Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-23
ROOTS OPINION.

The Head Consul OF the Modern w ood-
men OF America Condemns the Meet
ing Which Assemblies in Rock ISL
and Tomorrow.
In the current number of the Echo, the
official paper of the head camp of the
Modern Woodmen of America. Head
Consul j. G. Root presents the following
over his own signature concerning the
meeting of representatives of the camps
of the Eleventh congressional district to
be held in this city tomorrow:
There is not another fraternal order in
existence of which we have knowledge
that would have haTbored in its ranks
such arch traitors as have been laboring
for twelve months to impair
and ruin the credit of the Modern Wood.
men of America. The paid hirelings of
an officer who was removed from office
for attempting TO defraud the order by
overcharges, for conspiring to annul its
charter and steal the government away
from the lawfully elected executive coun>
cil. for attempting TO embarrass the order
and ruin its credit by advising camps not
to collect and remit moneys due the head
camp. for fragrant neglect of the duties of
his Office and for other causes, have been
doing al. in their power 20 organize con-
certed plan of revolution and disruption
which it is intended to spring at the No
vember meeting and to overpower and in.
timldate the session by mob law proceed
ings and ward caucus trickery.
The call for two assessments is used as
preteXt TO call meeting Of kickers at
Rock Island July "a in furthersnce of
this general conspiracy, and we have pos
tive information and the names of the
persons selected to rush the scheme and
howl down any attempts to obtain Justice
for camps who may come to the meeting
in good faith upon the basis of represent
tation established by the executive coun-
ell acting by authority of unanimous
vote of the last session of the head camp
az Des Moines.
Patiently the executive council have
awaited the issue of this fusilade of ma
Lightly, Islander and hatred, but it shows
no abatement, and forbearance ceases to
be virtue when the conspirators throw
off all disguise and advise camps to with
hold payment of assessments and thus try
10 prevent the head camp from meeting
the death losses and sacred obligations to
deceased members.
The injurious effects of this miserable
persecution has been to cause lapses in
membership, has retarded the growth of
the order, has caused extraordinary ex-
pense to the head camp and has shown
the inefficieDcy of our laws to meet the
unexpected contingencies forced upon
us.
The time has now come when immedi~
ate action must be taken to adopt laws
which will enable the fraternity to purge
itself from such members as are known to
be conspiring against its credit and repu-
tatiOn and make such conduct odious;
and also give to the members in all of the
states equal rights and privileges. II this
is not done at once we will not answer
for the consequences. We are fully adj
vised IS to the plans of the unscrupulous
cyclists who seek to wreck the order for
their own ends and revengefully try TO
destroy it if they cannot rule il, and hsve
sounded the alarm. Ii the camps heed
it. the order may be restored To a splen-
did condition. If hot, | shall not be re-
spOnsible. for have done my duty
Requests are coming in rapidly, and !
have no doubt that call for special
session of the head camp can be, and will
be legally issued. AS it is a special ses-
sion of the head camp that last assem-
bled at Des Moines. it is proper and ap.
propriate that it should convene at that
place, and we are assured a right royal
welcome at the hands of the camps in
that city. Every camp WAS entitled to
one delegate at the last session, therefore
it is right and proper that the same basis
Of representation should be the rule at
the proposed special session.
Every attempt 10 injure the order by
cOmmittees-the origin of which have
been traced to one fountain head. has
been based upon false representations.
and has been inspired by fsnatical
spirit of hatred and revenge that has
known no fairness, and has been charac>
terized by 20 disposition to learn the
truth before sending out incendiary and
libelous circulars to the camps The
recent call for the Rock Island meeting il
of the same character, and is headed
with the name of an attorney who is
known to have been in the employ of the
officer who was removed for cause, stamps
upon it indeliblY the secret of its dicta-
ton.