The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-17
ROW DEVELOPS OYER
WELCOME EXTENDED
TO VISITING WOMEN
Mrs, c, E, Allen WthdrawS From Committee on Arrange
mentS When Joseph F, Smith Is Announced as Speak
er-Her Attitude Expressed in Letter and
Interview.

a serious breach in the committee on
arrangements for the entertainment of
visiting delegates from the National
Council of Women was caused by the
announcement that Joseph +. Smith, in
his official capacity as president of the
Mormon church, would participate in
the welcome. 1t was announced that
President Smith would be one of the
speakers at the dinner at Saltair last
evening. and though, as it developed
later, ne was not present at that func-
ton, the mischief was done
Mrs c. L. Allen was the first to dis
cover that it would not be consistent
for the members of her committee, rep
resenting the National Christian league
for social purity, to sit at table with a
man whose manners and customs she
did not consider compatible with theirs.
Mrs Allen voiced her sentiments yes
terday afternoon in the following note
to Mrs. Emmeline B.Wells, the chairman
of the committee on arrangements:
Mrs. Aliens Letter.
AT Mrs. HOLSTERS request. 1 was
glad to respond to your call as chair
man of the committee to meet the
delegation of women from Seattle.
have proved in the past my respect
of your ability as a leader I would
be glad to ignore all differences Of
opinion and carry out the plans for the
day, but as in my judgment the honor
ing of a man who stands for the viO-
latiOn of the law which the national
league is organized to uphold puts my
committee and myself in a position in
which the only solution of the question
is to withdraw altogether, we shall,
. ,,
quet, although I shall go to the train
to meet Mrs. Grannis. With very great
regrets.
"CORINNE NJ. ALLEN"
Mrs. Aliens Comment.
In explanation of her attitude Mrs
Allen said: There was never one word
spoken in the committee meetings in
regard to having Mr.. Smith present and
the matter was sprung on us without
warning on the last day. There was no
husbands mentioned, so that the de
Tense made that one of the women
asked Joseph F. Smith as a husband
does not hold. The only men mentioned
were the governor and the mayor, who
were to be asked, and it was distinctly
stated that every name should be sub
mitted, because the refreshments COM
mittee had to know for whom to pre-
pare.
MY committee and myself are a unit
in expressing the view that We cannot
stand for Joseph F. Smith, a polygamist
and violatOr of the laws Of his country,
as an honored guest of these societies.
"Our society is organized to protect
the sanctity of marriage and the home.
Joseph F. Smith represents all that is an
tagOnistiC to the principles to which we
are pledged"
The question that naturally suggested
itself was whether yesterdays develop
nents would stir up a new feud in club
circles in Salt Lake City.
Local club women, who have labored
for years to reconcile matters of religion.
were averse to expressing themselves on
this matter, which was one with which
the various wOmens clubs were not di-
rectly concerned. Mrs. Byron Cummings,
the president of the state federation Of
wOmen's clubs was i'll and unable to be
interviewed. Mrs. Z. D. Miller would go
no further than to say that Mrs Allen