Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-01-10
The A. IL. I. A.
SOME FACTS REGARDING THIS Or
DER NOT.6ENIRALLY KNOWN.
With an Eye That Never sleeps This
Soeiety Is Ever on the Alert For
Crime In Any shape.
10 the EDITOR OF the Ledger.

the Editor of the Ledger.
MEXICO, Mo-, January S.-fhe
first quarterly meeting of the Coun.
ty Association A. Fl. T. A. met in
the Circuit Court room on January
2, and transacted the business OF
the quarter with ease and harmony.
T. T. Torreyson, county delegate at
large, reported the proceedings of
the State Grand Order, and the fine
time he had with the hospitable
people Of Kirksville during the SEES
SION.
People are not generally informed
about the relation of the County
Association to the sub orders.
When any of the sub orders in the
county want assistance in any con-
stitutional way the county President
notihes and orders as many sub
orders to assist as he thinks the
case may require. The County AS
ISOLATION is the medium through
which we give each other help fl
nancially. When any sub order in
the county incurs expenses in the
capture OF a thief, or the recovery of
stolen property, or in capturing a
rapist, murderer or criminal of any
kind that has injured a member of
the order, half of the expenses in
Cured in such cases, when in ex-
cess of $40, are paid by the County
Association. To illustrate the work
ing of the County Association | will
cite your readers to the Worcester
rape case. Sub Order No. 1871, of
which Mr.. Schneider was a men,
Der, was in the saddle in an hour
after the deed was done, and follow.
ed the criminal and assisted in his
capture in the city OF Mexico. The
expenses of the capture were in ex-
cess of $40, and, in conformity with
the county constitution, the Secre-
tary of No. 1S1 notified the county
Secretary and the county Secretary
notified the secretaries of the several
Sub orders in the county of the
amount spent and what it was spent
for, and all .heerfully responded
and paid half @, The bill incurred in
the capture. The County Associa-
ton is the cement that cements the
several sub orders of the county to.
gether in protecting one another's
interests and bearing one another's
burdens.
In regard to the order in general
l wish to state the mild
criticisms of numbers of good cit
liens, and the question so often
asked, "What do the antis do,
anyway" are not sent at US any
oftener than they are at other So
c%ieties. We do not pu: our bulletin
boards on the street corners the re-
suits of our efforts; neither do we
publish in the newspapers what we
are going to do in matters relating
to the violation of laws. We would
ask our critics to take a census of
the number of complaints made by
our committees in the county for
the last five years and ascertain the
number of failures to convict; and
then do the same with the Grand
Juries of the county for the same
length of time, and find the num-
Der of indictments and the number
of failures to convict those indicted.
We have no fear of such an investi-
cation and comparison. Our COM
mittees generally investigate every
case brought before them, and I'M
less they feel satisfied the evidence
is sufficient to convict they do not
make complaint or order the issu-
ing of a warrant. We have at times
helped to protect public property,
such as school houses, churches and
bridges. We have in some instances
when church officers have failed to
find evidence of the defacing of
church property, taken the case up,
and found the guilty parties and
had them convicted. The same is
true of school houses. There is a
strong feeling in the order through
out the State to change it. name.
At the last meeting of the State
Grand Order a committee on on
stitutlon revision was appointed to
stand through the year and receive
proposed amendments. We feel
we are larger and our field Tor labor
broader than it was thirty years ago
when the good people of Clark and
Lewis Counties organized to protect
their horse interests. sour order,
is founded on justice and having for
its object the vindication of civil
law and an equitable execution of
the same in bringing to justice all Of
tenders and transgressors OF every
kind or name, should receive the
of every Christian man and
woman" s. G., GROVES,
Sec. Co. Assn. A. III. r. A..
Miss Msude Wise accompanied
her sister, Mrs. Emmett DAVIS,