


FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
355 

tleman or a member of the American Poultry Association ; 
and I have no hesitation in saying that I am willing to sub- 
mit a question of veracity between Mr. Halsted and myself 
to the poultry fraternity. 
In conclusion, I will say that neither malice nor jealousy 
prompted me to move the expulsion of Mr. Halsted. I have 
no reasons for entertaining such feelings toward him. My 
personal acquaintance with him is very limited, and I have 
never had any business dealings with him. My sole motive 
in all that I have said or done in the matter’ was to maintain 
the honor and integrity of the Association, and had I done 
less than I did, I should have been recreant to the trust 
imposed in me, Yours, &c., 
C. A. SWEET. 
BUFFALO, May 18, 1874. 

(For Fanciers’ Journal.) ; 
It has not been my intention to enter upon the discussion 
of the merits or demerits of the American Standard of Ex- 
cellence as adopted by Convention assembled at Buffalo, 
N.Y., last January. I would not desery criticism honorably 
made, but rather invite it, considering it the rectifier of 
wrongs. Such was expected, but to see the tone of the 
many offered, based upon the reasons given, would seem to 
indicate that the standard was not good, because it was made 
from their birds. Laying aside, however, all criticism of 
the different varieties, to be brought up and thoroughly 
investigated at a future meeting of the Association, there 
appears to be one or two errors that seem to be accepted 
without facts to back them. We find many. complaining 
that it was not expected to amount to anything, because it 
was gotten up in a hurry, and for this reason it is desired to 
call a new convention, to be held at a convenient place, to 
have a full discussion, representations from all quarters, 
and there and then make a perfect standard; in the mean 
time, let all breeders send in their opinions pertaining to 
matters of such a standard and let them be considered and 
due weight giventhem. But, gentlemen, this was just what 
was done by our last Convention, and what evidence that a 
second call will do more than was done, except to lose the 
confidence of fanciers in all standards. Some complain 
that only a picked few composed the Convention. Its call 
was fixed nearly, or quite, a year before its assembly, at a 
preliminary meeting held at Boston, and there was. not a 
poultry publication in the country but what had some allu- 
ion to the importance of all attending such an assembly, and 
the last three or four months quite a large space was devoted 
in each issue, urging upon all poultry fanciers to attend per- 
sonally, if possible, and to send in to the Convention a 
standard of different breeds, just what is asked for in the 
new proposed convention. A very good number was present; 
some at a personal expense of a hundred dollars or more, to 
my certain knowledge; but the number of suggestions of- 
fered by letters was comparatively very few. On the class 
of Hamburgs, of which I was a member, not one. The sub- 
committee were appointed with due consideration to their 
knowledge of the varieties they represented, and with an 
endeavor to have different sections of country and strains 
represented ; at the completion of the committee’s work, the 
whole matter was open to free discussion by the whole con- 
vention. If there was any member present that allowed 
anything to go into that standard, contrary to his opinion, 
and did not then oppose it, he has no right now to do so 
through the public press, and shows that he had not confi- 


dence enough in his own belief to express it, till he found 
some one to go shoulder to shoulder with him in fault-finding. 
Again itis claimed, it is impossible to make a good standard 
in the short space of five days. Those who attended that 
convention know full well that they did not do the work in 
the five days of meetings of that assembly; but the real 
work, the drafting of the reports, the consideration of all 
the communications received, the discussion of all the points 
of standard, in fact nearly all the committee work was done 
in the night hours, which time is not shown upon the printed 
reports. There were very many who did not retire a single 
night, during their week’s stay, till after midnight, and some 
committees, in a few cases, did not till nearly four on the 
following day. 
‘‘B” says, in the Journal of May 14, ‘If this society 
choose to call a new convention, and will make their invi- 
tation broad enough to admit all classes of poultry men who 
may be permitted to take part in the deliberations, without 
being obliged to pay $3 for the chance, ..... everybody 
will be satisfied with the arrangement, and ought to be so.” 
All this was done at the Convention in Buffalo ; all were in- 
vited, either personally or as delegates; nothing was men- 
tioned of an admittance fee, and it was only done for pro- 
tection after the Convention assembled; then no one was 
debarred from taking part in the deliberations, for the chair- 
man, Mr. Churchman, very generously offered to defray the 
admission fee of any one who did not feel able to bear the 
expense himself, that it might not be said that three dollars 
kept any out. Will they be any more satisfied with another 
convention ? 
Again he says, ‘‘ The Executive Committee of the Ameri- 
can Association is composed of but twenty men, and a 
‘baker’s dozen’ could hardly be got together at once out of 
this score of gentlemen, scattered as they are from Maine 
to California; and these dozen men ought not to be asked 
to revise this standard by themselves, it is the people’s work 
to do, and the masses should meet and complete it rightfully, 
in concert with this Association.”’ I agree with him, it is 
the people’s work. The constitution nowhere admits the 
Executive Committee power to change the standard, but 
points out the manner how it shall be done by the Conven- 
tion at their regular meetings. For this reason I would 
object having the Executive Committee do anything but carry 
out the spirit of the constitution, and for all propositions for 
a change in the standard let them do nothing farther than 
put such propositions in a form to be presented to the Con- 
vention at the specified time. Before that time let all, every 
fancier, who can find a man in the Executive Committee to ~ 
recommend him, hand his name to that Committee for a 
membership, connect himself with that body, and wherein 
the standard is faulty, help by personal effort to make. it 
right. This I believe is the wish of all members of the 
American Poultry Association, as well as of 
ANDREW J. TucK. 
Nasuua, N. H., May 16, 1874. 


pa@s> A down Easter believes there is nothing like adver- 
tising. He lost his pocketbook recently, advertised his loss 
in the local newspaper, and next morning went down into 
his own cellar and found it on the floor. 
nes> The editor of the American Sportsman, published at 
Meriden, Conn., has bought a five hundred dollar dog, and 
meets his belligerent visitors with a happy smile of calm 
content. 
