Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-09-18
ODD FELLOWS.
Meeting Of the Sovereign Grand
Lodge I. o. o.. T.
MEMBERSHIP LARGELY INCREASED;
Interesting Questions Coming Up For De-
cision-The Grand Sire Discusses the
Question of Liquor Selling BY
Members.

TOPEKA, Kan, Sept. 16.-The soVer-
eign grand lodge of Odd Fellows of the
world began its sessions yesterday. The
attendance, though large, was hardly up
to expectations.
A procession was formed at $50
o'clock in the morning and the represent
atives marched to the Grand Opera
House, where Governor Humphrey de-
livered the address of welcome on be-
half of the State. Mayor Cofran on be-
half of the city, John NJ Price, past
grand master, in behalf of the grand
lodge, Grand Patriarch Ferguson for the
grand encampment, and Mrs. Alice b.
Dawson for the Rebekah degree. Grand
Sire Underwood responded in behalf of
the sovereign grand lodge, and Mrs. NJ.
E Rea for the National Rebekah degree.
After the speech making the two or
ders marched to the Capitol building,
the Odd Fellows occupying Representa-
tive hall and the Daughters of Rebekah
the Senate chamber. The proceedings
of the short session were secret
One of the most interesting questions
which will come before the order at
this session is the charge against Cap
| tain-General Ellis, of Ohio, who has
been arrested for breach of discipline.
He is next in seniority of command in
| the Patriarchs Militant to the general
issimo. The alleged breach of disci-
pline was refusal on his part to obey
| orders from Lieutenant-General Under
wood.
September last Captain-General FL
| lis issued an order proclaiming himself
acknowledgement and generalissimo
| of the militant order of Patriarchs Mil
| liant by promotion and assumed COM
mand of the army. AS soon as this or
der reached General Underwood he is
| sued another declaring it "a fragrant
breach of discipline and slap at the
| legislation of the ORDER" and Ellis was
suspended.
Ellis bases his claim on the legisla-
ton of the Sovereign grand lodge of
| 1885, which decided that the terms of
office of the lieutenant-general and
| generalissimo should be limited to
| three years each, and that the captain
| general should succeed to it by promo
| ton. This case will come first before
the committee on appeals.
Grand Sire Underwood and Grand
Treasurer Sheppard and Grand Treasur-
er Ross submitted their reports at the
| secret session in the afternoon.
Grand Sire Underwood's report shows
that the lodge membership has been in
| creased 80, 796 within the past year and
| that it is at present 634, 335. The relief
furnished by lodges and encampments
during the year amounted to s., 49,
363.9S During the year 81, $40 were in
| itiated.
| In his report Grand Sire Underwood
| discussed the action of the grand lodge
of Missouri in issuing its famous order
| refusing admission to saloonkeeperS.
| The grand lodge of Missouri resolved:
THAT as the business of saloonkeeping
| is an immoral one, and not such reput-
able means of support as our laws re-
quire, subordinate lodges be instructed
to demand that any of their mem
bers who may be engaged in such
business shall abandon it. or
be charged with unbecoming conduct
and expelled from the order" As the
sovereign grand lodge will be asked to
make a similar order the position of the
grand sire on this question was heard
with great interest He held that the
qualifications of membership had been
prescribed by the constitution of the
sovereign grand lodge and that retro
active legislation was illegal and could
not be enforced He declared: THE
mandates of subordinate grand body
conditioning habit qualifications for
membership and interdicting the busi-
ness privileges of citizens are directly
contrary to the continued action of the
sovereign grand lodge, which sovereign
body has invariably refused to inter
fere with the personal attributes of ap-
| plicants, or members and their business
| avoca tions further than as expressed in
| the constitution. A mans bad habits
and illicit business transactions $50
called) are proper reasons for his rejec-
ton by those with whom such charac-
teristics are disliked, and improper ap-
plicants should be refused admission to
the order through the ballot, the silent
and sacred protector of the sovereign
grand lodge"
| Continuing this discussion Grand Sire
| Underwood referred to the restrictions
on membership imposed by the consti-
| tuition and concluded with the statement
that no qualifications for membership
could be imposed except those provided
for by the constitution of the sovereign
| grand lodge.
| The report of Grand Treasurer Shep-
pard shows that there remains cash
balance in the treasury of SS2, $40. In
addition the lodge had St3, 800 in AZ per
cent United States registered bonds
and S23, 900 in coupon bonds
| A reception was rendered to Grand
Sire Underwood in the Senate chamber
last night at which Ma :or- General A. C
Cable, of Covington, O., acted as master
of ceremonies
| Deputy Grand Sire Busbee will have
no opposition for grand sire. 1t is the
custom to promote the deputy grand
sire in this way and he is immensely
popular.
For the position of deputy grand sire
| there are four eandidates-Alfred Oren-
dorf, of Springfield, Ill; C. L Campbell,
of Ontario: Fred Carlton, of Texas, and
William II. lizard, of New Jersey.
There are numerous candidates for the
other positions
The killing of Councillor Rossi, who
was shot at Bellinsonia, Canton of Tic
inc. Switzerland, has been traced to
radical, named Castiglione, who has
ded
The President has recognized Eli
HavAs Chandler as british Vice-Consul