Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-21

sue onaIses }. J. BROWN,
against Ger -, ,,...,,,..
mania lodge
and has acted with reference to Con-
cordia lodge, whose application for o
writ to compel the order TO restore IL
the privileges denied because Of its
disregard OF the laws as TO the Ger
man question is nov in the supreme
court, Chancellor Brown has been
openly accused OF being lenient in
enforcing the fundamental principles
of the order. Supreme Chancellor
Colgrove was not at all pleased with
the condition Of the German question
in Illinois. One Of his chief acts dur.
ing the afternoon was to publicly rep
rimand Past Grand Chancellor Fred
Buchanan, iof Chicago. for permitting
the fundamental laws as To the Ger
man ritusl to be disregarded. The
correspondence between Grand Chan
cellor Bro an and Supreme Chancel-
lor Richie. Mr.. Colgrove's predeces-
sor, on this subject is shown BY
Grand Chancellor browns annual re-
port to be very pointed. Alter re-
peatedly calling Grand Chapcellor
Browns attention to the infractions
at Chicago and receiving reply that
rs far as he was concerned he could
find no violations Of the supreme
law, Chancellor Richie. in a letter
of July 80 last said:
Firm Reminder.
During your term ! have, upon q
number OF occasions. called upon you
to see that the law WAS observed
with reference to the use OF the Ger
man ritual by lodges in Chicago. In
response to the last call on June 9
you agreed to visit Chicago and as
certain for yourself. Under date Of
July - you wrote me that he had
made such visit and that on the 1Ish
you we're going to visit Chicago and
make further investigation. Since
that time have nothing from you.
l beg to inform you that l have in
my possession the sworn testimony
# members Of German lodges in Chi
cago freely given-uo hesitaucy
about it-which shows that Learly
every one of the lodges which form
erly were known as German lodges,
are now and have been continuously
violating the law. They have used
the German ritual in the opening and
closing and in the comforting Of
ranks, whenever conferred. Their
officers nave been installed in Ger
man by your deputies, George Lau.
terer and Henry Schwartz-Schwart
by his own statements. Lauterer re-
fusing TO answer the summons is
convicted by the testimony OF Fred
Buchanan and Fred Frosch. The tes-
timony in my hands shows as indi-
vidually applied that Germania ..
Hofruung Z. Goethe s. Schiller Is,
ConcordIa 50, Teutonia ca Steuben
147. koerner l56. as well as all other
formerly Germsn lodges of Chicago.
with possibly one or two exceptions.
are violating the law Ia this particu-
lar. Fred Buchanan. Henry Schwartz
and Froscb. can tell you as to Ger
mania ?. Philip Mass can tell you as
to No. IS. John Poppowiiz can tell
you as to No. Is. Fred trosch and
Henry Schwar can tell YOU rs 20
NO. s. Schwartz can tell you IS to
Hoffnuug. Concordia. Teutonia. Steu-
ben and koerDer Having gathered
the f-cts which seemed TO be beyond
your reach, | now demand as su-
pGeme chancellor that you as grand
chancellor of the grand domain Of
Illinois enforce the law
In the subsequent csrrespsndence
Grand Chancelior Brown explains HE
Efforts to Ascertain the true status
OF affairs, but Chancellor Richie ac-
cuses him Of evincing an indifference
TO the seriDu, ness Of the situation
and an indisposiIion to enforce the
lave OF the order. which Chancellor
Richie eventually calls upon him to
do IN the name % the order upou the
strength Of the testimony furnished
By him. Since his retirement Chan
cellor Riches successor. Supreme
Chancellor Colgrove has been inves-
tigating the matter. and that was
what brought him here.
In addition To the having OF the
ground work for iod-y's Gaze aud the
conferring OF the past grand masters
degree. the exemplificatiou of secret
work by Supreme Chancellor Col
grove and the reception OF reports
and resolutions and greetings from
the Missouri grand lodge in session
at Sedalia. aud the Illinois Rathbone
Sisters. very little was done yester-
day afternoon.
The trip on the river on the
steamer Winona vas enjoyed despite
the chilly weather, ana IN the even
ing the visitors were ut liberty for
social intercourse. During the time
the candidates for the post Of grand
outer guard availed themselves Of