824 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Dec 2A. 



GBORGB W. YORK, . EdtloF. 



PTTBLISHED WEEKLY BY 



GEORGE W. YORK & COMPANY, 

 US Mlcbigaa St., . CHICAGO, ILL. 



$1.00 a Year— Sample Copy Sent Free. 

 (Bntered at the Poat-Offlce at Chlcafto as Second-Ciasa Vail-Matter. 



VoLfflVI. CHICA&O, ILL, DEC, 24, 1896, No. 52, 



EDITORIAL COMMENTS. 



A 'Very Merry Christmas is our heartiest wish 

 to each aud every reader of the Americau Bee Journal at this 

 happiest season of the whole year. We trust it may indeed be 

 to.all of you the merriest Christmas you have yet been per- 

 mitted to enjoy. Try to make some one else happy, too, and 

 see how much more joyful it will then be for yourself. How 

 true, " 'Tis more blessed to Rive than to receive." 



Again we wish you all — 



A MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS ! 



The Anialsraiuation Project.— Mr. Newman, 

 the General Manager of the National Bee-Keepers' Union, 

 sent us the following in reply to Dr. Mason's answer to his 

 criticism of the New Constitution : 



In reply to Dr. Mason's article in the American Bee Jour- 

 nal, pages 770-2, I desire to say that being invited to " make 

 suggestions " or criticise the Constitution offered as a basis of 

 amalgamation, I candidly pointed out some of its imperfec- 

 tions, without allusion to any person, supposing that was 

 what was being desired— but by the rejoinder of Dr. Mason, it 

 seems that an unpleasant personal controversy is invited. As 

 I have no relish for such, and shall not indulge in it, I silently 

 pass all that has been said — "Measures, not Men," is my 

 motto. 



While I have no desire to dictate anything, I certainly 

 have the right to eritlcisc such an important matter as sub- 

 mitting an imperfect Constitution to vote. The members of 

 the Union have the right to expect this of me, and I shall not 

 disappoint them. 



In my criticism I have nothing to change, though I might 

 add more to it — the points I made are mainly incontrovertible. 

 It is nonsense to state that I made any "decision" in the mat- 

 ter of submitting amalgamation to vote; that was the duty of 

 the Advisory Board, to which I immediately submitted the 

 question— Dr. Mason's assertion to the contrary notwithstand- 

 ing. 



It is a fact that I gave an " opinion " publicly, that such 

 an incomplete aud imperfect document should be amended 

 before being adopted by the Union, because of the difficulty 

 and delay in amending it afterwards. Have I no right to ex- 

 press an ^opinion ? If not, since when ? 



The unkind personal remarks threatening my defeat at 

 the next election, are ungenerous and unwarranted. I never 

 was a candidate for election or re-election. The members 

 voted for me because they wanted my services, and when they 

 want some one else, I shall retire with the satisfaction of 

 having done my duty to the best of my ability. 



There are seven members in the Advisory Board— three 

 favor submitting amalgamation to vole; three vote against 

 it, and one, after adding many more criticisms than I made, 

 adds : " Many will want to have it put to vote. I should say, 

 submit the citicisms to each voter, and put it to vote." That 

 decides the matter. Amalgamation will be put to vote at the 

 next election. 



_~ If the inconsistencies I have carefully pointed out are to 

 be disregarded, and ascribed to my "vivid imagination" — 



then the consequences must not be charged to me. I have 

 carefully watched the interests of the members of the National 

 Bee-Keepers' Union for a dozen years, and successfully de- 

 fended their rights in the courts of the land — from the police 

 court to the very highest tribunal of the country. My aim is 

 the same to-day, by trying to prevent the serious mistake of 

 too hasty and premature action, and thereby avoid the em- 

 barrassment which would naturally result therefrom. 



Thomas G. Newman. 



We think Mr. Newman does well not to enter into a 

 discussion of unpleasant personalities — such is always an un- 

 profitable thing. We are of the opinion that where Mr. N. 

 made his mistake, was in not sending his criticism In advance 

 of the adoption of the New Constitution by the North Ameri- 

 can at the Lincoln convention. Ample opportunity was given 

 him to have done so. But to bring forward a quantity of un- 

 important objections after its adoption — and in the vigorous 

 way in which he did it — well, we simply think it was a mis- 

 take on Mr. Newman's part. And we do not say this with 

 anything but the pleasantest personal feeling toward Mr. 

 Newman. 



Of course, the proper thing to do is to submit the New 

 Constitution to a vote of the members of the National Bee- 

 Keepers' Union, but we suggest that it would be unfair to 

 accompany the voting blank with any criticisms of the New 

 Constitution, unless there be also added a statement by some 

 one competent to speak in its favor. We think that the only 

 fair way to do is to simply submit the New Constitution to a 

 vote upon its merits, with no criticism or suggestion for or 

 against. Nearly all the members read the bee-papers, or if 



not they ought to. 



-*-^~» 



Ready to Join the PJe-w Union.— We have re- 

 ceived several letters from our readers saying they were ready 

 to join the New Union just as soon as the proposed amalga- 

 mation shall be completed. Well, we fully expect that when 

 the ballots are counted (Feb. 1, 1897), they will show that 

 the great majority of the members of the Old Union favor the 

 adoption of the New Constitution, and the matter will be set- 

 tled then and there. So all who are contemplating joining 

 the New Union may as well get their dollars ready to send in 



next February. 



-*-.-*^ 



Some 'Wheadon Correspondence.— Mr. A. 



L. Kildow, of Sheffield, 111., had some interesting correspon- 

 dence about two months ago with the now extinct fraudulent 

 Chicago commission firm of Geo. T. Wheadon & Co. Mr. K. 

 sent us this letter along with four from Wheadon & Co.: 



Sheffield, III., Dec. 14, 1896. 

 Messrs. Geo. W. Y'ork & Co., Chicago, III.— 



Dear Sirs : — I had some correspondence with Geo. T. 

 Wheadon this fall, and will send you his letters as they may 

 be of interest. 



No. 1 is the first I got after I received their circular letter. 

 I replied to No. 1, stating about the amount of honey I would 

 have. 



No. 2 is Wheadon's reply, to which I stated the amount 

 of honey, quality, aud the price I would take for same on 

 board cars at ShefBeld. 



I then received No. 3, and answered by telling them the 

 honey was ready to be shipped when they sent a draft for the 

 same to the bank at this place, which draft was to be turned 

 over to me when Bill of Lading was turned over to them. And 

 this brought No. 4, which closed our correspondence. (But 

 Wheadon did not get the honey.) Thanks to the American 

 Bee Journal for showing Wheadon as he is, as otherwise I 

 might have been deceived by him. 



Respectfully, A. L. Kildow. 



The four Wheadon letters referred to by Mr. Kildow, read 

 as follows : 



WHEADON LETTER NO. 1. 



Chicago, Sept. 16, 1896. 

 Dear Sir : — Y'ou will recollect our having written you 

 some time ago regarding the honey business. We are buying 

 quite extensively, and if you desire to sell now, we are in a 



