The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-03-11
KNIGHTS OF RECIPROCITY.
A Meeting OF Grand Oficers at Excelsior
Springs, Mo.


EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo-, March a.
The meeting of the supreme lodge
Knights of Reciprocity here yesterday,
was attended by quite a number OF
prominent citizens of this and adjoin-
ing states. Foremost among the lead
ers here are Hon. Jesse Taylor, OF
Garden City, Kan. founder of the order
and its first supreme judge, and Hon
5. r. Peters, of Newton, Kan, ex-con-
gresham from the Seventh district
Other notable members who are in at
grand judge for Missouri; Hon. w. G.
Marshall, Kansas City, supreme mar
shall; Hon. w. II. Harris, Kansas City,
grand treasurer and supreme represen-
tative for Missouri; Isaac Isaacs,
Kansas City, grand clerk for Mis-
souri,; Hon. 7. B. Haughawaut,
OF Carthage, Mo-, supreme representa-
tive for Missouri; Ii. S. Gregory, Gar.
den City, Kan, supreme representative
for Kansas; W. w. Morgan, w. c.
Ebert E. F. Rogers, L. Follender,
United Srates Marshal John p. Tracy,
United States Attorney G. p. Neal, of
Kansas City; Thomas i. Tuttle. Chaun-
cey b. Sticl1ney and Messrs. Black. of
Carthage, Mo; H. d. Cupp, New Lon
don, Mo-; Z. r. Grafton, Liberty, Mo-. |;
Jesse Taylor Alderman c. L. Dun
ham, Kansas City, Mo-; Thomas Kirby,
Abiline, Kan; Hon. John 7. Crisp.
Jackson county, Mo-, and many others.
The meeting of the supreme lodge
was held at the Elms. 1t was purely
an informal one, as it was not intended
to transact much business of impor-
lance in view of the fact that another
meeting of the supreme lodge is to be
held in Washing ton as soon as the or
ganization of grand lodges is perfected
work is now being actively pushed.
On this account the grand lodges of
Maryland and Louisiana and the Dis
trict of Columbia, the only other grand
lodges which have thus far been organ
lied, were instructed not to send repre-
sentatives to this meeting.
At the first session of the supreme
lodge, Supreme Judge Jesse Taylor
submitted his report showing the use
and progress of the order from its in
ception and outlining the work for the
future.
Appended to the report of the SUI
preme judge was a clear and interest
ing history of the order from its found
ing to the present time. On the even
ing of November 90, 1890, upon the in
vitation of Hon. Jesse Taylor, Messrs.
ID. NJ. Frost, W. r. Hopkins, Daniel
Taylor. b. L. Stocks, Judd 3 Light,
l. c. Rohrbough, Frank B. Apperon
and G. L. Miller assembled in the
land office at Garden City, Kan. There
Mr. Taylor explained to them the aims
of the organization to be known as the
Knights of Reciprocity, and read to
them the constitution, which had been
prepared, after which they all sub
scribed their names to the following
declaration, which set forth the objects
of the new order:
believing that the institution of q
new secret order founded on a modern
and progressive idea, with some of the
most sacred privileges of the citizens
of the United States as the foundation
for its secret work, and thereby awal1-
ening our fellow men to the Importance
of thoughtfulness before action, will
promote the general welfare and secure
the blessings of liberty, prosperity and
happiness to ourselves and our posterity,
we do ordain and establish this consti-
tuition for the supreme lodge, knights
of Reciprocity"
On December 10, 1890, meeting of
these subscribers was held in the office
of i. T. Stocks, in Garden City, Kan,
at which time Garden City lodge was
instituted Very soon thereafter lodges
were instituted in Larned, Great Bend,
Bucllin, Dodge City and Newton, Kan,
and the great work was fairly inaugu-
rated. The grand lodge of Kansas was
instituted on December %, 1891 On
March l, 1891, the work was inaugu-
rated in Missouri by the institution of
Sherman lodge No. l, at Kansas City,
with twenty-seven charter members.
From this beginning in one year the
order has grown to grand proportions
in Missouri, having in the state to-day
361 lodges with over %, 900 members, ard
this number is being increased by
the organization of new lodges every
day. Missouri has far outstripped Kan
sas, which has only eighty-six lodges
with 5000 members Maryland has
forty lodges with 5000 members; Louis
lana has thirty-six lodges with 5000
members and the District of Colum bia
has eight lodges with 1900 members.
These are the only states in which
grand lodges have been organized, but
the work is being actively pushed in
the states of Nebraska, South Dakota,
Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee,
West Virginia, North Carolina, Della
ware, New York, New Hampshire,
Connecticut and New Jersey. In all of
these states many subordinate lodges
have already been instituted, and the
organization of the grand lodges will
be completed in all of them within six
ty days