New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-16
ANGRY MINERALS.
Coming Election Causes Much Dis
sension Among Club Members.

Thei Minerva Club IS going to hold an election
On January % but by that time it is possible
that there may be little of the club left ana IL
the official ticket adopted at meeting held III
Lotos Hall yesterday goes through IT VIII De
by means of methods that are said 10 rival
those of Tammany. The meeting yesterday
morning is said to have been packed and the
executive board is accused Of having dehoer-
ateIy disregarded the wishes of the club The
trouble is not a new one, and old members say
II was bound TO come to a head sooner or later
The election only furnished the immediate
cause
The process of securing al official ballot is
said to have been contrary to the constitution.
nominating committee including Mrs. John
Il. Judge Mrs. a. ]. Rothermal, Mrs. F. NJ.
Cronise and Miss Pearl Stone with Mrs. Charles
D. Ward chairman, was appointed. but the
ordinary members of this committee declared in
e stormy meeting held last Monday that they
had never been allowed to act. They had merely
met and wasted time, the chairman having
taken everything out of their hands. Accord
ingly they resigned in body
However this may be. the blank ballots were
sent out on Christmas Day. and about the same
time some one sent out a postcard with the
following suggested ticket Mrs. Howard J.
MacNutt, president; Mrs. Judge vice-president;
Mrs. Marie C Newhouse. second e-president:
tary. Mrs. Cronse, recording secretary; Mrs. A.
B. Jamison. treasurer; Mrs. Ward, chairman of
the executive board.
on January 3 the ballots, as filed in by the
individual members. were returned to the chair
man. and on the following day the members of
the nominating committee met to count them
They not allowed they say. to do so. The
executive board had met meanwhile and decided
that the postcard an illegitimate attempt
hill
Illegal. The Interpretation put upon this
proceeding by some of the members is that some
must have seen the ballots which no one
but the nominating committee is supposed to do
The reasons alleged by the executive board for
its action was that the name of the club had
been used without authority on the postcard
and that the names of several members of the
nominating committee appeared upon it.
The nominating committee declined to take
any part IN the sending out of a second blank
ballot and the chairman is said TO have done
this entirely on her own responsibility. It was
printed in red ink, and followed by a sec
ond postal
This card" said member yesterday. stated
ccutive board but it suggested precisely those
persons that the executive board wanted to see
elected namely. themselves They have been in
cfiice ever since the club was organized and they
seem To be absolutely determined to stay in. The
name of Mrs Howard MacNutt. the president,
appeared on both cards, as there has not been up
10 the present time any opposition to her |
don't think that the first card represented any
persons who would not serve if elected. If there
had been party behind it this would scarcely
have happened. However, it is absurd to saw
that this card inValidated the ballot
AT the Monday meeting the club voted TO re-
Ject both ballots, and all the members of the
nominating committee except the chairman re-
signed AZ yesterdays meeting a new committee
was appointed, with the same chairman and
without resembling the former action it was de-
cided 10 count the second ballots The result
was the following ticket President Mrs Mac
Mutt; vice-presidents. Nine Marie c Newbaus
and Mrs. James H Petit; recording secretary
Mrs Frank NJ. Cronise: corresponding secre-
tary, Mrs. Ward and treasurer, Mrs. A B. Jani-
son Nearly all these names appear on the ex-
listing executive board but the present first vice
president Mrs Belle Gray Taylor refused nom
ination and testified her disapprovaI of the wav
things are going by refusing to sit on the pIar-
form with the other officers
What will be the outcome of il all nobody
seemed To know yesterday.
i don't know said one member whether
we VIII put new ballot in the field and sween
the present board out of existence or sinnfy
resign-probably the latter for 1t win he hard
10 find woman who will be willing to under
take the task of trying TO regenerate n1oribund
society. From being one of the largest cjubs
IN the city Minerva has dwindled to one hun
dred and fifty members. Fifty have resigned
this winter. and fifty more will resign If the
90 not decide to remain in and fight for new
blood It is impossible that things should oo
on IN the irregular and unconstitutional U-9,,
mat they have been going practically ever since
Lhe cIub was organized. A few years ago we
mad one of the worst rows known to the c1,,b
Worlq, ana shouldn't wonder if this one nroved
our DEATH 1 lioFeu