Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02
TALK OF BOYCOrrING THE CHURCHES
Nearly Twenty Thousand Persons
Belong to Such Organizations.
ALL ARE APPROVING

cottlng the pastors OF the churches which
are kicking. against Sunday funerals, and
say that If the funerals cannot be held in
the churches in the future all society
funerals will be held from the respective
halls which are owned by the different
lodges. There are about fifty or seventy
hive different secret organizations among
the colored people here, and the member
ship numbers 1900 or 10000 persons. They
even have juvenile societies, to which many
Of the colored children belong Nearly all
of these organ izations have their own halls,
and it would be very easy matter for them
to conduct their own funerals If the pas
tors who now have churches will not par
ticipate in the services at the halls, there
are several clergymen who have no churches
ard they will be invited by the society peo-
pie to conduct the services over their dead,
and they will pay for it. One of the MEM
bers of lodge in this city related today
how a few years ago the colored clergymen
of Brooklyn. n. Y, attempted to do the
same thing that some of the clergymen here
are talking of doing, but it was found that
the secret orders were so strong that the
clergymen were brought to terms. He said
that 1t was true that there are more MEM
Lers of secret societies here than there are
members OF the churches. and that some of
the members of the churches would with
draw from them If they could not have their
dead buried as they wanted to.
The Position of the Societies.
The officials of the secret societies say that
they as we'll as the clergymen, deprecate
Sunday funerals and so much display in
connection with them. but they argue that
the colored people here are mostly so poor
that they cannot afford to lose their days
work to attend funerals. and accordingly
they are postponed until Sunday, when the
days wages. From interviews obtained
from the high officials in the societies here,
they are all of one opinion-that the clergy
men have made mistake in attempting to
interfere with society funerals.
Mr.. Charles H. Marshall, who. besides be-
ing at the head of the Eastern Star Lodge of
Good Samaritans of this city, is the national
grand sire of all the lodges in the country.
proposition of the clergymen to regulate
Sunday funerals
Poor People Must BE Considered.
He said: Most Of the members of secret
societies are poor people, who have to work
caily for their living. If death occurs in
any of their families, and the burial takes
place during the week, these poor people
will have to lose days work to attend
the funeral, and in many cases IL they lose
day they will have to lose their employ
ment Thi; would be very hard on them,
and in order to accommodate them the
funerals are usually postponed until Sum-
day, in order to give them opportunity to
over a body until Sunday IL the death oc-
CURED in the early part of the week But
If person dies on Wednesday or later in
the week there can be no harm in keeping
the body over until Sunday, providing 1t is
not injurious to the health. of the public.
1 am opposed to the retention of bodies
from the grave simply for the purpose Of
making big displays, but where 1t will con-
n n ne m Of ba
members there ought not to be any objec-
ton. I think the pastors here made a mis-
take in trying to regulate sentiment for
societies. and II the preachers will only
preach visit the sick and bury the dead
they will have enough to do, without ir ter
fering with the secret organizations. I am
opposed to the opening of collins in
churches. because It is in fact, injurious to
the public health, and concur with the pas
tors in their endeavor to suppress such pro-
ceedings.
when 1 say that they do not take up too
much time in carrying out their ritualistic
services, and We always try to make the
| services as short as possible. But IL we
cannot have the churches for the burial of
our dead, the Samaritans have a fine hall
from which they can conduct their own
services. The pastors have no right to Try
and control the societies, and they will find
out that they make a big mistake IL they
attempt to carry out their "determina-
TONS in this matter.
Mr.. w. H. Myer. who is the secretary Of
the Masonic orders in this city, said that
he had read with much surprise of the de-
examinations of the clergymen, but that he
did not want to express any opinion until
he consulted with some other Of the MEM
bers of his lodge.
General Dfsapproval Expressed.
| Mr. c. A. BerkIcy who is the chief of the
Society of S. and D. of Abraham said that
the determination of the ministers to stop
what they pleased to call double funerals"
would not in any way interfere with his
order as they had their own hall, and they
could conveniently hold their own services.
He said that there was a large membership
in his order, and that those who died would
even prefer having their funerals coneucted
of the Ancient Order of knights Of Jerusa-
lem. of the knights of Pythias. the Odd
Fellows and other secret societies were
asked their opinion concerning the Ques-
ton of Sunday funerals and expressed 20
The Stars representative their disapproval
of the reform proposed by the clergymen.
At the monthly meeting of these socis-
ties. which will be held during next week,
1t is expected that this question will be
brought up for discussion among the soci-
ETY. people, and they will take some action
as to what will be their course In the fu-
ture as to the manner Of conducting fu-
neral services.
Mrs. Briggs and the Saloon Question.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
1 doubt whether anything ever published in
The Star made so many people furiousiy an
cry as did the report in this evenings
paper of the protest entered by Mrs. Briggs
against the enforcement of the city's build
ing regulations. In 1t she claims that she
increased the permitted four feet Of depth
in her porch to five feet three inches and
inclosed 1t with lattice work. instead Of
leaving IL open as the permit required be-