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AFTERNOON SESSION.
Business meeting of the
enrolled members of the Society at Masonic Temple.
Mr. Bonner:
The first business in order
will be the reading of the report of the Executive Committee.
Report of the Executive
Committee for the Year Ending May 1, 1891.
During the first year of
our Society the attention of the Executive Committee was chiefly directed
to the formulation of a Constitution and By-laws and the devising of ways
and means for the systematic accomplishment of the general objects which
our organization has in view. The result of our labor is shown in the
report of the committee submitted and adopted at Pittsburg last year and
published in the second volume on the subject "The Scotch-Irish in
America."
During the past year the
committee has continued this work in strict accordance with the provisions
of our revised Constitution and By-laws, and has followed in the minuter
details of business the precedents of the first year. For these reasons, a
detailed statement of the routine business transacted would be largely a
repetition of similar matters that have been fully set forth in our
preceding reports; and we do not, therefore, believe it to be necessary to
make this present statement so elaborate as our foregoing reports. The
practical application of the principles and modes of procedure which were
evolved from the first year's thought and experiment, and which were
molded into systematic form by the action of the Pittsburg Congress, have
been found satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objects of our
Society. Time, experience, and the necessity of adapting ourselves to an
expansion of the scope and character of our work may, indeed, hereafter
make it necessary from time to time to enlarge, alter, or amend our
business methods, and may lead us possibly to modify our By-laws in some
small particulars, but we are now convinced that the provisions of our
Constitution are so comprehensive and have been so well established that
there will be no necessity found for making any serious changes in it in
the future.
II. SOME FRUITS OF OUR
SECOND CONGRESS.
The proceedings and
addresses of the Pittsburg Congress, and the succinct description of that
remarkable gathering itself are included and presented in our second
volume, which will give those who were not able to attend that Assembly
some conception of the imposing character and magnitude of that meeting.
But the full effects and beneficial results could not by any possibility
be stated in that volume. The outcome of the meeting has been, perhaps,
more noteworthy than the gathering itself. Those interesting and
enthusiastic meetings have continued to bear good fruit throughout the
year. The results have grown more and more apparent as the months have
multiplied. A Congress entertained by one of the most powerful cities in
the country, attracting the attendance and interest of the President of
the United States and his Cabinet, bringing together Governors of great
States and hundreds of other notable men highly distinguished in their
respective professions and pursuits, and calling from all parts of the
American Continent loyal-hearted sons and daughters of our race, has
naturally and necessarily impressed the world with a high conception of
the dignity and importance of the Society, which in the first year of its
organized career was able to achieve such wonderful results. To say that
it gave us a world-wide prestige is but to state a simple truth. This is
shown by the interest of the press, which everywhere throughout the
English-speaking world has given us most favorable notice, and most
strikingly by the fact that Belfast, the greatest and most progressive
Scotch-Irish city of the mother country, has sent to our Congress as an
authorized delegate Mr. Francis D. Ward, one of her most distinguished
citizens, an ex-President of the Chamber of Commerce, and the son of an
old and historic Ulster family. It is not strange that we should lay
special emphasis on the fact that the papers and journals of Ulster, of
Canada, and Australia gave much of their space the reports of our
meetings, and commented with praise upon the interest and importance of
our proceedings. This world-wide interest courages us to hope that the
time is not far distant when the sturdy sons of Ulster and their worthy
descendants throughout the globe will be all drawn into close relations,
and their countless and permanent contributions to Christianity and
civilization made more fully known to themselves and the kindred races of
mankind; and that the lofty purposes which have made our kith and kin such
a power for good shall be duly manifested and deeply impressed not only on
ourselves and our wide-spread brotherhood, but on the generations of our
blood that are to follow.
III. PROGRESS DURING THE
YEAR.
During the year the
membership of the National Society has almost doubled. This increase of
numbers is most gratifying to us, when consideration is given to the very
limited means which our Society has had at its disposal for disseminating
a knowledge of its character and aims. In regard to these fresh accessions
to our ranks, an additional gratification is found in the fact that our
new members are wholly worthy to take rank in regard to a high standard of
character and influence with those who have belonged to our company from
the beginning of our Society.
