Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-08-21
TO GOOD TEMPLARS OF WISCONSIN.
Text OF an Address Issued by Capitol Lodge No.
1, 1. o. G.. t., OF Madison, Wis, TO
Sister Lodges in the State.


the following preamble and resolutions:
WHEREAS, Our order during the past
three years, has suffered loss in men,
bership of $3.50 and an income of 49,
9S9.73. And believing that these losses
are attributable to the action of our
Grand Lodge, in committing the order
to the so-called Prohibition party, there
fore,
Res05ued, That in the sense of this
Lodge, that in committing the order to
the so-called Prohibition party, our
Grand Lodge transcribed its powers,
and required of members of this order
additional obligations, not warranted by
our ritual, and entirely at variance with
the original design and purpose of our
organization.
ReSoIUed, That pledge of "total abb
stinance'' should be the only test of
fealty required of members of this or
der. That while we recognize the rlgh
of individual members, in their capaci-
ty as citizens, to form such political
connections as they deem proper, we
regard as impolitic, imprudent, and
foreign to the letter and spirit of our
order, any action by the Grand Lodge
or any subordinate lodge, tending to al
ly or affiliate this organization with the
fortunes of any political party or move
ment
RESOLVED, That a copy Of these reso-
lutions be sent to the Grand Lodge at
its next session, and copy to be given
to the Wisconsin State Journal and the
temperance journals of the state for
publication.
Possibly we may be in error Let us
examine and see if our conclusions are
well founded.
In 1880 our order in Wisconsin had
4SJ lodges and 20,082 members in good
standing, as shown by our official rec
ords. In 1881 the Independent temper
ance party was formed, and received a
large share of the attention of our
Grand Lodge officers. In this year we
lost % lodges and 1913 members. Our
Grand Worthy Chief Templar became
a candidate for Governor of the state,
AS the nominee of the new political par
", and may not our losses this year
with propriety be charged to the fact
that our Grand Lodge officers paid too
much attention to party politics, and
too little to the ''good of the order"
In 1882 the political war continued.
Our Grand Worthy Chief, Brother L.
ID. Kanouse, was candidate for con-
gress in the Sixth District, and our
Grand Worthy Secretary, Brother b. F.
Parker, for the same office in the Sew
enth District. This year we have lost
81 lodges and 1858 members, besides.
through the candidacy of our Grand
Secretary, a lifelong friend of the
cause of temperance, was defeated for
seat in Congress and an advocate of
free whisky elected. In some of the
Assembly districts of the state, friends
of temperance were defeated for legis-
lative officers, through the agency OF
the Independent Temperance party, and
one branch of the Wisconsin Legisla.
ture turned over to the control of men,
the majority of whom in Wisconsin,
have always opposed temperance legis-
lation. And in no instance have the
advocates of separate political action
shown an ability to elect one of their
candidates in any district of the state.
In 1888 our Grand Lodge officers con-
tinued their labors in creating sentiment
favorable to the growth of the new
political party, and the result shows
that in proportion as they labored tc
infuse life into the new political or
ganization, was sapped the vitality from
the Independent Order of Good TEN
plars. A loss of thirty-two lodges and
1852 members, shows with what fidelity
the interests of the order had beer
guarded.
Brother III. II. Giles, one of the trus
tees of the Grand Lodge in 1888, made
a report which appears on pages 1,1S6
and 1,1S7 of the journal of proceedings
in which he, among other things, said
Our receipts have diminished in pro-
portion TO the loss of membership, and
consequently our means of work have
been crippled. We ought to look the
matter squarely in the face; if there i:
anything wrong, correct it.
Speaking of the order the report says
AS an educational institution, nothing
better can be devised. Its simple finan
cial system and social features, and it.
pledges of lifelong total abstinence. anC
its protection by what little secrecy it.
experience has proven necessary, shoulC
insure its continued prosperity. 1t.
record for nearly three decades show.
that when working on the line of tota
| abstinence and the education of The
| people, it has grown and prospered
proving that its true place is in the mora
warfare against the dram-shops Max,
our pledge of total abstinence the onl,
test of fealty and fellowship. and entel
into vigorous campaign. arousing nj
antagonism, except with the minions o
the liquor traffic, and we believe th,
order can be again started on the up
ward grade.
Commenting on the above passage
from the trustees report, the committe,
on the ''state of the ORDER (of whiel
Brother S. ID. Hastings was chairman)
to whom that part of the report was re
ferred, among other things said: ''Bu
if we have been wrong in the action W,
have taken in the past, the sooner W,
retrace our steps the better, and if W,
are to beat retreat we can do no bet
ter than to adopt as our watchword TO
| the next years work, the recomm enda
/ ton of the trustees, 1.-THE pledge of to
| tai abstinence the only test of fealt,
and fellowship" and then hasten witt
all possible speed to withdraw the orde
from the position in which we have s,
unfortunately placed it.
| While our membership has been do
creasing, our expenses have been a
great IN the matter of salaries as during
our most prosperous periods:
In 1880 our expenses were $40
600 - -