. Any club that had a
candidate could have her name pre-
sehteq IN the nominating committees
report. The amendment suggested pro-
V1des that at least three names be pre-
sented Tor each Office by the nominat-
ing committee at the annual election
out the number need not be restricted
TO three. Every club in the federal ton
could have a candidate for president.
The nominating committee would be
glad for suggestions. Then there could
also be nominations from the floor so
thal any delegate might have a voice
| n the election and present her candi-
care or her- clubs candidate.
am glad said Mrs. McCarter in
introducing her talk, that this dis
cussion has arisen. Anything is bet
Ter lhan a dead meeting. am strong
~ IN favor Of this amendment"
MIS-. H. o. Garvey feared the an
pointing of a nominating committee
would restrict the representation Of
the individual members of the fedora
tion. The federation, she said has as
It's basic idea the broadcast possible
/ representation. 1t is natural, Mrs
I tarNey went on to say, for every pres
ldent- TO appoint those women from
her own acquaintance whom she
knows to be best fitted for any line of
work. If this amendment should be
adopted and we should elect a presi-
dent she would appoint on her nomi-
mating committee women from her
own immediate circle; they would. at
the end OF the year, name as candi-
oates Tor the next year a set officers
from the same faction who would in
| turn appoint a nominating committee
/ from fI1n re-
suit would be that we would have only
a nominal carrying out of the principle
/ or rotation in Office. What the feder-
alton needs, and what it gets from a
! frequent change of administration
which brings out new women and de-
/ VeIOps new talent in club work is the
/ exploitation Of all the women of the
/ federation, all the interests and all the
| capabilities.
Mrs. Garvey later in the meeting
/ and after hearing the arguments on
/ the other side and the explanation Of
/ fered by the members of the amend
ment committee, modified her opinion
/ of the nominating committee clause.
! She expressed herself as willing to see
( it adopted if amended to make the
committee elective instead of appoin-
tive and if nominations from the floor
were also provided for.
Mrs. Lila Day Monroe was the
/ most strenuous opponent of the nonli-
mating committee clause. She ex-
/
idea of nominating committee. Il
! see no reason why we should take this
i backward step, said Mrs. Monroe,
4 'fOr to change from the broad, simple,
/ liberal method of an informal ballot
to the nominating committee system
| would be step backward. A nominal
/ ing committee is measure sometimes
adopted by a young organization, but
never by an older one. / do not like
! the sound of the thing and I don t
think the majority of the club women
! of Topeka do. know the adherents
/ of this system have given some very
/ plausible explanations of it and eX-
/ cuSeS for 1t, but we do not want to
! adopt a measure that requires eX-
! plantations and excuses. A thing that
| has as suspicious a sound as the
phras anominating committee. suggest
/ ing ring rule and bOsSiSm and the at
( tendant evils, is not for a body of
/ women Hike the Topeka federation of
| clubs. feel frankly that the fedora
ton would make great mistake in
/ adopting this amendment. Our pres
! ent system of election has brought out
such good officers, women so eminent
~ fitted to adorn the places for which
the clubs have chosen them that can
see no reason for a change
Mrs. A. H. Horton and Mrs. J.. c.
| McClintock both spoke in favor of the
| nominating committee clause and Mrs.
| c.. "A. Huron spoke both for and
against it. Mrs. Walter L. Bates
i enough and that the nominating COM
mittee amendment had a dangerous
/ sound. She said: IF as some of the
/ ladies insist, the appointment of a
| nominating committee would bring
about no real change in the manner of
election, what is the object of the
amendments"
Mrs. Horton reminded the fedora
| ton of the difficulty there had been in
| times past to find candidates for the
I Federation
/ peka club women" she said, ARE not
/ Offceseekers. We can scarcely find a
| woman to accept the presidency. Be
fore the last annual meeting q few of
| us wore out our telephones trying to
induce certain candidates to run for
the offices. We did the work of a
nominating committee, just as it has
always been done. We have virtually
always had a nominating committee,
SO why not have it vested with proper
authority? The duty of this commit
tee would be to study the qualifications
| of the different women for the offices,
to interview them and find out wheth-
| er they would accept if elected and to
present their names to the federation.
We would thus avoid the embarrass-
ment of electing woman who would
/ afterwards decline the honor, as has
i frequently happened in times past.
4 There was no thought in the minds of
/ the constitutional amendment COM
4 mittee to institute any form of ring
EulE OF DOSSlSIn III ltueIdttOl dtLd4IS OF
make such a condition possible. We
saw what difficulties the federation
has had in times past in electing Of
ficers and hoped to suggest a method
which would simplify the elections. OF
/ course our report is only a suggestion.
! We would not and could not force it
upon the federation. 1t is for the
/ federation to say what win be done
with it. All or any of the proposed
amendments can be amended or aban-
/ doned, according to the judgment of
the federation"
In regard to the increase in the per
capita dues there was little discus
sion. Mrs Jonathan Thomas. Mrs.
Horton and Mrs. McClintock spoke in
favor of the increase to one dollar.
] Mrs. McCIintoek said that twenty-five