Since the Pittsburg
meeting, we beg leave to state that one new State Society has been formed,
and this is the very Society which is now entertaining us with the
generous hospitality for which Kentucky has ever been famous and the
generous sons and daughters of this commonwealth have ever delighted to
manifest. This Kentucky Society has been in existence only since last
December, but already it numbers in its ranks not a few of the best men in
the grand old commonwealth.
One additional subject of
gratification is to be found in connection with this latest associate in
our Society. It is in complete harmony and co-operation with our national
organization. We feel bound to state, without making individual
distinctions, that special honor is due its President, Dr. Hervey
McDowell, and its indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Helm Bruce. To their
efficient efforts very much is due in the organization and development of
the State Society and its lively affiliation with ourselves.
We would further report
that the California Society organized last year has also adopted most
loyally the provisions of our Constitution in regard to the affiliation of
branch Societies. Its honored President, Mr. Alexander Montgomery, who is
also Vice-president for California and a member of this committee, not
long ago distinguished, himself afresh as a generous steward of wealth by
the donation of 850,000 for the purpose of erecting in San Francisco a
building that shall be a memorial and a home of our race.
Your committee feels free
in making reference to this subject, inasmuch as our friend was not
present when our report was prepared and adopted, but we beg leave for
ourselves and others to say that this munificent gift of Mr. Montgomery
will not only give solidity and dignity to the California Society, but may
be provocative of a similar generosity in other parts of the land, and is
certain to be greatly appreciated by all our race.
The Societies of
Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Tennessee have greatly increased their numbers
during the year, and will be represented by their delegates at this
meeting of the Congress. We cherish strong hopes that the existing State
Societies and others to be formed will connect themselves with our
National Society in accordance with our terms of affiliation. We are,
persuaded that they will find it largely to their advantage thus to become
connected with the national and parent organization, and we greatly desire
and need not only their moral support, but also their material aid. We are
satisfied that great good would result to both the contracting parties
from such a union, and with great kindliness and earnestness we make our
appeal to the officers and leaders of the Societies in these various
commonwealths to take the suitable action in regard to their formal
association with the National Society.
We greatly regret that we
have not been able to fulfill our promise to our members and subscribers
in regard to the early publication of our second volume. Difficulties
arose over which we had no control, and delayed the appearance of the
volume. Measures will be taken in the future to prevent any such
disappointment.
IV. OUR THIRD CONGRESS.
The people of Charlotte, N.
C, and of San Francisco at our Pittsburg meeting presented or pressed
cordial invitations urging us to hold our Third Congress in their
respective cities. Somewhat later in the year we received a request from
the Society in Atlanta which represents some of the very best elements in
that city, holding out to us an equally strong and generous invitation.
About the same time Louisville, through her representative bodies, the
Board of Trade, the Commercial Club, and the Kentucky Scotch-Irish
Society, forwarded an eager invitation to us that we would hold our next
meeting in the metropolis and commercial center of this famous
Scotch-Irish commonwealth. Your committee, to whom the choice of time and
place had been committed, appreciated to the fullest the generosity,
interest, and enthusiasm so plainly manifested by all these invitations.
We recognize the particular advantages of each. We return our hearty
thanks to all our generous friends, and hope that in the future we may be
able to avail ourselves of the kindness of California, North Carolina, and
of Georgia, but for our third meeting we decided in favor of Louisville.
We are sure that our members do not and will not regret our selection. To
carry out the necessary arrangements in Louisville there was formed a
local executive committee consisting of representatives from each of the
three organizations just above mentioned. To them was committed the large
labor of preparing for the present Congress. Gen. James A. Eakin was first
chosen Chairman of this committee. With sorrow we have to announce that he
has since passed to a greater assembly above, breathing a benediction on
this gathering in his last illness. We consider it a duty we owe to his
memory to give expression to our high esteem of his lofty and typical
Scotch-Irish character, and we mourn that he was not permitted to be
present with us this day.
Maj. Clinton McClarty, a
distinguished and honored citizen of Louisville, was chosen as Chairman,
and willingly gave himself to the task. Mr. Helm Bruce was made Secretary
of the committee, and to his intelligent and untiring efforts the success
of this meeting is in very large measure due. Messrs. P. N. Clark and J.
