The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-06-22
DODGE REPORT IN
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
LITIGATION FILED
Judge, Sitting as Master, Ap-
proves and Confirms Position
of J. v. Dittemore.

lila TepOIl Oh lhC CNAuClNS. ~
plaintiff, John v. Dittemore. the senior
Director Of the Church, whose service
.ntedates the decease Of Mrs. Mary
Baker Eddy, and who his associates
sought to remove from Office, seems
20 have been completely justified In his
contentious that undesirable and I'M
wholesome conditions have existed IL
he administration Of the church gov
.rnment.
Judge Dodge finds from the evidence,
which includes testimony by the ma
Iority Directors themselves, that Mr..
Oittemore's dismissal was for the pur-
pose OF doing away with opposition to
he wishes Of the majority and also
because Mr.. DittemOre had sought to
establish a standard Of proprlety and
conduct higher than desired by his as
.ocistes. 1t Is also found that a prin.
,lpal reason for the hostility to Mr..
Oittemore' was because OF his rebuks
70 his associates on numerous ocCa.
sions when offensive language was
used and offensive jests made at meet.
ngs OF the governing body Of the
church. Judge Dodge holds that Mr..
Oittemore Is still legally a Director
and that the effort to remove him and
appoint a successor more sympathetic
with the policy Of the board Is legally
null and void.
In regard TO the lllegality Of Mr..
Oittemore's dismissal, Judge Dodge
says that no Director could fairly be
supposed TO have accepted his posi-
ton upon the understanding that he
was subject TO instant, arbitrary dis.
missal whenever a majority Of his as
sociates might find 1t expedient. The
Master finds that the vote attempting
to dismiss Mr.. Dittemore twas only the
formal adoption Of a conclusion previ.
ously agreed on outside the meeting
accusing him and at the same time pro-
posing TO also act as his judges, to
afford hims such opportunity 70 be-
heard In his own defense upon the
charges made as would satisfy the re-
quirements Of natural Justice" He also
finds that the complaints against Mr..
Dittemore were not founded upon first
hand knowledge and were inadequate
ground for any but a purely arbitrary
dismissal" The Judge also finds that
there was never any question as to Mr..
Oittemore's sincerity in maintaining his
position and that nothing said or done
by hins In maintaining his opinions
could have constituted adequate ground
for dismissing him, unless the major.
ity's power to dismiss could law fully
have been used by II for the sole pur.
pose Of sitting any opposition in the
Board to their wishes.
The Master declares that Direc.
tors Dickey. Neal, Merritt and Rath.
o were animated by personal hos
tllity toward Mr.. Dittemore and that
they had long planned among them.
selves to get rid of him. One Of the
occasions when bad feeling was engen.
dered vas when Dittemore refused to
Join Dickey, Neal, and Merritt in at
tending o play In New York which
Uttemore considered Objectionable and
which had as the leading player q
person Of notorious reputation. On
this occasion Director Merritt testified
that he urged DittemOre to accompany
them and said: Come on with us
You r not SO much better than the
rest of u.s."
Judge Dodge also finds from the evi
dence that There were occasions in
1917, 1913 and 1919 upon which, a,
meetings Of the Directors, the plaintiff
Dfttemore) expressed disapproval OF
~utterances by Dickey Of q kind toler,
able only when men only, and men not
disposed to be scrupulous In such mat.
tiers, are the Extraordinarily arous
Ing resentment on Dickey's part, and
sometimes on the part Of Merritt anC
Rathvon." The testimony regardika
eight or nine such instances was taken
by Judge Dodge In private. In regard
to all Of these occurrences Judge
Dodge finds from the testimony OF
Mr.. Dittemore and others, including
the cross-examinatiOn Of the defendant,
Directors Dickey, Neal. Merritt and
RathvOn themselves, that Mr.. Ditto.
more's account Of them was substan.
TALLY true and that his repeated in.
sistence upon q standard Of propriety
In language OF conduct stricter than
that accepted by his associates mate
rally augmented their hostility anc
dislike"
Judge Dodge concludes that Ditto
more's co-Directors were "incarable.
on March II, 1919. Of impartial Judi,
cial consideration Of accusations
against him, especially of accusations
framed by themselves, had they ever
undertaken any such consideration"
AT the present time Christian Sc,en.
lists throughout the world are deeply
interested In the facts brought out by
the Dodge report which Mr.. Dittemore
and others are distributing In large
quantities among the membership.
The progressive element in the
Church seems to be gaining much
strength. 1t urges q more consistent
and practical interpretations OF the
teachings Of Mrs. Eddy by those In
authority and q more liberal admins.
tration Of the church government
Next to q change In the official Der.
sonnet In Boston. under q definite rule
OF rotation In office. the greatest need
OF the Church seems 10 be for the en-
couragement Of greater local church
solf- unvarp~or< ara