The National tribune., 1908-08-27
THE LAST GUESS.
Mrs. Isabel WorreIl Ball Winner In n
Game Of "Guess What Is Legal In Re-
lief Corps Law"-National President
Jones Holds the Joker,

Jones Holds the Joker.
The President of the Department Of
the Potomac, Womans Relief Corps
Emma l.. Newton, has been making
merry with the laws of the woman's
Relief Corps lately, and tangled herself
up in an investigation into the acts OF
her predecessor. Isabel Worrell Ball
The charges were that Mrs. Ball had
been guilty of opening mail addressed
to Isabel Worrell Ball, and that Mrs
Ball had been guilty of accepting as
signments from the Chief of Staff of the
United States Army. Gen. Bell, to rep
resent him in getting together the pa
triotic societies of women to take part
in the ceremonies incident to the re-
moval of the remains of the late Gen.
George Clinton from Congressional
Cemetery, this city, to his old home in
Kingston, N. Y, instead of asking Mrs.
Newton to act, and for doing things in
general with the Flag Association. which
has been named for Mrs. Ball, and
winch has been greatly in demand for
patriotic exercises everywhere
The charges themselves are declared
by everybody who has seen them to be
absolutely purile and petty, and not
worth the consideration of sensible wo-
men. 1t is thought the National Presi-
dent has so stated to Mrs. Newton Mrs.
'Bail did not pay any attention to the
charges and directed her friends to keen
quiet. and let the Department President
work her will in her own sweet way
Mrs. Ball stated that the matter of in
vestigatton was started wrong, and that
every act in the whole chain was Illegal
the Department President having con-
stituted herself the complaining witness.
Judge, jury and court of finality. Mrs
Ban contented herself with appearing at
the time set for the Investigating COM
mittee TO act, and made a plain and
frank statement to the committee, the
President and the Council.
22 women in all, who had met at the
nome OF the Department President to
try her. In this statement Mrs Ball
told the Department President. Emma
L. Newton, that the charges were not
worth the paper they Were written on,
and that the whole proceeding was ille-
gal She then said that for the credit
Of the Department of the Potomac Wo-
mans Relief Corps the Department.
President ought to dismiss the charges
and not bring humiliation upon her
friends and defeat upon herself by pro-
ceedings that would undoubtedly be
dismissed as Illegal and that were, in
lact, actionable for criminal libel Mrs.
Ball and her two counselors, Mrs. Ida
Oldroyd and Mrs. Ida ]. Hart, Past
Department Presidents, then withdrew
rhe Department President flew into a. |
'age, 1t is said, and stamped her foot
md ordered Mrs. Ball to return to theI
M f,t h s
ike a woman in q temper. Mrs Ball
leclined to return and left the house |
rhe investigating committee, despite the |
,dvice of the Department Counselor, |
Mrs. Margaret B. Tew, on orders from
he Department President, proceeded to |
investigate. The Department Counselor
lropped the matter, and declined to
ave anything to do with it. 1t is stated,
indeed, that most of the members of
he staff were literally dragooned into
igning the decision of the Department.
President. Mrs Newton
The committee found" against Mrs.
Ball, and then the Department Presi-
lent with her Council sat in and fin
shed up the business with a writ of /
suspension for year. This decision the
Department President then proceeded
o publish broadcast in a General Order |
[ would have seemed that anybody
Who could read a primer would have|
,nown that such a contemplate act [
Tould never be overlooked by the Nal
;onal President. This kind of publicity
specifically prohibited in the discipline
f the Woman's Relief Corps.
AS Mrs Ball is not Department off,
er, and is simply member of Corps,
ubject only to the commands, orders
nd discipline of her Corps President,
he righteousness of the whole action of
he Department President who proceed
d to try Mrs. Bail as a Department
ficer can readily be seen.
National President Kate E. Jones was
ppealed to by Mrs. Ball on the Illegal
" of the action of the Department.
resident, Emma l.. Newton, and hasl
endered her decision. She says in this
ecision that Mrs. Newton has acted in
ross violation of the law, and the pen
lty is that she must at once in special
riders proceed to correct the errors she
as made, and thus restore Mrs. Ball to
er Relief Corps rights; also she must
roceed no further with the matter, as
is all Illegal The National President
lso declared that Mrs. Newton had in
icted personal injury upon Mrs. Ball
y the publication of decision that was
legal
1t is stated that the crux of the whole
natter lies in the attempt of the De-
artment President and some of her
riends to get even" with Mrs. Ball,
Tho at various times has been instru-
rental in turning them down on points
f Relief Corps law These same women,
Irs. Ball stdtes. tried to wear out her
patience last year by ap-
ealing in a case which Mrs. Ball had
ccided against them and for right and
lstice. The appeal went against them
| the hands of the National President,
nd they appealed to the National Con-
ention. The National Convention unani-
lously sustained the National Presi-
ent, and, of course, the decision of
FRS. Ball at the same time 1t was onI
ne strength of this decision that De-
artmcnt Presidents now have the right
, protect, as does the Grand Army of
ne Republic, all members of Corps .
'om malice. personal spite and preju-
ice" of small-minded members.
The Department President, Mrs. New
IN. let the reporters of the Washington
apers into the game, and they soon
,und that the animus of certain womenl
the Department was directed toward
Irs. Ball. who is herself one of the
Iashington correspondents, and has the
lme of having served for 10 years in
le press galleries of Congress, the onlyl
oman ever admitted there, and is a
lvorite in newspaper circles. They pro- :
,eded to work up things in good shapeI .
= making women unused to being in
rviewed for the press talk One of :
lese women proceeded to tell the re-
)rter Just how and why women
ere not wanted in a certain Corps be-
;use they were friends of Mrs. Ball.
Id would vote for her in Department.
onvention, and then laid bare the Sc h
cts of the ballot box by telling just