S. Morris represent respectively the Commercial Club and the Board of
Trade. Other members whose names will appear in our published proceedings
have been added to the committee.
There was also formed an
Entertainment Committee, of which Mr. James R. Todd is Chairman, and they
have rendered valued and appreciated assistance in providing for the
comfort of the visitors. By the invitation of the local committee, early
in last January, our Secretary, Mr. A. C. Floyd, visited Louisville to
confer with the local committees in reference to preliminary arrangements
and the developments of plans for the Congress. At this and all subsequent
conferences, of which there have been quite a number, the Secretary has
represented the National Society. It was agreed that the local committee
should provide accommodations for special guests, embracing the Executive
Committee, the principal speakers, and a few friends. Arrangements were
also to be made by the local committee for halls in which the Congress
should meet, a band of music, reduced fares on the railroads, and various
other minor accommodations. All these necessary arrangements have been so
far as possible carried out. The local committee have sent out general
invitations and announcements to about 2,000 newspapers in the United
States and Canada, and issued several thousand special invitations to
members of the Society and representatives of the Scotch-Irish race
throughout the country.
The Treasurer's account has
been submitted and handed over to an Auditing Committee.
The local committee have
also made arrangements for a Sunday night's service similar to that held
in Pittsburg last year. This service will be conducted by the Rev. John
Hall, of New York, Dr. Hamilton to preside. A full notice of it will be
given at a somewhat later date.
Rev. Dr. Macintosh:
Mr. Chairman, this is our
report as now presented to the Society, and, as a matter of form, I would
move in the first instance that the report be accepted if it be seconded;
then I crave the liberty to make a few remarks on it.
Mr. President, before I ask
the business meeting of our Society to adopt the report I think it is
right that one or two points should be specially emphasized, and having
done that, then it will be for the Society to adopt the report, should it
find favor in the eyes of the members.
The first thing that I
think it is desirable to emphasize is, that in this report we have omitted
a number of minor details on organization and By-laws which of necessity
had to be brought before you at Pittsburg and made the subject of
consideration, and you will pardon this remark, that after a little
experience in organization I find that while reports are received, and
contain a vast deal of useful information, the general community is so
wonderfully enlightened that it does not require special information upon
particular points. Now I do not know whether this applies to the
Scotch-Irish Congress or not, but I wish to bring it out now that our
members may make themselves thoroughly familiar with what is really the
very life of the business part of the second volume. Some of you may have
thought that for a mere passing announcement this morning I traveled out
of the limits of my sphere in laying so much stress on the fact that while
we are not sectarian we are certainly religious. I had a good reason for
that. We have no antagonism in our religious belief, or with any race
whatever; but while that is so, we do want to fear God and keep his
commandments. Now you will find, gentlemen, that this is stated very
clearly and distinctly in the business part of this volume. Then there are
a number of business details as regards the management and administration
of the Society that are set forth there in the Constitution and By-laws
that have been drawn up by our Secretary with his usual care and sense of
responsibility and practical judgment. Then there is another point I
desire to call attention to. We are desirous, gentlemen, that at all
points along the line there shall be little notes of active life that will
be drawing together one with another, by friendly correspondence, in
person and by letter; and if we are to be what we want to be, the members
must come together in one great, living body; and we feel that it is most
important to emphasize here what you will find set forth in the
Constitution and By-laws: that we want all the State Societies to come
into the closest possible union with the National Society. Our second
Congress is bearing its fruit, and bearing much fruit; it has been
bringing forth its fruit every month. All across the line you can hear
this said: "Well, I don't know about that; I didn't know that I had any
Scotch blood in me, but I remember now that my grandfather or my
grandmother was so and so." Now I say we have effected a good deal in two
short years, but we are now just at the point of danger. I used to play a
good deal of ball when I was younger (I could play a little yet if I had
to), and it is just when you have made your first or second strokes that
you get into trouble; that is just the time when you have to watch when
the ball is pitched and know exactly where you are going to send it that
you may make your run; I know there are some old ball players here, and
they will understand what I mean. Now is the time we have gathered
together, gentlemen, to take advantage of the defects we have made. What I
want you to do is to feel this: that the battle is always won by the
regiment, by the men in the line, and not by the officers. That has been
