854 



GLEANINGS IN REE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1. 



at the next election, I have carefully weighed 

 each of its provisions, and will in all kindness 

 and candor point out some of its locongruities, 

 as well as lack of consistency and completeness. 

 If there is a successful "'amalgamation," the 

 new organization should have a constitution 

 as near perfection as possible; and as I have 

 been requested to criticise it, I do so cheerfully, 

 and, with the best of intention, submit the fol- 

 lowing remarks: 



Sec. 3 of Art. III. and Sec. 2 of Art. IV. are 

 inappropriate in a constitution. They pre- 

 scribe who shall be officers and members in the 

 event of the adoption of the new constitution 

 by the two societies if amalgamated, and are 

 clearly "out of order" in the constitution— the 

 document to be thus submitted. They might 

 have been subsequent '• resolutions," providing 

 for exigencies, in case of the adoption of the 

 constitution by both societies. 



Article V. creates an " Executive Commit- 

 tee," but nowhere are the duties and powers of 

 that committee defined. Should the Executive 

 Committee attempt to do any thing, it must 

 necessarily interfere with the duties of the 

 Board of Directors, and a conflict of authority 

 would ensue, which might disrupt the organi- 

 zation and destroy its usefulness. 



If the Board of Directors be not the Execu- 

 tive Committee, what is that Board created 

 for? What are its duties? And, vice versa, it 

 may be demanded — If the members of the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee are not to "direct" the 

 business of the organization— what are they to 

 do? What are their duties? 



When it is sought to obtain an incorporation 

 under the laws of the United States, or any one 

 State, it will be found that the Board of Di- 

 rectors is the o?ify executive authority recog- 

 nized by the law, and the only body that can 

 be elected by the members; that it is the duty 

 of the Board of Directors even to elect the of- 

 ficers of the organization; that all business done 

 by any other person is illegal and useless; in 

 other words, that the Board of Directors is the 

 only legal "Executive Committee"— the only 

 power to make or execute the laws made for 

 the government of the organization. If the 

 constitution and by-laws of the organization 

 sought to be incorporated are not in accordance 

 with the law, they will be ordered changed by 

 the State officers. That will cause serious de- 

 lay, for, as the convention adopted the consti- 

 tution, after considering it section by section 

 (as the Secretary informs me by letter), the 

 committee was discharged and can have no 

 further power to change or modify any thing; 

 their duties are ended— that committee, i n fact , 

 no longer exists. 



Again, in Sec. 2, Art.rV., there is another 

 serious mistake. The postal-card ballots are 

 required to be returned to a committee o f tivo 

 members, appointed by the Executive Commit- 



tee, to "count" and "certify the result." Who- 

 ever heard of a secret ballot being sent on a 

 " postal card " ? and more ridiculous is the idea 

 that it should be mailed to two inenibers— un- 

 less it is made in duplicate! Or, was it contem- 

 plated to send some to one member of the com- 

 mittee and some to the oiher member? Sup- 

 pose those " two members " should reside at 

 different points— perhaps some distance apart- 

 how about their getting together to "count" 

 them, and who is to pay the expense incurred ? 

 Or would they be required to pay their own 

 expenses for the " honor " conferred on them 

 by the Executive Committee ? Manifestly they 

 ought to be sent to one, and should be in a 

 sealed envelope, to be opened in the presence of 

 the whole committee, so as to preserve their 

 secrecy and integiity. 



Again, these ballots will be accompanied with 

 the dollar for dues, and in maay cases (if not 

 all) will be forwarded to the General Manager. 

 If they are sealed as they were last year, is that 

 not the proper person to receive them as well as 

 the dues? for he only can determine who is 

 entitled to vote, by the dues being paid; then 

 for him to call the committee together is con- 

 sistent and proper, in order to open, count, and 

 certify as to who are elected. 



Art. VI., Sec. 3, provides that the Secretary 

 of the Union "shall pay to the Treasurer all 

 moneys left in his hands after paying the ex- 

 penses of the annua meeting." Here is a big 

 " loop-hole." Art. IX. states, " This Union 

 shall hold annual meetings at such times and 

 places as shall be agreed upon," etc. Does the 

 Secretary pay the mileage and per diem of the 

 officers or members, or both? If not, it would 

 be better to have it definitely stated. 



Sec. 6 of Art. VI. provides also that the Board 

 of Directors " shall meet at such time and place 

 as it may decide upon." How are their ex- 

 penses to be paid? If mileage and per diem 

 are to be paid it should be so stated, and the 

 rates ought to be determined by the constitu- 

 tion or By-laws. If they are to pay their own 

 expenses, that fact should also be mentioned 

 before they are elected, for some may object to 

 being so taxed. This i'^ a broad country, and 

 such a Board should be located so as to repre- 

 sent the whole of it; and the expense of such a 

 compulsitory meeting would be no mean item, 

 whether it came out of the funds of the Union 

 or out of the pockets of the honorary Board. 

 This is a serious matter; and in enacting such 

 important legislation, is it not better to "make 

 haste slowly " ? 



There are quite a number of other incongru- 

 ities which call for discussion and review. Sec. 

 8 of Art. VI. should be changed in verbiage, 

 and made Sec. 2 of Art. III. And in Art. X. 

 the words " altered or amended " occur twice. 

 Amendments are always alterations. Why 

 such tautology? 



