188 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Reference has been made to the fact 

 that the bee-keepers on this side have call- 

 ed the North American "national." As we 

 really had no distinct national associa- 

 tion, the nearest to it was the North 

 American Bee-keepers' Association ; and 

 when "national" was used it was em- 

 ployed as a convenient term, without 

 any thought of excluding Canada. 



As an evidence of the fraternal feel- 

 ing, we presume it will do no harm to 

 |let out the secret that there was a strong 

 effort on foot at Albany to put S. Cornell, 

 a Canadian, in as president of the N. A. 

 B. K. A. for the ensuing year. A num- 

 ber of members, including President 

 Elwood, approached the writer on the 

 subject, asking whether he would vote 

 for him and what he thought of our 

 Canadian brother for the position. We 

 not only indorsed the name, but said we 

 would give our support to it, which we 

 did. Those who were present at the 

 Albany convention know well that Mr. 

 Cornell would have been elected presi- 

 dent if he had not absolutely refused to 

 accept the honor. After this we were a 

 little surprised that his name should ap- 

 pear among the members of the com- 

 mittee who drafted the report as above. 



This ought to show, beyond a question 

 of doubt, that the American bee-keepers, 

 who are members of the North Ameri- 

 can, desired to recognize Canada, and 

 desired, also, to continue their past 

 pleasant relations, as we have done here- 

 tofore. Mark this : The very bee- 

 keepers who voted to elect Mr. Cornell 

 are the same ones who voted to adopt the 

 article of incorporation. 



Now brother bee-keepers across the 

 line, does this not show that the idea of 

 crowding Canadians outside of the Asso- 

 ciation was the furthest from our 

 thoughts'? and does it not prove that we 

 on our part desired to continue our 

 pleasant fraternal relations? 



We have taken a good deal of space to 

 reply to this ; but the reason we have 

 done sols because it is an international 

 matter ; and now that the O. B. K. A. 

 has taken the action that it has, it is 

 proper that, as one of the Roots, and a 

 life-member of the N.A.B.K.A., that we 

 were not intending to break down, not 

 even thinking of breaking down, their 

 "independence, self-respect, and nation- 

 al dignity." If the Canadians refuse to 

 reconsider, of course that will leave our 

 association distinctly national, lor Can- 

 ada has been tln^ only nation, outside of 

 the United States, which had a voice 

 in the proceedings of the North Ameri- 

 can. 



It seems by the above that we are the 

 principal offender. This is a surprise 

 to us, a^ it is no doubt to all the others 

 named — for we have labored assiduously 

 for harmony and cordiality. Have 

 sacriflced our own feelings and interests 

 to the gentlemen who signed the docu- 

 ment. But when a quarrel is sought, 

 some one must be blamed, and the five 

 Americans are singled out. We are in 

 excellent company, and shall have to 

 bear the blame, even though we have no 

 idea of why we should be censured. 



We opposed the incorporation of the 

 society in Illinois, because we feared 

 that the two Canadians present at the 

 Keokuk meeting would say that we 

 were personally interested in its location. 

 The members of that committee will bear 

 witness that upon every vote we were 

 recorded in favor of Indianapolis, Ind., 

 because the Association was born in that 

 city. We subsequently stated this fact 

 in open convention at Keokuk, and it 

 was then well understood that we were 

 in favor of any place which should be 

 selected by the Association. There were 

 only two votes against the incorporation 

 in Illinois, and these were from the two 

 Canadian delegates. 



The report of the Canadian Commit- 

 tee also attacked the report of Secretary 

 Dadant, and he writes us the following 

 private letter in self-defense : 



Dear Mr. Newman : — On page 783 

 of the Canadian Bee Journal I am ac- 

 cused of supprcssLo veri. I have sent a 

 protest to that paper, and wish to notify 

 you, as the article also seems to hit you, 

 and I wish you to know just where I 

 stand. Every one who knows me, 

 knows that I tried to report all the facts, 

 and I assert that it is ungentlemanly to 

 accuse me at this date, when I have not 

 been given notice either of errors or 

 omissions by any one. I hold that the 

 most elementary rules of politeness 

 would HMjuire that I be given a chance 

 to correct either errors or omissions, by 

 personal request, before such a charge 

 be made officially. C. P. Dadant. 



Some of that Canadian quartette have 

 no contidenct! in one another, but, likely, 

 the one who wj'otc the Report, through 

 base intrigue induced them to sign it. 