the history of every great victory; and, gentlemen, you must not rely upon
any one of us to whom you have been kind enough to give special work to
do, to do work which only you can do. My dear particular friend, I do not
know your innermost circle of friends, but you do; and if I did know them,
I could not begin to do with them what you can do; you know exactly where
to touch them so as to influence them to come along with you. Now I say,
gentlemen, we have great missionary work to do, and this year it is
necessary that the fruits of the second Congress should be so used by you
that when we come next year, if the Lord spares us, it must not be simply
that the membership has been doubled this year, but that it has been
trebled or quadrupled, because it is on the number of our membership that
the life and power of the Society depends. There is another point that I
wish to draw your attention to. Reference has been made in this report to
the influence of that second Congress on its fruit in Ireland, Australia,
and also Canada. Of Canada we do not think so strange because it is part
of ourselves, an imaginary line being between, but I have been impressed
to find that in Ulster itself it has been marvelous; and do you know,
gentlemen, it is producing the most marvelous result in old Ulster which
we so much love. Australia, as the newspapers received by me show, has
already begun to talk as an Ulster land, and I think the time is not very
far distant when we will have an International Scotch-Irish Congress that
will make the world stare. Now, as I say, we have made some progress
during the year; but, gentlemen, there are some things that will require
your careful attention, but to that I won't refer until the Treasurer has
made his statement. I do hope that each member will make an active
personal canvas, and that there will not be one of our members who will
not say: "I will make it my effort to get, if possible, five additional
members" If each one of us would strive to add to our National Society
during the year five members—and I don't think that is a very great thing
to set before us—see where we would be at our next meeting, what a showing
it would make! Skobeloff, the great Russian strategist, was asked at one
time what his three great secrets of warfare were. He said: " Keep the
main body together, know exactly the last point where your line rests, and
push your outposts to the farthest point of danger and never draw them
back." Now what we want to do is to throw out outposts; every new member
that we gain is another outpost brought into the circle of our Society.
Mr. Bonner:
Gentlemen, are there any
further remarks to make on this matter; if not—
Mr. Briggs:
I move that the report of
the Executive Committee be adopted, and the thanks of this Congress be
tendered to them, and especially to Dr. Macintosh for his remarks.
Seconded and carried
unanimously.
Col. Echols:
I move that the report be
referred to an auditing committee to see that it is correct.
Seconded and carried
unanimously.
Dr. Macintosh:
I think there are some
points that our good friend Floyd feels a delicacy in referring to because
they seem to be of a personal character; but we require to have the whole
situation before us, therefore I request that he be requested to give us
the information so as to enable us to understand the situation.
Mr. Floyd:
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen:
I had supposed that this additional information necessary to make the
situation plain to you would have gone as part of the Treasurer's report;
but as it has not, I will give it. The report shows a balance of something
like $31. I don't give the exact figures because I don't know them, but
there are outstanding debts which I estimate, in the rough, at about $600;
out of that would be a balance on salary referred to; about $50 of it
would be for some outstanding small accounts, and about $400 is due the
publishers. In that connection it will be necessary to state that this
$400 has been incurred very recently by the necessity, at a very late date
in the year, of issuing extra editions of the first and second volumes
from Robert Clark & Co., which are now on hand. It became necessary for us
to have a second edition of the second volume and a third edition of the
first volume. These editions have been issued very recently, and the
copies themselves are most of them on hand now. I estimate that the books
we have on hand are worth about $400 if they could be disposed of, so that
you have an indebtedness of $600 less $400 in books, if it is possible to
sell them, and I think it will be from the fact that the books have been
sold here tofore, two editions of the
first volume, as I say, and one edition of the second volume.
Mr. Frierson:
Then your idea is that
$200, if we had all our books sold, would relieve the Society of its debt
up to the present time?
Mr. Floyd:
Yes, sir; but in that
connection I think we ought to dispose of one thing before going into
another.
Mr. Montgomery:
How many members have we
now in the National Society? Of course the dues will be payable very soon
that would cover that amount; I just ask that as a matter of information.
Mr. Floyd:
There are about 450 members
of the National Society proper. The dues are $3 a year, but they are
constantly dropping off for various reasons—some because their interest
has not been kept up, very few on that account, and some for other
reasons—so I would say about 400 members of the National Organization are
in full harmony and co-operation.
