AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



187 



North American Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion incorporated had the least thought 

 that that action would cause the Cana- 

 dian brethren to withdraw. We were 

 pained, too, because of some statements 

 in the report that are calcuhited to carry 

 the impression that we desire to put out 

 from the North American Bee-Keepers' 

 Association the Canadians, and brealv 

 down their "National dignity," etc. 

 Nothing could be further from the real 

 truth. 



We have since received a private letter 

 from one of the members of the commit- 

 tee to the eifect that the grievance was 

 not against the bee-keepers of the 

 United States as a body, but against a 

 few of the leaders, and mentioned 

 Thomas G. Newman, Dr. A. B. Mason, 

 Dr. C. C. Miller, and the two Roots. We 

 know that every one of the gentlemen 

 named will be as much surprised as our- 

 selves ; but they will doubtless speak for 

 themselves. 



We greatly regret that the two mem- 

 bers who were present at Keokuk should 

 still misunderstand (we cannot believe 

 Intentionally) the purpose of incorpora- 

 tion. 



Although it has been explained here- 

 tofore, it seems they have entirely over- 

 looked the fact that organizations in the 

 United States that are national or inter- 

 national in their character and influ- 

 ence, are, or should be, incorporated 

 under the laws of some one particular 

 State; and, as was also ably explained 

 by Capt. J. E., Hetherington, at the 

 Albany convention, incorporation doea 

 not make the Association local, but a 

 legal body politic, amenable, to the laws, 

 with special functions, rights, duties, 

 and liabilities ; capable of suing and of 

 being sued — in short, transacting busi- 

 ness. 



It is quite probable that the members 

 of the O. B. K. A. as a body, not being 

 familiar with the laws of the United 

 States, were not in position to appreci- 

 ate what incorporation on this side of 

 the line means. We could not incorpo- 

 rate under both the national govern- 

 ments, nor under the laws of the United 

 States, but under the laws of some one 

 State. But, we repeat again, the North 

 American is not less international now 

 than before. Let us give one illustra- 

 tion of what the society now under in- 

 corporation is capable of doing : 



As a body it can sue any packing- 

 houses in any State, where the laws are 

 strict enough, that may be engaged in 

 the adulteration of honey. It is in bet- 

 ter position, also, to protest against in- 

 jurious legislation from national or State 



governpients, because it is an incorporat- 

 ed body. 



Nine-tenths of the bee-keepers of the 

 North American are residents of the 

 United States; and Chicago, the place of 

 incorporation,4s the most central of any 

 point of those bee-keepers. The great 

 mass of them in the United States are 

 in the North. This our subscription- 

 books show very decidedly. Nothing 

 was more natural than that the State of 

 Illinois should have been sehicted, and it- 

 seems to us, to speak plainly and in all 

 kindness, that nothing but a partisan 

 spirit, or a silly quibble on technicalities 

 on the part of the committee, could make 

 objection to it. 



We have no grievance against the body 

 of the Canadians who voted for the 

 adoption of the report, for they were 

 acting in good faith. Some of our 

 warmest and best friends we number 

 among the Canadians. 



The report goes on to say, "W^e have 

 reasons for believing that the official 

 report of the Keokuk meeting, in the 

 matter of the protest made by your rep- 

 resentatives there, is largely character- 

 ized by the a suppressio verl: that com- 

 munications sent by them to two leading 



bee-papers were not 



published." 



We have before us the report of the 

 Keokuk convention, as written by the 

 secretary, C. P. Dadant. The report 

 had to be .brief, necessarily, on almost 

 every subject that wos discussed ; and 

 yet it seems, as we look it over, that the 

 Canadian brethren were given a fair 

 hearing. Gleanings was one of the 

 leading bee publications designated, that 

 is said to have suppressed one of the 

 communications. The matter at that 

 time was not available ; and, moreover, 

 we were sure the writer did not properly 

 understand what incorporation meant 

 on this side of the line, and we thought 

 it useless to stir up discord or partisan 

 feeling over misconception and misun- 

 derstanding. We were not aware, until 

 we read the report as above, that the 

 life-members in the United States only 

 were the incorporators. We are very 

 sure that the Canadian life-wembers 

 were left out for no other reason than 

 that the laws of incorporation require 

 that the incorporators be residents of the 

 United States. By the way, if we are 

 correct, there is OAjly one life-member in 



Canada, and twvein the United States. 

 The Canadian member is D. A. Jones, 

 and we are sure he would never quarrel 

 with us on that point ; and of the com- 

 mittee who make this as a big handle, 

 not one is a life-member. 



