852 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Oct. 1 



feeling, because she was a partnership cow. 

 In the West, daily papers are quite expen- 

 sive compared with what they are here in 

 the East, and these four families had a co- 

 operative paper. After enlarging- along the 

 same line he introduced to us a bright 

 young man who had, by Prof. Cook's spe- 

 cial request, consented to give us an ac- 

 count of how the California Co-operative 

 Fruit Association had succeeded in dispos- 

 ing of all their fruit at fair prices. 



Now, dear friends, I feel it a duty to 

 speak of something that is not very pleas- 

 ant. Mr. E. T. Abbott has always been 

 a very good friend of mine, and perhaps he 

 is still, and I hope he will be after I have 

 finished what I am about to say. God 

 knows I would not willingly hurt the feel- 

 ings of any bee-keeper, nor would I say 

 any thing that might in any way make 

 matters worse instead of better. May the 

 Holy Spirit direct me in what I shall say. 

 If I remember correctly, Mr. Abbott came 

 in while Prof. Cook was speaking. He did 

 not hear Prof. C.'s pleasant introductory 

 remarks. He heard the talk of our invited 

 guest in regard to selling fruit. Without 

 considering that he had not heard all of the 

 subject, and might not know all the circum- 

 stances, he in no verj' mild terms denounced 

 the whole idea of co-operation. He said it 

 was just the trust business and nothing 

 else. Now, we all know friend Abbott has 

 some truth on his side — j-es, a great deal; 

 but there is a happy medium between co- 

 operation and trusts that is all right. Mr. 

 Abbott was too vehement. It was not only 

 uncourteous to Prof. Cook, who was one of 

 the speakers on the program, but it was 

 very unkind to the outsider who had been 

 invited by special request to tell us what 

 had been accomplished by co-operation in 

 selling fruit. I felt afraid at the time that 

 friend Abbott was in a bad mood. Later 

 on, in the committee room, I am told he was 

 very overbearing and ungentlemanly. 

 Mr. Abbott has many rare and good qual- 

 ities. He is an eloquent speaker, and, as 

 a rule, a clear thinker. His particular 

 forte, however, seems to be fighting exi.sting 

 evils; and I fear that sometimes he magni- 

 fies these evils in his zeal. There are times 

 and places where such a man is needed. I 

 do not think he was exactlj^ needed when 

 he came among us at the close of our con- 

 vention — that is, he was not needed in that 

 way. I suppose you have all heard the 

 story of the tame bear that was watching 

 his master while he slept. A big fly had 

 the audacity to disturb the sleeping master; 

 and the bear in his zeal raised his ponder- 

 ous paw, and not only killed the fly, but — 

 his master too! We should all be careful 

 how we use the paws (and claws) God has 

 given us. As friend Hutchinson has fairly 

 gone over the matter in the Review for Sep- 

 tember, I think perhaps it will be as well 

 to copy right here what he says: 



The Rev. E. T. .\l)bott went to the Los Angeles con- 

 vention with a set of amendments to the constitution 

 that he. apparently, wished kept very much private. 

 When invited before the committee on amendments he 



not only refused to allow said committee to pass upon 

 his proposed amendments, but so forgot his good 

 manners as to reflect upon the character of the com- 

 mittee and the President of the Association. 



After the committee on amendments had reported, 

 Mr. Abbott turned over to the Secretary his amend- 

 ments, and started in to accompanj' them by a few re- 

 marks, beginning something as follows: 



" Last year I presented a set of amendments, but 

 through the pusillanimous action— " 



At this point the chairman checked him, informing 

 him that uo abuse could be allowed. He made several 

 attempts to continue his harangue, using language 

 more picturesque than polite, but met s-uch a storm of 

 his.-es, stamping, and jeers as to be unable to be heard, 

 until the chairman finally insisted that he confine him- 

 self to respectful language, under pain of being ex- 

 pelled from the room. 



At this point some one remarked that, as Mr Abbott 

 had turned his amendments over to the Association, 

 they were now the property of the .^.'■sociation, and 

 the Association could do with them as it saw fit, and 

 he moved that they be referred to the committee on 

 amendments. The motion was promptly supported, 

 when, as the chairman was putting it to vote, Mr. Ab- 

 bott strode up to the desk, took the amendments 

 out of the hands of the Secretary, tore them into bits, 

 scattered them upon the floor, and started for the 

 door, sa^i^g, "Good by, good by, good by;" but he 

 finally halt'.d near the door and did not go. 



At this point some one arose and said: ' When those 

 amendments were passed over to the Association, they 

 became the property of the Association; and to remove 

 them forcibly — well, we have a name for such an act — 

 and I move the appointment of a committee to decide 

 what acti.n we sliall take.'' 



A committee was appointed; and while there was a 

 strong sentiment in favorof expelling Mr. .■ibbrtt from 

 the Association, more moderate counsels prevailed, 

 and the committee simply reported in favor of ad- 

 journment. 



I regret exceedingly being obliged to publish this 

 account of Mr. Abbott's behavior; but, judging from 

 the past, he may again be an aspirant for office, and I 

 deem it a duty to so inform my readers that they may 

 be able to vote intelligently. 



When the above matter came up before 

 the Association I began asking myself how 

 /would act if I were in the chair; and I 

 felt keenly for Bro. Harris, who occupied 

 the place while President Hutchinson was 

 temporarily absent. Bro. Harris was re- 

 markably cool for one in such circumstances. 

 He asked repeatedly if the convention sus- 

 tained his rulings. So far as I know it 

 stood by him to a man. Let me digress a 

 little right here. 



W^hen I have a quarrel with a neighbor, 

 or with anybodj' for that matter, it disturbs 

 me. I keep asking myself the question, 

 "Is it not possible that / am wrong, or 

 largely so?" But when I have two quar- 

 rels on hand, I feel still more disturbed. 

 When there are three I usually feel so 

 troubled that I am almost forced to decide 

 that I am more or less out of the straight 

 and narrow path. Now, friend Abbott had 

 not only a controversy (to put it mildly) with 

 several persons, but with a whole convention, 

 numbering something over 200, who had 

 gone up to the secretary's desk and paid 

 their dollar. These were all against him. 

 The president again and again said there 

 was a lot of business they would have to 

 get through with. He said we should have 

 to drop the discussion and go on with the 

 regular order of the day. But Mr. Abbott 

 absolutely' would not let him or the 200 and 

 more bee-keepers go on with the proceedings. 



If I have stated the matter unfairly con- 

 cerning Mr. Abbott, I should be glad to be 

 corrected. But I hope he will recognize that 