Col. McKeehan:
I take it from the report
of the Treasurer and Secretary we are publishing the reports of this
Congress on our own account, paying the publisher whatever the expense may
be, and disposing of the editions and making whatever money on that we
can. I want to know if that is a risk.
Dr. Macintosh:
Now, Mr. President, in
order to bring before the Society this financial matter for the next
year-—and you will see, gentlemen, here are where the sinews of war come
in and must be provided for—the estimated expenses for the ensuing year,
exclusive of the amount that may be necessary for special clerical work,
based on last year's expenditures, would be about $2,500 for the year.
There is a present outstanding debt over against which stand the volumes
not yet sold, but there is a present outstanding debt of $600. Now that
makes a total of $3,100. The estimated income from the regular dues and
sale of books amounts to about $1,500. Now then here is where the question
comes. What are we going to do for the next year? I said a little while
ago that we had just, in my judgment, reached the point of danger. We have
now reached the vantage point from which we can go forward to honor and
increase a successful tight, but we may have reached the point at which we
will have to stop any thing like active work. Now I know a case of a
gentleman where work in connection with this Society has been done that
amounts to considerably over $300, and nothing has been asked from the
Society in connection with that whatever. That cannot continue; and yet if
some work of that kind is not done you are not going to make any advance;
not one of you will say to me that 400, 500, or 1,000 members is what we
ought to have on the list of the Society. Now we may take some aggressive
measure; but if we take an aggressive measure, we must provide some funds
for the work. Now my friend Floyd don't say it, but he has not had his
salary paid, and we must face these things fairly; I don't think there is
any use to be mealy-mouthed about this sort of thing. There is not a day
in the year when less than four hours is given by our Secretary to this
work, and for several months every year all his time, is devoted to it.
The man has no right to do that work for us without receiving what is very
small pay. Now is the work to go forward? and if so how are we to meet
that deficiency, $1,600? Now I make my appeal to you for missionary work,
and I make my appeal to the State Societies that they will try to get
their Societies, into union with the National Society. I make my appeal to
the gentlemen here present, and other gentlemen in connection with our
Society; some of them last year took five, ten, and twenty volumes, paid
for them themselves, and gave them away to their friends. I think some of
you business men must put your heads together to see if there is not some
way to increase the funds at our disposal; the work has to be done, and
that means an outlay. I have no hesitation in talking about this, and with
the exception of the President and Secretary, I know about as much of the
workings of this Society as any other member, and the necessity of doing
it in a business-like way. Now you see we make an estimate of about $2,500
or $3,000 a year; all we can calculate upon on our income as it now stands
is $1,500 or $1,600. Something ought to be done to bridge over this chasm,
or else we will have to stop our work.
Mr. Parke:
I would like to inquire
what provision we have in our Constitution for raising money for meeting
the expense of this thing; I would like to know what the provisions are on
that.
Mr. Bonner:
There is nothing more than
from the subscription and sale of books and life memberships. There were
nine gentlemen made life members a year ago at $100 each, and I intend to
make three gentlemen of my acquaintance life members on this present
occasion, and perhaps there are some others that would like to make some
of their friends life members, or make themselves life members. We would
be glad to hear from them.
Col. Livingston:
Certainly this Society
ought to have some systematic method of raising revenue for the support of
the Society. It will not do, sir, to depend on making your friends life
members; my going out and doing this thing, and another man doing
something else. This Society ought to get down to business; you must have
some way—you must have incorporated in your law some way by which you can
raise revenue, and it must be sure. Now I want to suggest to you that that
book will not only pay its own way, but will bring you in some revenue. We
have a great deal of publishing done, and it don't cost us any thing to
have it done. I can have all your publishing done, and the man will pay
for the privilege of doing it. I would suggest that the Executive
Committee meet just to advise some plan by which funds can be secured
regularly, and always in advance. I can give you the information about the
book matter at some private time. I make a motion that the Executive
Committee meet, with what help they ask out of this Congress, to advise
some plan for raising money. Before the vote is taken I would like to say
this: that you have provided no way by which these State Societies are
hitched on to this body. For instance, take our Society in Georgia. Are we
part or parcel of your organization without joining you individually? I
mean to say this: take Georgia, we have a General Assembly, and we are
their representatives or their delegation. Now are we not the gentlemen of
the Society in that way, while not members of the National Society?
