Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-09-12
full as to who they nominated as can,

didates.
In August, 1928. two years after tn
disappearance of Morgan, the first anti
Masonic convention was held in Utica
N. Y, nominated candidates pledged
against freemasonry and polled q very
large but not q successful vote at thu
following election. Two years latel
they absorbed the national or Adam.
Republicans and became the anti
Masonic party. The leaders Of Thu
party in New York were Willard Fill
more, William d. Seward, and Thurlov
Weed, the latter one of the most astutt
and sagacious politicians the country
has every known. A thorough organ.
ization was given to the party through
out the State, and, the excitement
spreading to other States, q national
convention was determined upon. Johr
Quincy Adams, after his defeat by
jackson in 1928. lost the leadership Of
his party and Clay came up as the
chosen leader of the opposition to Jack
son. But both jackson and Clay were
masons. and in order to head off Clay
the anti-Masonic party leaders took the
initiative and called their national con-
! vention to meet at Baltimore in Sep
TENDER, 1881. This was the first
national political convention ever
held in this country. 1t nominated
William Writ, of Maryland, for Presi-
dent and Amos Ellmaker, of Pennsyl-
vania, for Vice President. But
the followers of Clay would not submit
to dictation from the anti Masons, and
the national Republicans. or Wings as
they were then beginning to be called,
held their own convention and nomi-
mated their favorite leader. As is we'll
known, jackson and Van Buren, swept
the country in the succeeding election
of 1882. The anti-Masons, although
they polled large vote in the North
ern States, succeeded in carrying only
the State of Vermont for Writ and ELL
maker. From this time as national
party its power decreased, though for a
number of years it remained strong
factor of the Wing party in New York
and Pennsylvania. In 1885, in ALI
ance with the Wings, it elected Gov
ernor in Pennsylvania, and the same
year prevented Clay from obtaining the
nomination for the Presidency.
Again in 1889, when Gen. Harrison was
nominated at Harrisburg, it was the
anti-Masonic influence, under the lead
ership of Thurlow Weed, that gave
Harrison the nomination over Clay. In
1888 it carried Seward into the guber-
material chair of New York and set him
on the highway to greater fortunes.
Gradually its power dwindled away,
for no political party can long
survive upon an issue of hos
tihty to particular private So
ciety. As late as 1913. however, it ex-
listed in alliance with the wing party in
Western Pennsylvania and New York,
and election tickets were up to that time
headed "Anti-Masonic and Wing
Ticket" Freemasonry dropped under
this chilling blast, but it did not die.
Masons generally repudiated all con-
nection with or sanction of the Morgan
crime. Certain lodges and chapters
passed resolutions to that effect, but the
face of the community was set like flint
against them for many years. Old Ma
sons often tell of the difficulties they en-
in holding their lodges. On
more than one occasion their public pro-
cessions we're mobbed, and mea who
were known to be Masons were avoided
as if they were criminals. Hundreds
deserted the order and repudiated all
with it, and neophytes were
few and far between. From 1880 until
1910 it took brave if not a reckless
man to avow himself Mason or to ex-
press any desire to become one. No
great society of men was ever so near
Meantime what in fact had become of
Capt. William Morgan? For many
years this remained q great mystery.
The Masons generally denied his MUIR
der. Occasionally word would be pub
lished that he had been seen here or
there through the country. Some said
he had fed from his creditors, others
that he had deserted his wife. Innu-
theories were propounded by
everybody but the anti-NIasons, who
from first to last declared that he had
been murdered. As late as 1880 book
was published in Chicago defending the
Masons against the murder of Morgan
and undertaking to show that he was
not murdered.
But Thurlow Weeds memoirs set the
matter completely at rest. One of the
parties engaged in the abduction made
4 full confession of all the facts to him
some years after the excitement was
over, under the seal of honor. All the
parties to the deed We're dead when
Weed gave to the world his story of the
great crime.
When Morgan was taken from Can
sndaigua Jail by party of five or six
Masons he was placed in a close car
rage and driven rapidly and secretly
% Fort Niagara, on the Niagara River,
. distance of 100 miles. From time to
line relays of fresh horses were pro-
1ided along the road, showing that
had been made before
land for the journey. The fort was at
hat time abandoned, and Morgan was
in the empty magazine. 1t
nay MS well be said here that the
anatics who abducted him had inten-
ions of numbering him. The plan was
% take him across to Canada, pass him
,ver to the Canadian brethren and have
hem send him to the far West among
he fur traders. But the Canadian |
brethren refused to have anything to do
With him, and there he was-a most |
prisoner to release. Holding
lin in confinement for a number Of
lays, some of them went to Lewiston,
where an encampment of Knights Temp
ar was to be installed. Large numbers
# Masons were there assembled, many
+ whom were cognizant of Morgan's
DEDUCTION. A certain Col. King, who
vas a high Mason, seemed to take di-
ection of the matter, and he informed
he men who had come back for in
tructions that they were to return with
Inn and others and deal with Morgan
ccording to his deserts. They re-
urned. They took Morgan from his
ell and informed him he was to be
ent to a farm in the interior of Canada
nd that his family should follow him.
they placed him in q boat to row him