The National tribune., 1909-08-12

ONsAAAt &AONOhSA 3 &~VSa
"Our stanch friend, Capt. wallace
Foster, has secured the enactment of a
law in Indiana Furnishing any desecra-
ton of the Flag by using 1t for adver-
tising purposes. Such a law already ex-
lists in Massachusetts, and other States.
and we have strong hopes that Congress
will soon be induced to pass National
| law on the subject thru the efforts of
our Special Committee on Legislation
to Prevent Dissertation of the Flag, OF
which Mrs. Isabel Worreli Ball is Chair
man. The excellent report submitted
| by her committee will show what prog
ress has been made In that direction.
She also commended the observance
of May IS, which Is known as Peace
and Arbitration Day.. Referring to the
Francis Scott Key home in Washington
Mrs. Gilman said that I'VE should rev.
erence the memory OF that giIted ana
patriotic man who composed the Ma
tional anthem which bears his name.
The Francis Scott Key Association is
striving to save that home TO the Amer
lean people In q letter lately received
from the Association the Manager says.
THE general public have not taken any
great interest in this movement, anu 1
feel that unless patriotic organizations
will make some response the pan vi
saving the old Key home (by popular
subscription) will have to be abah-
doned." Mrs. Gilman expressed nope
that the members of the Order Would
adopt this worthy movement as their
own "I feel that our crowning princl-
pie of loyalty would be exemplfied in
q manner worthy of the Woman's Re
| lief Corps, and I therefore recommend
the subscribing of 500 toward the
preservation of this home"
Louisiana and Mississippi.
| The National President stated that
| the establishment of provisional De-
partment in Louisiana and the appoint
ment of Josephine 3. Lewis as Provi-
sional President has seemed to be quite
satisfactory but that detailed eXplana-
ton showed that the joining of Missis-
sippi with Louisiana was not satisfac-
tory. and she felt that some further
| legislation must be enacted She rec
commended that Mississippi be organ
ized into a separate Provisional De-
partment.
| Discipline.
| OF the lack of it the National Presi-
dent said that eff good results were
| expected from the repeal of the late
law on discipline they were not appar-
ent during the last year. On the con-
| trary, l have to report, much to my
regret, a very serious case of insubor-
| ulUdIlOH WHtI ell d OiliSSi 40
| illegally suspended for one year, and
| the announcement made in General Or
ders by the Department President. She
was advised by National Headquarters
of the Illegally of her act and the in
| justice to the member named, and dl-
rected to rescind the order as publicly
| as she had issued it. This she refused
/ to do, and continued so to do during
lher term of Office.
Being powerless to enforce my or
ders, there being no penalty for dis
obedience, / notified officially every
Corps in the Department that the sus-
pension was illegal, and that the MEM
Der was in good standing and entitled
10 all the respect and honor due Ma
tionaI officer.
1T is very gratifying to me to an
nounce that the new Department Pres
| dent has, at my request, issued Cen
eral order recalling the suspension and
|undoing the wrong"
The National President had reference
to the matter in the Department of the
| Potomac, in which Emma l.. Newton,
as now declared by the National Presi-
dent, Illegally suspended and reported
| the suspension in General Orders Of
| Isabel Worrell Ball, a Past Department
! President and at the time of suspen-
sion National officer. Two National
Presidents Mrs. Kate E. Jones and
Mrs. Mary l.. Gilman, and the latter on
| several occasions, ordered Mrs. Newton
/ to undo her Illegal work, and this Mrs.
| Newton as Department President de-
| clined to do, an act of INSTRUMENTATION
| which, if there had been any law on
| discipline, would have caused imme-
diate dismissal from the organization
| of any Department or Corps President
| guilty of so malicious an act The lack
of discipline with which to punish the
insubordinate Department President
left the Department with a suspended
| Department Officer, performing all her
| functions as q National officer, attend
| ing her Department Convention and
| taking part in all its deliberations, and
at the same time outranking the wo-
man who held the gavel over the Con-
vention and who had issued the writ
of suspension.
In speaking further of the lack of
discipline the National President said:
| I'm another Department an unworthy
person had crept into Corps. She
proved to be undesirable for reasons
not TO be mentioned here. But she paid
her dues, and the good ladies who were
compelled to associate with her had no
remedy except to leave the Order.
1T may be with us choice of two
levils, in which case we should choose
| the least, and / therefore make q rec
ommendation that the former Chapter
V. Article Z, on discipline be re-enact-
ed ana De assigned 10 lIS regular place
and be enforced for the ensuing year"
She also recommended the appointment
of committee of three TO consider the
question of discipline with a view to
revision and modification, and report to
the 2Sth National Convention. The Ma
tional President commended the official
printer, Comrade E. =. Stillings, and
STATED that without him, Father Con-
fessor," II would be a very difficult
proposition to run the Woman's Relief
Corps. She felt, however, that his pos
session of all the knowledge regarding
blanks and General Orders and Ma
tional journals and all that sort of thing
would result in disaster in case he
should suddenly pass away. She stated
that 1t was his suggestion that a
pamphlet be prepared which should be
a manual to National officers and prove
of great value to those who assumed
the responsibilities and are desirous of