Dr. Macintosh:
The point brought up is a
very important one, and it is for that reason the members of the Society
ought to study the law.
Section V.
1. Branch organizations
whose objects are in harmony with those of this Society may become and
remain affiliated with the same by the annual payment of a sum equal to
one dollar for each member of such branch Society.
2. Installments of this sum
may be paid at any time to the Secretary of this Society by the proper
officers of branch organizations, and a copy of the annual proceedings
shall be immediately forwarded through him for every dollar so paid.
3. The balance of such sum
shall be paid as provided for in case of the installments, not later than
the first day in April of each year, the balance to be reckoned on the
number of the members belonging to the branch Society on the first day of
the preceding March.
Col. Livingston:
If the copy costs a dollar
and you sell them for a dollar, you raise no revenue.
Mr. Floyd:
On the question of books,
it costs just as much to print one book as it does a thousand,
practically. It costs just the paper more to print a thousand than it does
a smaller number, so that the more books we sell the more money we make.
We are out so much for the publication of the book—that is only one
volume—and as you advance in the number of volumes, you make your money in
that way. The first edition of a volume costs nearly what the copies sell
for. Each of the books of the first edition sells for about what it costs;
but when we get to the second edition or third edition (there are
stereotype plates made at the time the books are printed), they cost about
one-fourth of what the first do.
Col. Echols:
I would like to make a few
remarks on this subject. It seems to me that it is a very plain business
proposition: so much money, so much expense; more money, more expense;
less money, less expense. We have increased the annual dues from $2 to $3.
It looks to me like $3 a year is as much as we can expect the rank of our
Society to pay; if we increase it to a greater extent than $3 a year, I
fear there will be a roar on that account, and the Society will not
proceed as it ought. Now it strikes me that one of two things should be
done: either increase the membership or decrease the expenses. I think we
would like to go on as we have been going for the past three years. I
would suggest that we put our shoulder to the wheel and increase the
membership, and it can be done easily. Just think of it, brother
Scotch-Irishmen, 450 members to begin the third year in this grand country
of ours! We have all been asleep; we ought to have come here 2,000 strong
instead of 450, and with that 2,000 we could meet this expense. As I
understand it, a member of a State Society cannot become a member of this
National Society; that he cannot become a member by paying $1 a year. The
point where it comes in is this: that State Societies in all business
meetings should have one representative for every five of their members.
Certainly, if that volume is worth any thing, it is worth $1; and I think
that it is a question where the Executive Committee can go a little
farther and, I hardly think, fare worse. I only throw out these
suggestions as a member of the Executive Committee as away to increase our
dues, and not depend on faith, hope, and charity.
Col. Livingston:
If you will organize State
Societies and County Societies all over this Union, you can make those
Societies pay all your expenses and have no trouble here.
Mr. McBride:
While I am not a member of
the National Society, it occurs to me that we could have a quiet
consultation of this question this afternoon, when Col. Livingston could
submit his plans. It seems to me, if I understand these State Societies,
the chances are you can raise all the money for your immediate use; and
then, as to those books, I have this to say: Let the older Society take
the first edition, and the Georgia delegation take one of the subsequent
editions. To be serious, I am very much interested in the discussion here.
Mr. Briggs:
I belong to the National
Society and I belong to the Local Society, and I don't pay any money any
more cheerfully than I do to both of them. I think we ought to belong to
both of them. The National Society is the mother, and the other is the
child, and I think we ought to keep up our local organization as well as
the national. In regard to raising money, I think like Col. Livingston. I
will guarantee to get 10 members the coming year. Now if we can get 1,000,
or $3,000, it will pay all the expenses, and we will have some left.
Mr. Bonner:
As I understand it, this whole matter is to be referred to the Executive
Committee to report here to-morrow; and Col. Livingston, or any other
gentleman who may have a business proposition to submit, is invited to
meet with us this afternoon.
The following Nominating
Committee was appointed to select and nominate officers for the ensuing
year: Col. J. W. Echols, Mr. George Searight, and Hon. P. M. Casady.
Motion to adjourn seconded
and carried. |
